Tag Archive: Merritt British Columbia


The Railway Man

Monday, September 15th 2014 sees the return of the Nicola Valley Theater Society Season. They are presenting Railway Man rated 14A it starts at 7 PM a change over last year at the community college lecture theater. The society is part of TIFF the Toronto International Film Circuit and shows 6 monthly films a year. Membership is required, a 2 dollar season membership is available at the door. Five dollar admission,no food in the lecture theater. Season ticket holders must come early to ensure admission.
The Railway man features Academy award-winning stars Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman.

Colin Andrew Firth CBE (born 10 September 1960) is an English film, television, and theatre actor. His films have earned more than $3 billion from 42 releases worldwide.[1] He has received an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA and three Screen Actors Guild Awards, as well as the Volpi Cup. His most notable and acclaimed role to date has been his 2010 portrayal of King George VI in The King’s Speech, a performance that gained him an Oscar and many other worldwide best actor awards. It went on to gross $414,211,549 worldwide.[2]

Identified in the late 1980s with the ‘Brit Pack’ of new young British actors headed by Gary Oldman, Firth’s rise to stardom progressed at a slower pace than many of his contemporaries. It was not until his portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice that Firth became a household name. The show was a hit in the UK and USA and established him as a marquee talent. This led to roles in films such as The English Patient, Bridget Jones’s Diary (for which he was nominated for a BAFTA), Shakespeare in Love and Love Actually. In 2009 he received widespread critical acclaim for his leading role in A Single Man, for which Firth gained his first Academy Award nomination, and won a BAFTA Award.

In 2011, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was also selected as one of the Time 100.[3] He was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Winchester in 2007, and was made a Freeman of the City of London in 2012. Firth has campaigned for the rights of indigenous tribal peoples and is a member of Survival International. He has also campaigned on issues of asylum seekers and refugees’ rights and the environment. Firth commissioned and is credited as a co-author on a scientific paper on a study into the differences in brain structure between people of differing political orientations
Nicole Mary Kidman, AC (born 20 June 1967[2]) is an Australian actress, singer[3][4] and film producer.[5] Kidman’s breakthrough film role was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm. Following several films in the early 1990s, she came to worldwide recognition for her performances in Days of Thunder (1990), Far and Away (1992), and Batman Forever (1995). She followed these with other successful films in the late 1990s. Her performance in the musical Moulin Rouge! (2001) earned her second Golden Globe Award and first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. Her performance as Virginia Woolf in the drama film The Hours (2002) received critical acclaim and earned Kidman the Academy Award for Best Actress and Silver Bear for Best Actress at Berlin film festival. source Wikipedia

Today in history: September 4th 1888
George Eastman registers his Kodak trademark.

The local literacy Merritt group has a fun function for  young ones File photo KDG

The local literacy Merritt group has a fun function for young ones
File photo KDG


September 1st is labour day this year. College, is back on Tuesday September 2nd, the local grade school, District 58 remains on strike, some sources anticipate a resolve not to go back without a contract.
Today in history August 8th 708:
Copper coins first minted in Japan

319 LIndley Creek Road

319 LIndley Creek Road

The Nicola Valley Fall Fair has a deadline for entries to its 2014 fair. The deadline is  the 27th at 5 PM. Entries with the correct fees must be dropped of at Blacks Pharmacy or
Pharmasave  by that time. Catalogues with Entries are available at the Merritt herald for the exhibition on August 30 and 31st at the Merritt exhibition grounds #319 Lindley Creek Road. There are two forms in the catalogue each section must have its own form and there are 17 sections of items for entry. there are also 5 sections of Members choice. entries fees are 75 cents an item for a possible 3 dollar first, 2 dollar second and 1 dollar third cash prize. there are also lots of prizes from manufactures and sponsor’s.
The Dance is on August 31st 8:30- 1AM with the live Country music of The Randy Chillhitza Band

FMI:Marianne Reimer
Today in history:

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Civic Election

previous elections and those that vie for power: file photo KDG

previous elections and those that vie for power:
file photo KDG

The Civic election is November 15th 2014,there are usually 6 councillors and one mayor up for election, although there was talk of having a split term there appears no change for positions at the City Government.
To be a candidate there are few qualifications,

There are various disclosers and rules for financing a civic campaign,it may be more that a novice can take on. However every person should have the opportunity to have their voice and perspective be in the voting bar of a civic council. good luck.

New this election is the term length of 4 years, it may be a precursor to split terms after 2018.
The old municipal act once said that to run you could not be in a contention with the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (an incentive to drop.) This is no longer expressed.
There are also 3 positions on School district 58 on the ballot.
The construction of the Tolko co gen and the 130 KV line are going to be in full swing at election time, vote.
Candidates packages are available August 22, through city hall, non resident property owners may also qualify for candidacy, however there seems to be a 30 day actual residency in Merritt. In the past the Tolko mill manager lived in Kamloops and held a seat on Merritt City Council.

Today in history: August 13 1918
Women are welcomed into the United States Marine corps for the first time,

Transmission line

A crew is at work on the new transmission line to the Highland valley from Merritt. A source says that 80 percent of the cut line was already in place before starting the current round of work. “We are dealing with Christmas tree size stuff now”. The work of placeing lines and poles will begin in October with “twin poles” placed by cranes.
Not to be confused with the new 500 KV line to the lower mainland that is currently being completed. That is the 3rd 500 KV line to the west from the interior of BC, and the first in a decades long hiatus from that sort of construction.

Today in history: August 12 1992
Canada, the US and Mexico complete free trade negotiations.

Electric SUV

A Tesla S, 85 charges up at Merritt, with an adapter to a DC 500 Volt 120 amp Quick charger, Aug /14 Photo KDG

A Tesla S, 85 charges up at Merritt, with an adapter to a DC 500 Volt 120 amp quick charger, Aug /14
Photo KDG

Randy a person that works for Tesla motors in Vancouver says that there is an SUV edition of the fully electric car coming out next year. Even with out a proto type he says that there are 20,000 advanced orders.
Randy spoke to us while charging his Tesla model 85 400 kilometer EV at the Sun Country charger on Voght street in Merritt on Monday ( BC Day)
http://www.teslamotors.com/modelx
Tesla model X can be, can be pre-ordered for fall 2015 delivery, by risk takers and early opted enthusiasts. Tesla has a better then average track record for reliability with their Roadster ( out of production) and Model S. Third row seating, and falcon wing doors combined with the full EV package make for an interesting and attention getting car.
Today in history: August 5th 1960
Burkina Faso , known as Upper Volta becomes independent from France

TGIF- AC charger is free

A General Motors product, Chevy Volt charges up on the free AC Charger, July 2014 Photo KDG

A General Motors product, Chevy Volt charges up on the free AC Charger, July 2014
Photo KDG

A Chevrolet volt charges up at a charging station last week in Merritt. The Volt had Ontario licence plates and is partial EV, it has a gasoline charging engine that will charge the battery as it drives.
Partial electric vehicles and hybrids are a consumer choice that does not allow for the ideological ” emission free goal but have a cumulative effect to benefit the environment, in the view of some operators. The 2014 volts are in the $37,000 dollar range and where intended to be a mass produced EV. http://www.gm.ca/gm/english/vehicles/chevrolet/volt/overview

The Chevrolet Volt is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle manufactured by General Motors, also marketed in rebadged variants as the Holden Volt in Australia and New Zealand, and with a different fascia as the Vauxhall Ampera in the United Kingdom and as the Opel Ampera in the remainder of Europe.

Sales of the 2011 Volt began in the U.S. in mid-December 2010 followed by various European countries and other international markets in 2011. As of June 2014, the Volt and Ampera models have combined global sales of over 77,000 units, with the U.S. as the leading market with over 63,000 Volts delivered since its introduction in 2010. Opel/Vauxhall Ampera sales in Europe totaled over 9,000 units through May 2014. The Netherlands is the world’s second largest Volt/Ampera market and leads the European region with more than 4,900 Amperas and over 1,000 Volts sold through June 2014. The Volt is the top selling plug-in electric car in the United States, and the Volt and its rebadged variants are the best-selling plug-in hybrid in the world.

The Volt operates as a pure battery electric vehicle until its plug-in battery capacity drops to a predetermined threshold from full charge. From there its internal combustion engine powers an electric generator to extend the vehicle’s range as needed. When the engine is running it may be periodically mechanically linked (by a clutch) to a planetary gear set, and hence the output drive axle, to improve energy efficiency. The Volt’s regenerative braking also contributes to the on-board electricity generation. Under the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cycle, the 2013/14 model year Volt all-electric range is 38 mi (61 km), with a combined electric mode/gasoline-only rating of 62 mpg-US (3.8 L/100 km; 74 mpg-imp) equivalent (MPG-equivalent).

The Volt has won several awards, including the 2009 Green Car Vision Award, 2011 Green Car of the Year, 2011 North American Car of the Year, 2011 World Green Car and 2012 European Car of the Year. Controversies regarding the Volt include the extent to which the U.S. federal government may have participated in the Volt’s development, which continued through General Motors’ 2009 government-led bankruptcy,[6][7][8] and concerns about the battery pack fire risk following a crash test that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) performed on a Volt in 2011.[7][8][9] At the completion of its investigation NHTSA concluded that no discernible defect trend exist source Wikipedia

The Tesla S fully electric has had a production of about 30,000 units of the 100 thousand dollar plus car and is bringing out a new version soon to be near par for price with the volt. Range will be a factor in its use as fully EV cars are most useful to those that drive the average Kilometers of an urban driver.

Today in history: August 1st 1984
A preserved bog body, Lindow man is found in Northwest England


 

TGIF-Show and shine

 

 Nicola Valley Cruisers show File photo KDG

Nicola Valley Cruisers show
File photo KDG

The local vintage car bunch is having their annual show and shine  on July 27th 2014. The event is usually at Central park, TBA for times.

The event is mid summer when there is likely hood for very good weather . There are raffle’s and support for crime stoppers as well as some opportunity to purchase rare vintage auto parts in past events.

FMI call 250-378-5761: Nicola Valley Cruisers

Today in history: July 11th 1576

Martin Frobisher sights Greenland.

Old pool hall building

The day after a fire on Quilchena avenue sees a fire watch. Photo KDG

The day after a fire on Quilchena avenue sees a fire watch.
Photo KDG

The fire on the 2000 block of Quilchena avenue last week is being made safe by the city as Tuesday saw the building that had been gutted have the removal of its overhead canopy, and a pedestrian barrier secured around the building.

Forty years ago the building housed the Snooker Shack, a pool hall with a cubicle for a barber. Six full sized tables gave the youth a place to be off the street, 10 cents a cue cutthroat was a distraction to many a less wayward youth. A City  Alderman, Leo Heroux cut hair and kept the pulse of the city, in the downtown core.

Two disconnected power lines make a sort of mocking allegory of the loss of two buildings and three businesses. Next to the work BC office which in the time of the Snooker Shack was the Bank of Montreal and across the street from an adjacent Royal Bank the street and block was guarded and fortressed by those stalwarts of enterprise. The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce taking up the last lot on the descending trail, across the street and kitty corner to the Historic Coldwater Hotel, whose copper dome was once the hiding place of 300 thousand dollars worth of CPR securities taken by bad guy Billy Miner in 1907, at a Mission BC, train robbery. His engagement: hands up ,seems to call through the ages at the plight of the hundred year old pool hall building, as it limps into those same ages with its scars and memories with it.

The word is that it is not able to be saved and will be torn down however as of today it still stands behind the safety barrier seemingly calling for a last goodbye from anyone with a living memory of its past life’s. With its front canopy removed its like a hats off to old times on the block as it waits its fate behind the squared fence restraining it.

The front view shows the upstairs access to the Masons meeting place boarded off  and a construction debris bin set up to receive its due. A source says that people have been in the building looking at salvage and the possibility of old clear beams that were used in construction in its era. It seems the enviable is around the corner and a new living memory of downtown Merritt is just a few more buildings away.

Today in History: July 10 1913

Death Valley California hits a record high temperature of 134 degrees farenheit (57 o C)the highest temperature ever recorded in the US.

 

Gas price, the availability of fuel Photo KDG

Gas price, the availability of fuel
Photo KDG

On July 4th there was another step in the ladder for approval of the twinning of the Trans Mountain pipeline to Burnaby, the company a subsidiary of Kinder Morgan has operated a pipeline from Edmonton to Burnaby for 60 years. The line goes by Merritt by the local airstrip. the twinning is to accommodate Tar sands bitumen and is still controversal. To see the regulatory timeline and construction schedule visit: http://application.transmountain.com/whats-next?utm_source=Trans+Mountain+Today+Jul+3rd+2014+&utm_campaign=TM+Today+07%2F03%2F14&utm_medium=email

The July 4th step was the filing of intervener requests and supplemental filings asked for by the NEB of Trans Mountain. this is leading up to the NEB Public hearings in January 2015.

Happy Canada Day

Happy Canada Day, to you and yours from The Proprietor Review

 

The flag the flies atop the hill entering Merritt from the west hyway 8, it is kept by the ready mix company that owns the land and gravel pit.

The flag the flies atop the hill entering Merritt from the west hyway 8, it is kept by the ready mix company that owns the land and gravel pit.

Art walk July 1 st to 31 2014

A work of art at a station of a historical house in Merritt.  Photo KDG

A work of art at a station of a historical house in Merritt.
File Photo KDG

Many Nicola Valley artists will be having their work on display for the art walk including;
Libby Dybikowski’s work on display at Brambles Bakery, 2100 block Merritt BC Canada, July 1st to 31st 2014.

http://www.libbydybi.com/

 

Today in history: June 25th 1979

Born one of the greatest Canadian adventurers, explorers and gentleman.