B.C. municipal election 2018: Merritt results

Merritt has a new mayor in Linda Brown, who dispatched incumbent Neil Menard with over 50 per cent of the vote.

Making up council will be Adam Etchart, who drew 75.9 per cent of votes, followed by Tony Luck (61.1 per cent), Kurt Christopherson (57.3 per cent), Travis Fehr (56.9 per cent), Mike Bhangu (48.2 per cent) and Melvina White (37.7 per cent).

Candidates

Mayor:

Linda Brown – elected

Neil Menard (incumbent)

Susan Roline

Council:

Catherine Belliveau

Mike Bhangu – elected

Kurt Christopherson (incumbent) – elected

Adam Etchart – elected

Travis Fehr – elected

Tony Luck – elected

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Elijah Mack

Emma H. Martin

Ginny Prowal (incumbent)

Suzanne Saumure

Melvina White – elected

Boundary

Located in the Nicola Valley, Merritt sits right on the Nicola River, about 90 kilometres from Kamloops.

Population (2016)

7,139

History

The first settlers of the Merritt area were the Nlaka’pamux Nation, who were known to hunt, farm and fish there for thousands of years.

Europeans arrived in the 1850s as they searched for a route that would take them between the West Coast and the Interior.

Merritt’s vast grasslands allowed for cattle ranching, and large swaths of area where used for this purpose.

Mining is believed to have come to Merritt in 1885, when coal was discovered, bringing another industry to the region.

The Canadian Pacific Railway subsequently expanded to Merritt, helping to stir the growth of a community.

Its name became Merritt in 1906 after William Hamilton Merritt, who was a railway promoter and mining engineer.

Median total income of couple economic families with children (2015)/B.C. median

$112,026/$111,736

Crime Severity Index (CSI) — 2016

RCMP — municipal/B.C.

124.36 (-13.43)/93.63 (-0.71)

RCMP — rural

73.87 (-15.41)/93.63 (-0.71)

Violent Crime Severity Index (CSI) — 2016

RCMP — municipal

126.80 (+3.66)/74.86 (-9.81)

RCMP — rural

81.76 (-2.59)/74.86 (-9.81)

Political representation

Federal

Dan Albas (Conservative)

Provincial

Jackie Tegart (BC Liberal)