Mural Artwork in Merritt BC, Canada

by Fida Wild

Surrounded by rolling ranch land and sunshine to boost, Merritt is predestined for outdoors activities. The pioneer heritage is evident in buildings throughout the town and several saloons and hotels are reminders of the once bristling pioneer community that started to grow when the first coalmines opened around 1904 and the CPR arrived in 1906.

Nowadays, Merritt celebrates the country way of life and calls itself the Country Music Capital of Canada. And although there was a hiccup in the Mountainfest in 2010, it returned in all its glory in 2011.

Larger than life mural artwork can be found throughout the City of Merritt. Artist painted storefronts and old-fashioned signs remind of the days of the gold rush and pioneer life.

Plaques and hand-prints of legendary performers are found on the Walk of Stars, as are full wall murals of the biggest names in the country music business, from Alan Jackson to Johnny Cash and Reba McIntyre to Tanya Tucker.

Most of the colourful and big scale murals of country singers are painted freehand by Michelle Loughery, a self-taught artist and one of the few muralists in the world who paints completely freehand without the use of a projector. Her work can be seen all over Canada as well as in the USA (N.Y commissioned a 9/11 mural), Australia and Japan.

She involves the whole community in her projects and is known for her work with children that otherwise never would have the chance to come in contact with art.

The Merritt Walk of Stars Youth Mural Project started in 2004 and Michelle has worked with over 60 youth at risk alone in the community of Merritt. Her passion for art and making a difference in the lives of youth is so successful that the Government of Canada continues to support this project with funding from the National Crime Prevention.

Click here for more mural artwork by Michelle Loughery

Where is Merritt, BC?

Merritt to Kamloops 88 km (55 mi) via HWY 5.

Nicola Valley
Via Nicola Valley
If you are not in a hurry, I’d recommend to drive through the sweeping grasslands of the Nicola Valley (HWY 5A 99 km - 62 mi). It’s a beautiful stretch along the Nicola Lake and Stump Lake through farm land and pioneer villages with a scenery unmatched elsewhere in Canada. The historic Quilchena Hotel and Ranch was built in 1908 as a stagecoach supply depot and is now a boutique resort on the shores of Nicola Lake.

Via Logan Lake, Cache Creek and Sedona

*Near Savona*

Ashcroft

Vancouver – Merritt 270 km (168 mi) – Trans Canada Highway 1 to Hope, where HWY 1 merges into Highway 5.

Gold-pinning in the Frazer River
Alternative Route
You could follow Trans Canada Highway 1 and HWY 8 to Merritt via Yale, Boston Bar, Lytton and Spences Bridge, the old gold rush route - the Cariboo Road. Although it’s quite a bit longer (362 km - 225 mi) than via the Coquihalla Summit (HWY 5), it’s way more scenic. You’d follow Frazer, Thompson and Nicola River through three very distinctive and different landscapes.

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What Other Visitors Have Said

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

Merritt Murals I came across your site when I researched my trip into the interior. It was well worth the stop in Merritt. The murals are awesome...!

Mural Artwork - They Really are Amazing More so because for me art and drawing was the toughest subject to pass in school!

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