Look Who it Was Random video

Walking Downtown Merritt, BC for the First Time — THIS Is Small-Town Canada!

761 views · Published 14 February 2017 · 19:31 · Indexed 8 November 2026

Channel: Mike Martins · 2017 · Travel & Events

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Get out of the city, There’s a whole world outside the city.”
— Mike Martins

In this February 2017 video, I’m continuing the Living the Dream series after leaving Vancouver and moving my family to Merritt, British Columbia. This time, Rain and I are walking from our new house toward downtown Merritt to see what our new hometown actually has to offer.

And one of the first things that hits me is how much character this town has.

We come across the Nicola Valley Museum & Archives, the senior centre, old western-style buildings, murals, country music stars painted throughout downtown, the Coldwater Hotel, bowling, shops, restaurants, Home Hardware, banks, ICBC, medical services and more. There’s history everywhere you look.

What really surprises me is how walkable everything feels. From our house, we can walk toward downtown, the schools, stores and services without having to spend an hour sitting in traffic. After years in Vancouver, that feels completely different.

And while walking around, something else catches my eye: potential retail space downtown.

I actually stop in front of an empty location and start wondering whether this could become a Merritt location for One Stop Shop—a board game, Pokémon, hockey card and Yu-Gi-Oh store. At this point, it’s just an idea, but I’m already looking at the possibilities and thinking about calling to find out what the rent would cost.

We even discover what appears to be an existing gaming/computer shop. I look through the window, see gaming tables and some Warhammer material, and immediately start thinking about whether there is room in this town for the kind of store I operate.

This video is really about discovering our new home one street at a time.

After leaving the big city, I wanted somewhere my family could put down roots, where everyday necessities were nearby and where life didn't revolve around enormous housing costs and endless commuting.

As I said while walking around:

“Get out of the city, folk. There’s a whole world outside the city.” — Mike Martins

Looking back, this is an important chapter of the Living the Dream series because I'm not just exploring Merritt anymore—I'm already looking around and asking:

Could I build my next business here?

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