Published: March 05, 2010

In Photo: Baillie House staff and volunteers pose with torch runner. From left to right, Sandy Curnow, Bob Rankin, the runner, Kirsten Young, Kevin Griffiths, and Linda Baird.(photo by Elissa Chin)

The Baillie House just keeps getting a little bit more popular every year.

The Visitor Information Booth saw an increase in visitor numbers of one per cent in 2009 compared with 2008, according to the annual report given by Pat Weston to city council, Feb. 23.

A total of 11,569 visitors came to the booth in 2009.

“We frequently have visitors tell us that the Baillie property has become a planned stop for them every year on their holidays,” said Weston.

Ample parking, a big grassy area for picnics, and the pet friendly environment are some of the amenities that bring visitors back. Baillie House also has a secret weapon: the “hard ice cream which was a really big seller last summer,” noted Weston.

The House is also a regular stop for local seniors visiting for coffee and conversation. Local groups such as the spinners and weavers, Red Hats, art groups, and Ska-lu-la employees have events on the lawns, and tour the heritage building.

The booth was open to the public for 2,105 hours in 2009, said Weston. Staff mailed out 158 packages of information about Merritt to locations all over the world, ranging from Russia to Taiwan.

“As a result of having the Visitor Information Booth on the Baillie property in downtown Merritt, the public’s awareness of our historic heritage site has increased,” said Weston.