Published: March 09, 2010

Former Premier Bill Vander Zalm has invested a lot in Merritt, including thousands of flowering bushes.

“I think Merritt could be the Capital City of Lilacs in North America,” says the well-known gardener, who has donated thousands of lilac plants to the city in recent years.

“It’s dry and cold. It’s the best climate in North America for lilacs.”

Vander Zalm’s interest is not just in the plant life of Merritt.

He owns some well-situated property above the Coquihalla near the Visitor’s Information Centre south of town, and he will be using his visit to Merritt to have a chat with the mayor. His “Palomino” property could one day be a gated retirement community, if he can get access to utilities.

Vander Zalm would like to see progress with the Gateway 286 project, a design by local First Nations to use reserve land near the Visitor’s Centre to build a casino complex.

While his property has access to well water, he is hoping the Gateway project will spur the province to fund utilities in the area.

“The city is very cooperative and reasonable. They can’t control what the province will do,” he said.

Vander Zalm says he considers Merritt to be “a lost jewel”.

Before he purchased his property, he would drive past and consider the possibilities.

“I would think, my goodness, the opportunities here are great. There’s a great climate and lay of the land,” he said. “I finally decided I had to be part of that.”

And should things fall into place for the 286 project and Palomino, expect the side of the mountain to get some bright colours in the spring.

“Once we start developing, there’ll be lots of beautiful lilacs there.”