Merritt funeral home completes renovations

Dean Morrison Photo

Merritt Funeral Chapel director Cindy Riley says she is happy to return to the original site of the chapel.

Renovations at the Merritt Funeral Chapel, which were begun in April, 2009 are almost complete.

Paul Wright, Managing Director of Schoenings Funeral Home in Kamloops, which owns the Merritt Chapel, says he is very pleased with the work that has been done.

The contract was awarded to Rick Mettler of Mettler Construction, and Wright says he cannot say enough about the workmanship and professionalism of Mettler and his company.

“I am very pleased with the progress and the quality of the work Mettler has provided - he has exceeded our expectations in overseeing this project,” says Wright.

For Wright, maintaining the heritage standing was paramount to the success of this endeavor.

“One of our aims was to restore the historical character of the church,” adds Wright.

Cindy Riley, funeral director at the Merritt Chapel, whose Grandfather John Bann was the original owner of the chapel, says she is also excited about the changes that have been made to the building.

“The chapel has been restored beautifully, with the original hardwood floors refurbished and better than ever.”

The renovations ran into some difficulty with the discovery that the building did not have a proper foundation.

Once the structure was lifted up and a concrete foundation could be poured the rest of the work went smoothly, according to Riley.

“We were so pleased that all of the work could be done with local craftsmen,” said Riley.

Both Riley and Wright say they are looking forward to moving back into the funeral home and are delighted that the facilities will provide families in the community with a comfortable and beautiful setting to hold services.

The funeral home will be up and running by this Friday and will contain a selection of caskets and urns to further assist families through what can often be a very difficult time.

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