To many travellers, Merritt is best known as a knot of highways in the British Columbia Interior, which might mean it is a perfect fit for a new tourist attraction.

The City of Merritt is currently in talks with the Teamsters union to move the Teamsters Freight Transportation Museum from Port Coquitlam to the Nicola Valley.

Curator and retired trucker Norm Lynch started the museum in 1996. About 17 restored transport trucks, dating from as early as 1914 through to the 1950s, form the bulk of its collection. Vehicle parts, scale-model trucks, vending machines, and other relics of the road make up the rest of the museum's holdings.

Teamsters Canada has covered the collection's upkeep and other costs, like rent for the industrial building that houses the museum, while Teamsters volunteers have donated their labour.

However, the union now wants to hand over the collection to another group's care, mainly for economic reasons, explains Merritt Mayor Susan Roline.

"The Teamsters don't want to fund it to the extent that they've funded them."

City of Merritt economic development officer Deanne Parise contacted the Teamsters late last winter after she heard they were looking for a new location for the museum.

On May 9, Roline and other city officials toured the Port Coquitlam facility.

"It's a pretty cool collection," says Roline.

She adds that with so many freight trucks passing through Merritt, both the city and the Teamsters feel the Nicola Valley is a good location for the museum.

"They think it would fit in well with Merritt."

Roline notes that the museum would be easier to find here than in the "maze down in Vancouver."

She says the Teamsters are willing to give the collection to the City of Merritt for the nominal price of $1 on the condition that it stays intact and can be viewed by the public.

The current museum in Port Coquitlam does not have regular hours and tours must be specially arranged.

"It's never run as a true museum down there," says Roline. "They don't have any idea how many it would draw."

Local car clubs have expressed interest in donating labour for the truck museum's day-to-day operations if it moves to Merritt.

Roline says the city hopes that the museum can support itself financially. She says the Teamsters may cover some expenses, such as insurance for the collection, as well.

"We're still trying to have it stand on its own."

For now, both the Teamsters and the city want to know whether or not the museum would last here.
"They want some kind of sustainability plan, so that's what's being looked at right now.

"We're still waiting for some numbers from the Teamsters," said Roline.