Born of a Loyalist family in the State of New York, Merritt became a pioneer merchant and industrialist on Upper Canada's Niagara frontier. In 1818 he began to promote construction of the Welland Canal, of which he became the first general manager (1824-41).
Active in provincial politics from 1832 to 1862 as MLA, President of the Executive Council (1848-50) and Commissioner fo Public Works (1850-51), he devoted his considerable energies to the economic development of the province through advocacy of such measures as the improvement of the St. Lawrence navigation and limited reciprocal free trade with the United States.
Issu d'une famille loyaliste newyorkaise, Merritt devint un des premiers commercants et industriels de la region fronti?re du Niagara dans le Haut-Canada. En 1818, il a commenc? ? promouvoir l'amenagement du canal Welland, dont il fut le premier directeur g?n?ral (1824-1841). Depute provincial de 1832 ? 1862, prident du conseil ex?cutif (1848-1850) et commissaire des Travaux publics (1850-1851), cet homme dynamique se consacra a l'essor ?conomique de la province en appuyant des mesures comme l'am?lioration de la navigation sur le St-Laurent et un libre-?changisme restreint avec les ?tats-Unis.
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