Celebrating community and connection

Over the past four years, I’ve been proud to support initiatives that bring people together, celebrate Trail’s history, and strengthen community connections, including:

1. Bringing Silver City Days back following the COVID pause and serving as Chair of the Silver City Days Committee
2. Supporting Trail 125 celebrations and contributing to A Trail to Remember
3. Expanding environmental initiatives at community events
4. Advocating for the reintroduction of safe backyard fire pits

One of the accomplishments I’m most proud of is the work of the Silver City Days Committee. The festival’s success depends on volunteers, sponsors, community organizations, and City staff, and it has been rewarding to work alongside so many people who care about our community.

Over the past four years, we’ve worked to make the festival more sustainable, both financially and environmentally. With proceeds from the festival, we invested in two sunshades manufactured in Revelstoke. They provide much-needed shelter during the hot May weather and are also available for use at other community events throughout the year.

This year, in partnership with the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary, nearly 30% of festival waste was diverted from the landfill, including more than 3,500 refundable containers. These are practical improvements that help ensure the festival continues to benefit the community for years to come.

Trail’s 125th anniversary was another highlight. The picture above is Thea Hanson, Councillor, City of Trail, and me at Trail’s Birthday Party! Projects like the rebranding of our community banners, Trail Tales, the mural app, and A Trail to Remember created new ways to celebrate our history and share the stories that make Trail unique. I was proud to contribute a story to the book and help preserve a small piece of our community’s history.

I believe strong communities are built through connection, participation, and pride in the place we call home. Looking ahead, there are three areas I’d particularly like to focus on if elected on October 17.

Supporting community volunteers and organizations

Through my work with Silver City Days and other community initiatives, I’ve seen firsthand how difficult it can be to recruit and retain volunteers. Many of the organizations, events, and programs that make Trail such a vibrant community rely on a small group of dedicated people who continue to step up year after year.

I want to continue supporting our volunteers, service clubs, sports organizations, cultural groups, and community organizations, and look for ways to reduce barriers that make volunteering more difficult. These groups provide tremendous value to our community, and I believe it’s important that Council continues to support the people who give so much of their time to serving others.

Strengthening community connections

A strong community isn’t built only through major festivals and events. It’s also built through the everyday connections between neighbours, friends, and families.

Over the past four years, residents have reached out to me with ideas about ways to strengthen those connections, including allowing safe backyard fire pits and establishing a dog park. I value these conversations because they often identify simple opportunities to make Trail an even better place to live.

Earlier this year, I brought forward a motion to explore the option of safe backyard fire pits. A report will be considered by the next Council, and I will continue to advocate for a practical path forward that balances community enjoyment with public safety.

The next Council will also receive a report on a potential dog park following a delegation from local residents who brought the idea forward. Both initiatives began with residents sharing ideas for improving community life, and I believe Council should be open to exploring opportunities that help bring people together.

Sometimes strengthening community is as simple as giving people another reason to spend time outdoors, connect with their neighbours, and enjoy the place they call home.

Celebrating and preserving what makes Trail unique

As we move forward with a new Official Community Plan, I want to ensure we continue protecting the heritage, culture, and character that make Trail special.

That includes supporting opportunities to tell our stories, celebrate our history, and preserve the features that give our community its identity. From our covered staircases and rock walls to the traditions, events, and gathering places that generations of residents have helped build, these are the things that make Trail unique. Many of these assets are also aging infrastructure that require ongoing inspection, maintenance, and investment, and I believe preserving them is an important part of preserving our community’s character.

From Silver City Days to Trail 125, from our covered staircases and rock walls to the volunteers who make so much happen in our city, these are the things that make Trail unique. If re-elected, I will continue working to support the people, places, and traditions that bring us together and make Trail a place we’re proud to call home.