With all the construction kerfuffle happening on Victoria Street in downtown Trail another beautification project is quietly taking shape on top of the hill.
Passersby on Highway 22 may notice a mountain of mulch piled at the northwest corner entrance to Tadanac.
This is the first stage of a greening project Teck Trail Operations has committed to after receiving a letter written by avid gardener and Community in Bloom (CiB) volunteer Ingrid Enns, asking the company to consider planting trees to improve visual appeal along the roadway.
“Since moving to Trail I have come to know Teck as an amazing corporation with how much they do for the community and how much they are on the forefront of environmental sustainability,” said Enns.
“But when I drive by the smelter it looks like it might have 50 years ago and doesn’t give the impression of how far the company has come.”
Enns and fellow CiB member Norm Gabana composed the letter with support from CiB and the Tadanac Residents Association, that included a proposal for a planting program.
“I received a phone call right away and within a year, after prioritizing our suggestions, David DeRosa (superintendent ecosystems projects) met us with a design layout.”
Enns’ plan for beautification was simple and involved planting groupings of evergreens along the west-side highway corridor that would render the barren section of highway aesthetically pleasing and provide natural dust control.
Teck Trail Operations is undertaking a planting program, confirmed Catherine Adair, Teck’s community relations leader.
“The focus is on three areas, onsite, perimeter and community.”
The main objectives of the program are to cover bare soil to reduce dust and potential erosion, enhance local biodiversity and provide visual improvements, explained Adair.
“There is an overarching goal of creating projects that are self-sustaining and require minimal maintenance.”
A series of shrubs and trees will be planted to enhance the look to the entrance to Trail along Highway 22 and provide dust control along the corridor, she added.
“They took our idea and went above and beyond,” said Enns. “All we asked for was some trees in front of the plant but they are now starting to landscape the highway.”
The project will be completed in sections, with the first leg currently underway at the Tadanac turnoff.
“My goodness,” said Enns. “The landscape will be a combination of evergreens and deciduous trees for fall colour along with junipers and wild roses. It’s exciting because it will segway into everything that is going on with the downtown revitalization. We are finally connecting the plant to the city.”