I attended the forum on Warfield/Trail amalgamation and was disturbed by the negative sentiment from some Warfield residents.
You’d think Trail was another East Vancouver full of slums and strip bars.
Hello!
We are a community too, people. We have spent the last 10 years trying to change our ugly image. Volunteers have spent countless hours cleaning roadways, building parks, sprucing up neighbourhoods; not to mention all the beautiful floral beds.
Add to that the endeavours of Teck to clean up its industrial processes, green-up the riverbank, and oh – dump thousands upon thousands of dollars into community service projects.
People in Trail also donate copious amounts of money and resources to the hospital, United Way, People Loving People, the Salvation Army, food banks and other programs.
Who wouldn’t want to join a community like this?
Like Warfield, Trail subdivisions also maintain their own identity – Sunningdale, Glenmerry, and in particular, Shaver’s Bench.
Just take a look at what a proud residents association can accomplish. The Bench residents put together a beautiful new entryway to their community; cleaned up ugly dump sites; addressed speeding and parking issues and even lobbied and got a new four-way stop-sign at one of their precarious intersections.
I would also like to point out that I lived most of my life in East Trail before moving to West Trail 11 years ago; and I can say unequivocally that snow removal in West Trail is far superior to East Trail. Although we could use some roadwork up here, I’ve noticed whenever any West Trail resident calls public works or the city and asks them to jump, the answer usually is “how high?”
We get excellent service in Trail, however we don’t get yard waste picked up biweekly. But then, we don’t get the city shovelling our leaves in the fall either. This is only done in Tadanac, and apparently, it was a “deal” worked out with that community when they joined Trail.
Might I suggest Warfield do the same – ask that it is allowed to continue with its biweekly pickup as a condition of amalgamation.
As for Trail, I can’t think of any reason why we should expand our boundaries to include Warfield. It’s not going to do a thing for me personally. However, I have nothing against it.
Now I’m not sure who asked who on this marriage proposal. And I’m thinking there is way more in it for Warfield than Trail.
Obviously, it is a big issue and demands more study, and a referendum. If Warfield votes no, fine. It is no skin off Trail’s smokestack. But what happens if Warfield wants to join Trail, and Trail people say no?
(Rivervale has been after the city to expand boundaries to include them but so far, the answer has been “no.”)
An immediate downside I see is extra stress on our over-worked public-works department and a commitment to spread our taxes over maintenance of more infrastructures.
I’m also concerned about losing a slot on the regional district board. “This” side of the regional board is already outweighed by the “other” side.
I think most Trailites would be quite happy to welcome our neighbours from up the hill. It isn’t going to change our taxes that much.
If I lived in Warfield I’d be more concerned about the Big What If – what if something broke down – a roadway collapsed, the water treatment plant failed or some other calamity that would cost millions to fix. How would a small community pay for that?
Yes, Trail has its problems (a bridge that doesn’t work, a library that needs to be built and a city hall that’s way past its prime).
We’re good people down here. We’d love to have Warfield join us. Or not.
But if we have to let them in kicking and screaming, then I say, leave them alone. It would be a relationship destined for municipal divorce. And I don’t think anyone wants to repeat that again.
Lana Rodlie
Trail