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Trail, British Columbia

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Template:Infobox Town Canada Trail (49°5′42″N 117°42′36″W / 49.09500°N 117.71000°W / 49.09500; -117.71000) is a city in the Kootenay region of the interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is the seat of the Kootenay Boundary Regional District.

File:Trail, British Columbia, City 0580.jpg
Looking east from West Trail, the Victoria Street bridge crossing the Columbia River is visible below
Trail as it appeared in 1908

Geography

Trail has an area of 34.78 square kilometers. The city is located on both banks of the Columbia River, approximately 10 kilometres north of the US border. This section of the Columbia River valley is located between the Monashee Mountains to the west and the Selkirk Mountains to the east. The Columbia flows directly north-south from Castlegar, turns east near downtown Trail, and then meets the US border at Waneta and the Pend Oreille River.

Summer climate in Trail is generally hot and dry with moderately cool nights. Temperatures often exceed 35°C during summer afternoons. Thunderstorms are common during the late-Spring and Summer season, often moving into the valley from the south. The fall months brings dense river fog, especially during the overnight and morning hours, as a cold air inversion lingers above the relatively warm river surface. Winters are mild to cold with periods of moderate snowfall. Nearby villages such as Warfield and Fruitvale often receive greater amounts of snow due to higher elevation.

The Monashee Mountains are the first major mountain range east the Coastal Mountains to intercept moisture laden westerly flow from the Pacific. As a result, areas west of Trail, including the Christina Range, Rossland Range, the city of Rossland, and the Blueberry-Paulson section of the Crowsnest Highway (Highway 3) receive greater amounts of winter precipitation, mostly in the form of heavy snow. Vegetation in the Trail area, although fairly lush, is noticeably drier than other areas with a more westerly aspect.

Transportation

Highway 3B, a branch of the Crowsnest Highway is the main east-west artery through Trail. Highway 22 connects branches northward to Castlegar. Highway 22A connects 3B to Waneta and the US Border. There is a second border crossing south of Rossland on Highway 22.

There are two bridges that cross the Columbia River. The majority of traffic volume is found on the "new" bridge which serves Highway 3B (Victoria Street). The original bridge ("old" bridge) is found further south and has a wooden deck with two narrow lanes. It was recently closed for structural repair and is now once again in full use.

Kootenay Boundary Transit System operates a fleet of buses providing conventional transit service on 8 routes through out the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary with a fleet of Low-floor buses which provide wheelchair and scooter accessible service on transit routes throughout the region. Low-floor buses are equipped with a ramp, have no entry steps and have a kneeling feature that lowers the entry level for passengers who have difficulty climbing stairs, aswell as handy DART

Pacific Coastal Airlines operates flights between Trail Airport (CAD4) and Vancouver (CYVR) on a daily basis. Air Canada flights are available between nearby Castlegar (CYCG) to both Calgary and Vancouver. Flights from Trail airport are often delayed or cancelled during the winter season due to thick low cloud and reduced visibility.

Neighbourhoods

Trail is known as the "Little Italy of Canada". Downtown Trail is located on the west side of the Columbia River. Teck Cominco metallurgical operations are located on a flat plateau directly north of Downtown, at a higher elevation. West Trail is one of Trail's oldest neighbourhoods, and is predominantly Italian. It is located along the steep slopes of Lookout Mountain, directly south and west of Downtown Trail. West Trail is characterized by steep streets, rock walls, covered stairways, and vistas of both Teck Cominco and the Columbia River valley. Highway 3B passes through Downtown Trail as Victoria Street, heads westward through The Gulch, and starts a steep ascent to Warfield and Rossland.

Heading east from Downtown Trail, Highway 3B crosses the Columbia River and enters East Trail. Northwards from here lies Gyro Park and Sunningdale. Further east lies Shavers Bench, Muriel Heights, Glenmerry, and Waneta. Trail's main shopping mall, Waneta Plaza, and airport (CYZZ) is located in Waneta.

Sunningdale subdivision. Taken May 2007 from the Upper Sunningdale hiking trail viewpoint
View of Sunningdale subdivision looking towards downtown Trail BC. Taken May 2007 from the Upper Sunningdale hiking trail viewpoint

Demographics

According to Statistics Canada, Trail's population was 7320 during the Canada 2001 Census. [1]

Attractions

The Trail Memorial Centre currently plays host to the Trail & District Public Library, the Trail Smoke Eaters hockey team, the Trail Museum, and the Sports Hall of Memories, in addition to many local sports facilities. This historic landmark, located at 1051 Victoria Street, was home to two world championship Smoke Eaters teams. The arena section of the facility was recently revitalized and is one of the highest capacity arenas in the province, outside of cities like Vancouver and Kelowna. The Trail Memorial Centre is a hub of civic activity year-round, and has been a focal point of the community since its inception.

Greater Trail BC Area Hiking Trails

Besides producing hockey and baseball talent, Trail BC offers many local hiking trails that are within 5 to 10 minutes from downtown Trail.

There are at least 4 Canadian flags that have been placed on various mountain peaks around the greater Trail BC area by members of the 44th Field Engineering Squadron, and each one of these offers excellent 1 hour to 2 1/2 hour hikes up to the flag viewpoints for avid and novice hiking enthusiasts. Visitors and residents can hike to the East Trail Canadian flag viewpoint and the flag that can be seen waving in the wind above the regional hospital, by following the trail up along side the creek that comes down to meet the road where it intersects to go to the J.L. Crowe High School or the regional hospital.

Another good hike is the Upper Sunningdale Sandhill viewpoint hiking trail. The trail-head can be reached by driving to the Upper Sunningdale Park on Marianna Cresent where you can safely park your car at the park entrance. Walk west (to the right)down Marianna Cresent until you reach the Water Tower Hill road. Walk up past the chain link fence, and look for the trail-head on the right just past the granite rocks which can be seen in the water runoff ditch. This 40 minute, easy level rating hiking trail is clearly marked, and the steepest part of the trail heads up past the pine trees at the start of the trail, and then you follow the trail along the sandhill ridge until you reach the viewpoint just below the Sandhill plateau above the Upper Sunningdale Park.

Another Canadian flag waves above Sunningdale, and can be viewed from most areas of Upper and Lower Sunningdale. If you want to take a longer hike than the Upper Sunningdale Sandhill viewpoint, you can hike further, by taking the trail that heads from the Sandhill viewpoint, towards the rock cliffs. Take the clearly marked trail up past a number of rock cliffs to the Sunningdale Canadian Flag viewpoint to reach the Canadian Flag.

The hike rating for the Sunningdale Canadian Flag viewpoint on Mount Heinze is an intermediate level, and you can amek it up to the viewpoint in approximately 2 1/2 hours, as most of the hiking trail is clearly marked, but sections of the trail up near the swamps below the flag viewpoint on Mount Heinze can be thick with brush. Leave enough time to hike back down, so the best time to make this hike is in the early morning. Be bear and wild animal aware, and make lots of noise if you startle a bear. Always pack enough water, or 1 to 2 litres of your favorite hiking drink, and pack a lunch and your digital camera for this hike, as the views of the Greater Trail BC area are spectacular from this viewpoint.


From each of the Sunningdale hiking trail vantage points, you'll get a beautiful view of the sub-division of Sunningdale, Bingay Bay (Sandy Island), the Columbia River as it flows towards Gyro and past downtown Trail BC, Teck Cominco's lead and zinc smelter property (which is relatively green and clean looking), Tadanac, Rivervale, and up towards Warfield, Rossland, and Red and Granite Mountain ski hills.

View of hiking trail above the Trail Regional Hospital. Taken May 2007 on the East Trail Canadian Flag hiking trail
File:Canadianflag 00.jpg
View of Canadian flag that waves in the wind above the Trail Regional Hospital. Taken May 2007 from East Trail Canadian Flag hiking trail viewpoint
View of Gyro Park in Trail BC. Taken in May 2007, from viewpoint above the Trail Regional Hospital.

Famous natives

Other Information

As part of its contribution to the Manhattan Project, Canada built and operated a 6 T/a electrolytic heavy water plant at Trail, BC, which started operation in 1943.

  • City of Trail Official Site
  • Trail Chamber Of Commerce Website
  • Trail Smoke Eaters Website
  • Trail Transit Website
  • Trail Rossland News: Local news stories Website Newspaper serving the communities of Trail, Rossland, Warfield, Montrose, Frutivale, Salmo and Ymir
  • West Kootenay Unplugged: Web Portal Features a popular news portal & social networking community, casual games, Web-links directory and more... serving Trail, Rossland, & other West Kootenay communities
  • WKU: Walk from Gyro Park to Sunningdale sub-division Webpage Photos of the walkway from Gyro Park in Trail British Columbia to the Sunningdale sub-division in Trail BC
  • WKU: Sunningdale Canadian Flag Viewpoint hiking trail above the Sunningdale sub-division Webpage Local area hiking guide on WK Unplugged. This day hike is becoming very popular and can be accessed from the Sunningdale sub-division in Trail BC


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