The City of Trail wants to gather memories and stories from the region’s residents as part of celebrations next year commemorating the 125th anniversary of the city’s incorporation.
Claire Samulak, the city’s communications and events manager, and Sarah Benson-Lord, the manager of the Trail Museum and Archives, outlined the plans for council this week.
They said the year-long campaign, dubbed Explore 125 Years of Trail, will result in a “mosaic of Trail’s past and present.”
Benson-Lord said they don’t want the 125th birthday to be burdensome on the community, potential donors, or city staff.
They noted that a number of things are already taking place in Greater Trail next year, including the BC Winter Games and the BC Little League provincials, and they would like to take advantage of people who are already engaged in those events.
As part of a project called Trail Tales, they hope to buy portable recording equipment and a mobile sound booth that could be taken to community events, where a team of interviewers would gather oral history from Greater Trail residents.
The equipment could also potentially be used in the museum, where visitors would be provided with a prompt, record themselves, and upload a video. The videos would be digitally archived and shared online and through social media.
Samulak said ultimately they would like to create a “Trail time mosaic,” which is a digital and physical art display of videos and photos collected throughout the campaign that can be archived for future generations.
Samulak said another aspect would be adding “augmented reality” to the city’s historical murals. “You would hold your phone up, and it would activate motion, sound, and storytelling,” she said. “It uses existing assets, but takes advantage of modern technology.”
She said they could start with a couple of murals and expand it to others. They are also interested in using the On This Spot app to create a scavenger hunt. “It encourages a deeper connection to our heritage and gameifies learning,” Samulak said.
In addition, Benson-Lord has been working with John D’Arcangelo on a follow-up volume to his book A Trail to Remember, which contained dozens of short memoirs spanning generations. The city’s annual visitor guide will also be replaced in 2026 with something that is longer, on higher quality paper, and more of a keepsake.
Street banners and kiosk signage would also be expected to promote Trail 125. Benson-Lord said they are also thinking about creating kits with ideas of how businesses could host their own related events.
Benson-Lord said through the project they are hoping to provide “deeper insight into community values and aspirations” which would benefit staff and council, promote belonging, and help build the archival collection.
No budget has been proposed yet, but Samulak and Benson-Lord said there will be an investment required for the recording equipment and augmented reality component as well as clothing, promotional merchandise, and signage. They are hoping that at least some of that would be defrayed through grants and sponsorships.
The campaign is expected to launch on Feb. 20, 2026 during Trail Smoke Eaters retro night, with the kick-off of the scavenger hunt and oral history series. The augmented murals would be ready to go in time for Silver City Days in May.
Trail’s actual 125th birthday will fall on Sunday, June 14, 2026. The mosaic that results from the project is expected to be unveiled in 2027.
Below: More of the streetpost banners to be used next year, along with the logo.
Be the first to know! Don’t miss out on breaking news and daily updates in your area. Sign up to MyKootenayNow News Alerts.
