This week’s Trail Blazers takes us back nearly 100 years to October 1926.
Citizens of Trail turned out in droves to celebrate the completion of what may seem an odd project, however quite progressive and novel at the time.
That year, the city invested heavily in paving select, busy downtown streets, apportioning a width of 24 feet for concrete at the top of Bay Avenue and down Riverside Avenue to the bridge.
Bay and Riverside Avenues were easily the busiest streets in Trail at the time, as this was the highway route through the city and across the river prior to the Victoria Street Bridge and new highway development in the early 1960s.
In an effort to abate the dust created by the growing number of automobiles at the time, material like gravel and oil were frequently dropped on Trail’s dusty streets.
But, it was expensive and labour-intensive and still didn’t quite do the trick.
Downtown businesses and pedestrians dealt with dirt and mud, while vehicles were often subject to sticky situations.
Concrete roads were selected as the most suitable material.
Work began in June and wrapped up in October.
The following year, the rest of downtown and Rossland Avenue were paved.
Total costs for both projects, sanctioned resoundingly by citizens, was $140,700 in 1927, or $2.5 million today.
Celebrating the project on the evening of Oct. 6, 1926, at the corner of Bay Avenue and Spokane Street, were 800 revellers drenched in electric overhead and flood lights, feted with colourful bunting by Bay Avenue businesses, and entertained by three local bands.
Many prizes were doled out, including best dressed and most unique costume.
The Trail Daily Times touted it, “a big success, and a monument of what can be done by a little cooperation.”
If only all civic works projects were so ceremoniously appreciated!
