Governance
The Trail Area Health & Environment Committee (THEC) is a Select Committee of Trail City Council. It was established in 2001 by the Trail Lead Task Force which conducted research on the issues for 10 years prior. Its mandate is to be a transparent platform for multistakeholder dialogue, collective decision-making and community engagement specific to the Trail Area Health & Environment Program (THEP).
The role of THEC
- Participate in the decision making and approve the strategic direction of THEP.
- Monitor and advise Trail City Council on the implementation of THEP.
- Support collaboration between Program partners in an effort for the whole to be greater than the sum of the parts.
- Help interpret and understand the complexities of the comprehensive Program, including contextualizing information to the local area.
- Establish and convene Working Groups from time to time to investigate and make recommendations on specific issues (for example Air Quality Working Group, Community Renewal Working Group).
- Facilitate public communication and oversight with respect to delivery of services and progress toward the joint goals and objectives of THEP.
- Provide voice for the community of Trail in related processes taking place concurrently at times, and relevant to attaining the stated goals and objectives.
- Be a mechanism for Program accountability to the community, the City, as well as between the partners.
The Committee is not a regulatory body and does not replace the regulatory functions required between some of its members.
Importance of Community
Community leadership and participation on THEC is fundamental to its success. Community members have the largest proportion of representation on the Committee. Community leaders keep up the conversation, provide local context, and root strategic directions in on-the-ground realities. The community voice helps to hold all partners accountable to the residents and each other.
Public consultations to ensure goals and activities meet local needs were held in 2000, 2010 and 2016. Community members actively participated in updating THEP’s strategic directions plan in 2022. Meetings are held five times a year and everyone is welcome to participate. THEC meeting minutes are available online. Working groups are established on an as need basis and meet regularly. Twice a year, the program also publishes a community newsletter that gets delivered to every household in Trail, Casino, Rivervale, Oasis, Waneta and Warfield.
THEC was a founding member of the Family Action Network (FAN) , a collaboration of organizations and service providers dedicated to making the Lower Columbia region the best place to raise a family.
The Program team can be found throughout the community sharing information, support and services.
Our unique collaboration
In 2011 the THEC was a Premiers Award Finalist for their tireless work to improve the health of citizens and the environment around its city. While navigating a complex mix of municipal, provincial and federal regulations, the THEC became an internationally recognized model of effective partnership and community engagement.
Produced in 2011 as a 2010/11 Premier’s Awards Regional Finalist — Interior/North in the category: Partnership
History
For more than 30 years, we have worked together to continually improve the health and wellbeing of people living near the smelter.