As Silver City Days festivities lit up downtown Trail last week, another important gathering was unfolding behind the scenes, one with global implications.
From May 7 to May 9, Trail hosted Liene Dhooghe, manager of the environmental department at Umicore’s Hoboken site in Belgium.
Her visit marked the latest chapter in an ongoing international collaboration aimed at reducing lead exposure in industrial communities around the world.
Trail is part of a Community of Practice (CoP) that includes Port Pirie, South Australia, and Hoboken, Belgium — three communities with active smelters and shared public health challenges.
Each brings a different approach shaped by local regulations and systems, but all are working toward the same goal: reduce airborne lead and lower children’s blood lead levels.
Port Pirie, a city of about 14,000 located roughly 220 kilometres north of Adelaide, is home to one of the world’s largest lead smelters, operated by Nyrstar.
Hoboken, a district of Antwerp with around 35,000 residents, hosts Umicore’s metals recycling and refining facility.
The collaboration launched in June 2023 with a visit from Port Pirie representatives to Trail. Hoboken joined in 2024, and since then, the three cities have connected virtually to exchange data, challenges, and strategies.
During her visit to Trail, Dhooghe met with staff from the Trail Area Health and Environment Program (THEP), toured Teck Trail Operations, and participated in discussions with the Trail Area Health and Environment Committee.
“It is so wonderful to see active cooperation between all different parties here in Trail and the commitment of everyone to work together,” Dhooghe said, highlighting the strength of local partnerships and the effectiveness of THEP’s delivery model.
She described the program as impressive and said she looked forward to bringing lessons from Trail back to her colleagues in Belgium.
Dhooghe pointed to several strengths in Trail’s approach, including its partnership model, a delivery team made up of Interior Health and AtkinsRéalis, a city-appointed facilitator, and major operational improvements at the smelter to reduce lead in dust.
For over 125 years, Trail has lived with the legacy and realities of smelter emissions.
THEP was established in the early 1990s in response to community concerns about lead exposure and other environmental health issues. It has evolved into a long-standing partnership between Teck, the City of Trail, Interior Health, and the Province of British Columbia.
Today, THEP supports the community in managing industrial impacts through services such as soil testing to help keep yards safe, home visits for families with children under three, lead-safe renovation supplies and advice, and updates on air quality through Teck’s Community and Environment Feedback Line.
Mayor Colleen Jones said Trail’s role in the global effort reflects decades of commitment.
“It’s wonderful to see the hard work being done in Trail recognized internationally,” she said. “THEP has long been a leader in our collaborative approach to reducing lead exposure, and we remain committed to innovation and sharing what we’ve learned.”
While most eyes were on parades and fireworks, Trail was also serving as host to an important international exchange, one that may help improve public health far beyond the city’s borders.
