After decades of heated public debate during civic election time, but no concrete steps, Warfield council has quietly moved toward the possibility of amalgamating with the City of Trail, though official outreach to Trail hasn’t happened yet.
At its regular meeting Monday night, council approved a recommendation from its Sustainability Committee to initiate a Phase II governance restructuring study.
The study would examine the potential impacts and implications of amalgamation between the two local governments.
While the resolution includes a plan to approach the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs and the City of Trail, no formal engagement with either party has occurred.
For now, council’s decision signals the start of an internal process - one that could reshape the region but remains in its early stages.
Mayor Frank Marino said he gave councillors a heads-up before the meeting that the recommendation was likely to move forward.
"I was at the Home of Champions ceremony last week, so I took the opportunity to tell the majority of council, informally, that we were discussing the report at Council and most likely it was going to be accepted," Marino told the Trail Times.
"That meant that the next step was to approach the provincial government to say we are interested in conducting an amalgamation study with the City of Trail."
Marino said the province funded the first phase, so it's expected they will fund Phase 2.
While Warfield has now taken its first step, the City of Trail has not yet been brought into the process.
In response to questions this week, the city confirmed to the Times that there have been no formal discussions with Warfield about amalgamation.
The city also stated it is not currently involved in any municipal restructuring studies, and has not agreed to participate in or fund such a process at this time.
The vote comes after years of stop-start conversations about amalgamation that never progressed beyond speculation or informal dialogue.
Previous councils avoided pushing the issue forward, wary of public backlash and a long-standing reluctance among some residents to give up Warfield’s independence.
Public reaction over the years has been deeply split.
Some residents have raised concerns about losing local control or identity, while others have pointed to potential efficiencies and better access to services under a shared government.
Despite the strong opinions, no formal steps were taken—until now.
This week's resolution calls for grant funding to hire an external consultant to conduct the study, if the ministry supports the move.
Only then would Trail be formally asked to participate and help shape the terms of reference and study oversight.
Council’s approach this time is quiet and measured, reflecting a desire to ground any future decision in hard data before reopening public debate.
The Village of Warfield Municipal Sustainability Study, the foundation for Council’s decision, details significant efforts to modernize the village’s aging infrastructure and build a clearer picture of long-term needs.
Warfield, a small residential community founded in the 1930s, has struggled with limited staff capacity and incomplete records of its infrastructure assets.
In 2017, the village secured federal funding to digitize its asset data and modernize internal systems.
Working with LandInfo Technologies and Selkirk College students, Warfield digitized and mapped its infrastructure using an open-source geographic tool.
This process included filling in data gaps through consultation with the public works department and generating a “state of infrastructure” report that forecasted replacement costs over a 30-year horizon.
The village now maintains a fully digitized asset registry, and staff have been trained to keep it updated. The open-source approach was deliberately cost-effective, suited to Warfield’s tight budget and small team.
Beyond data collection, the study found that improved asset tracking has strengthened the village's ability to recommend infrastructure investments.
The study also identified an urgent need to plan for critical water infrastructure.
Warfield's current agreement with Teck Resources for raw water supply ends in 2026, prompting plans for a new pump house and highlighting the need for long-term financial planning.
What’s next?
Council’s resolution doesn’t commit the village to amalgamation, it only initiates the next step in a structured, collaborative process.
But it signals that Warfield is now ready to seriously explore the idea it once kept at arm’s length.
The vote followed the Sustainability Committee’s review of the final component of its three-part study, which was consolidated into the full Municipal Sustainability Study Report.
At its March 31 meeting, the committee reviewed the findings and governance options, including larger regional restructuring involving multiple municipalities.
But members agreed that Warfield should focus on the most immediate and realistic path forward — pursuing a potential amalgamation with Trail as the option that best addresses the village’s current sustainability concerns.
The committee’s recommendation to proceed with a Phase II governance restructuring study was unanimous, and the full report with that recommendation was scheduled for presentation to council on May 12.
With council’s approval now in place, the next step is to seek input and support from the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs, and, when the time comes, to bring Trail into the conversation.
If all parties agree to proceed, the groundwork will be laid for one of the most significant local government transformations in the region in decades.
Final Report (April 2025)
The Village of Warfield Municipal Sustainability Study outlines how the village, grappling with aging infrastructure and incomplete asset records dating back to the 1930s, took significant steps to modernize its systems.
With funding from the federal government, Warfield digitized its infrastructure data using open-source technology, partnered with Selkirk College, and trained staff to manage and maintain the new system.
As a result, the village now has a reliable, cost-effective asset management framework that strengthens its ability to plan strategically for future infrastructure needs.
The report emphasizes that asset management must remain an ongoing process, particularly as Warfield faces urgent decisions around critical services like water supply — and possibly, structural changes like amalgamation with Trail.
For more detailed information, you can access the 164-page report here: Final Report with Appendices.
