A pocket park will be established at Cow Creek this fall and community members alongside city park leaders have agreed that a wind phone would be a fitting addition.  

A wind phone is a disconnected rotary phone typically placed in a serene environment. It is a symbolic tool for grief, providing a space for healing and emotional connection to those lost.  

"People can call their loved ones who have passed away and share their feelings aloud, trusting that the wind will carry their messages to the ones they love," said Melissa Hill, a community member leading the effort to bring a wind phone to Whitefish. 

Hill experienced a devastating loss on Oct. 18, 2024, when family member Kevin Trimm died by suicide. Trimm, born Sept. 11, 1993, left a profound absence.  

"There are still so many things we wish we could tell him — things we wish we could ask him, stories we wish we could share and moments we wish he could be here for," Hill said.  

While grieving, Hill's family came across the idea of a wind phone.  

The first "Phone of the Wind" was built near Otsuchi, Japan by gardener Itaru Sasaki after he lost his cousin to cancer in December 2010.  

A few months later, a tsunami hit the area, killing over 15,000 people. Sasaki opened his garden to the public, allowing others to visit the phone booth overlooking the Pacific, where they could call their loved ones lost in the disaster.  

Today, people travel from around the world to visit the booth. The idea spread, and according to an online directory, "My Wind Phone," there are at least 459 wind phones across the world, including one in Boettcher Park in Polson.  

The Whitefish wind phone will be constructed with Douglas Fir timber and tempered glass panels, with a thoughtfully designed structure built in kind by a local carpenter.  

But before it can be installed, Cow Creek is getting a revamp.  

The pedestrian bridge over Cow Creek was built over 20 years ago, said Maria Butts, director of Whitefish Parks and Recreation.   

Cow Creek is an active waterway that is constantly moving, eroding about a foot per year on the eastern side, Butts said. Because of the erosion, a more financially feasible option than continuously repairing or extending the bridge is to forgo the bridge and widen the sidewalk along Second Street. The sidewalk runs parallel to the Cow Creek pedestrian bridge. 

The plan includes widening the Second Street sidewalk to a bike path that can accommodate cyclists, strollers and pedestrians. Rather than tear out the existing asphalt and infrastructure leading to the Cow Creek bridge, the idea arose to establish a pocket park where the path meets the creek.  

Butts said it will be a great space for a pocket park because people enjoy accessing Cow Creek to be close to nature, and they will be able to rest on a bench. 

"A lot of people think of parks and recreation as just places to recreate and gather, but we also are a place to find emotional wellbeing, connection with nature, connection to self, and moments of reflection. This fits our mission really well," Butts said.  

The pocket park is funded by the city's resort tax dollars while the wind phone will be built by community donations. The bike path extension will be covered by city resort tax dollars as part of the Armory Road construction. 

The architectural plans are in place for the wind phone, but funds must be raised first. To make a donation see app.seemylegacy.com/community/1776/campaign/9619/ and for more information call city of Whitefish Parks and Recreation.

Editor Kelsey Evans can be reached at 406-862-3505 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at whitefishpilot.com/support.

    The pedestrian path and closed bridge over Cow Creek where a new pocket park is expected. (Isabella Riotto/For the Pilot)