Hope – The Coalition for the Preservation of the Hope Station House will be presenting a delegation to the District of Hope Council asking them to reconsider their stand and vote ‘NO’ on Bylaw 1502. This is scheduled for Monday April 12 @ 7PM.
This is a forum post sponsored by Save the 1916 Hope Train Station House
The District of Hope Facebook page will air the discussion and presentation and can be found here.
This new bylaw aims to repeal By-law 633, passed in 1982, to declare the Station House a heritage site.
On March 20, a small yet vocal protest of some 40+ people who don’t want to see the wrecking ball demolish the legendary Hope Train Station. The BC Ombudsmen stepped in to see if discussions between the District and the Ministry of Transportation and other stakeholders, was done through due diligence.
Conflicting arguments and concerns have been flying for months over the fate of the station, from Heritage protesters to the District, MOTI Ministry of Transportation for BC as well as Chawathil First Nation.
From April 9 Hope for the Station House – Public Information Page:
FYI
Heritage bylaw 633: https://www.savethehopestationhouse.ca/hope_heritage…
Proposed bylaw 1502: https://www.savethehopestationhouse.ca/…/proposed-bylaw…
The brief history:
In 1916 a year after the Canadian Northern Railway completed its transcontinental line from Vancouver to Montreal, the Hope Station House was built at the junction of Hudson’s Bay Street and Fifth Avenue at a cost of $7,250.
In the 1950s the Station House was graced by royalty: during a royal tour across Canada by train, Queen Elizabeth stopped in Hope to greet residents.
In the 1980s CN Rail slated the Station House for demolition. The community rallied together in a Hurculean effort to raise funds to move it. They bought the Station House from CN Rail for $1 and moved the Station House to its current home. For the next decade, it served as an arts and cultural center to the community.
In the late 1990s and 2000s the Station House once again opened its doors to the community and became a hub for musicians. The Hope Station House Community Arts and Heritage Society hosted dinners with entertainment provided by local musicians.
In 2015 stewardship of the Station House was transferred from the Hope Station House Community Arts and Heritage Society to the District of Hope under a good faith agreement that the District would preserve the building and celebrate its legacy in all future decisions regarding its management and/or development.
