Municipal Legislation Protecting the Station House

Heritage Designation By-law (By-law 633) (June 24, 1982): the building known as the Hope Canadian National Railway Station is hereby designated and protected as a municipal heritage site under the Heritage Conservation Act.
Integrated Official Community Plan (Bylaw 1378) (2016): identifies in Policy 7.10.1 the District's goal to "encourage conservation and support the retention of significant heritage buildings and other historic resources under the British Columbia Heritage Conservation Act" and identifies the Station House as one of those significant buildings in Objective 7.  
**PROPOSED** Heritage Designation Repeal Bylaw (Bylaw 1502): this bylaw aims to repeal By-law 633.  

Station House Historical Events

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 1942 the Hope Station House was the first stop for many of the 22,000 Japanese Canadians who were unjustly and forcibly removed from the west coast of British Columbia. Nearly 8,000 of these citizens stepped foot on the platform as the Hope CNR Station as it was the connector to the rest of the province and internment sites (Source: Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Center)
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. Photo Source: Walter Inouye.
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.

Source: Walter Inouye

Investing in our Future

Investing in the preservation, rehabilitation and ongoing use of heritage buildings, such as the Station House, has a proven track record of creating economic benefits for BC communities.
Towns such as Nelson, Fort Langley, and Agassiz, each boasting historic train stations as a central feature of their downtown core, have a thriving tourism industry based on their preserved history. Heritage conservation enriches the urban fabric of a town and attracts tourists and locals alike, generating jobs and leading to economic growth.
There is federal and provincial grant money available that could be used to restore the Station House. It need not be a burden borne by taxpayers. In fact, Boston Bar was awarded $1.9 million in combined federal and provincial grant money this past summer through Infrastructure Canada's Rural and Northern Communities Infrastructure Stream (RNIS) to completely restore their Station House. Originally built in 1914, once renovated it will “showcase the unique railway and cultural heritage."

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What Can You Do RIGHT NOW?

Donate to our Campaign

We have started a Gofundme campaign to raise money to move the Station House to a suitable location, restore it to its former glory, and preserve this historical treasure for generations to come!!

Join our Honk-a-thons (Every Wednesday at 1pm at District Hall)

Join the Coalition for a publicly distanced protest BY CAR. Meet at the bus parking area by Memorial Park on 3rd Ave. Look for the lead car, a grey van, with signs. We will start by circling the block around District Hall and move out into the community. Honk your horns to protest the proposed demolition of the Hope Station House!! Sign up for the event on Facebook!

Write a Letter/Email

Writing a letter is an even more effective tool, particularly when it's personalised. Make sure your letter includes (1) the "ask" (a stay of demolition of the Station House) AND (2) the reason why it's important to you and you think it should be saved!

CLICK HERE to be redirected to our Letter Campaign to ask Council to VOTE "NO" on BYLAW 1502.

PLEASE BE SURE TO ADD YOUR NAME, ADDRESS and EMAIL/PHONE NUMBER!!
Questions can be sent to savethehopestationhouse@gmail.com.

Who should you contact?

District of Hope Council Members

The members of the District of Hope Council can be contacted by e-mail, as listed below, by phone at 604-869-5671, or by mail at PO Box 609 Hope, B.C. V0X 1L0. Please note that the email addresses are clickable: when you click on one, it will open your email client (e.g., gmail or outlook) with the email address in the "to" field all ready-to-go.

Provincial and Federal Government Representatives