Editor:
Attn: Mayor Robb and councillors:
I don’t know if anyone can truly appreciate the position that you, the mayor and council of Hope, find yourselves in in regards to the Station House, I can understand that the cleanest solution is demolition. But the cleanest solution is not always the right one.
As you are aware, Hope’s story is the story of transportation in B.C. The Station House is an ideal venue to showcase the history of transportation in B.C.! Let us put our mark and claim a space of repute within the heritage tourism industry – and we have the means and the fortitude in this community to make it happen.
So, yes, I am respectfully requesting a stay of demolition of the Hope Station House for at least six months from its currently proposed demolition date of March 2021. But, I am asking for more – I am asking the mayor and council to think beyond their term, to take the time to envision the potential of this building to be an interactive exhibit that showcases to the world B.C.’s story, and the role we played in it!
In this, I will be a dedicated asset, offering my knowledge, training and expertise in heritage preservation and revenue generation within the heritage sector.
I assure you, decisions made today are remembered by historians of tomorrow; so, I ask you, mayor and council – how do you want your story to be told? I implore you, take a stand and create a legacy. The decision rests in your hands. Use the power wisely.
Yours in history,
Darla Dickinson