Editor:
Having recently read the District of Hope Integrated Official Community Plan, we note the section below is still contained in the plan:
“Culture and Heritage
Hope has a rich history, including Stó:lo communities, the gold rush, and Japanese internment during World War II. In 1916, the Great Northern Railway built the Hope Station House. In 1985, the building was moved to the intersection of Highway 1 and Highway 3. The last train station of its kind, the Station House is currently being renovated to support a community arts centre.”
Seems to us that the District of Hope councillors cannot even adhere to their own official plan. Instead, they are going ahead with the demolition of the Hope Station House. They have let our community down, broken their agreement with the previous owners of the building Hope and District Arts and Heritage Society and have chosen to ignore over 2,000 signatures and more than 60 letters of support for our Hope Station House. Whatever happened to listening to your public?
We are so disappointed that the council wouldn’t even give our coalition the one month we requested, and now they are going full steam ahead with the demolition. It is so sad.
And then there is the plan to chip away more of our Memorial Park for their very expensive (over $12 million) new District Hall. We do not want to see more of our park disappear, and it must be protected.
Ron and Janet Wort