Hope is a district municipality located at the
confluence of the Fraser and Coquihalla
Rivers
in the province of British Columbia
, Canada
.
Hope is at
the eastern end of both the Fraser
Valley and the Lower
Mainland
region, and
is at the southern end of the Fraser Canyon
. To the east over the Cascade Mountains is the Interior region, beginning with
the Similkameen Country on the
farther side of the Allison
Pass
in Manning
Park
.Located east of Vancouver
, Hope is at the southern terminus of the Coquihalla Highway and the
western terminus of the Crowsnest
Highway (locally known as the Hope–Princeton), (Highways 5 and
3, respectively) where they merge with the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1). Hope is at the
eastern terminus of
Highway
7.
Hope is a member municipality of the Fraser Valley
Regional District
which provides certain municipal-type services to
unincorporated settlements and rural areas.
The
District of Hope includes Hope Townsite(the previous Town of Hope)
and surrounding areas including the communities of Kawkawa Lake
, Silver Creek, Flood
, and Lake of the Woods.
History
The history of Hope can be divided into thousands of years of First
Nations settlement and a European settlement period beginning from
1808 to present day.
First Nations History
Hope's First Nations settlement period starts with the
first traces
of people living in the Fraser Valley. These first nation
origins date from 8,000 to 10,000 years ago, when the
Sto:lo First Nations were in the area. In late 1782
a smallpox epidemic among the
Stó:lō killed thousands or an estimated two thirds of the
population.
European History
The European settlement period of Hope history begins in 1808.
Explorer
Simon Fraser
arrived in what is now Hope in 1808, and the
Hudson's Bay Company created the Fort
Hope trading post in 1848. The area was transformed by the
Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, beginning
in 1858. The following year
Governor James Douglas laid out the
Fort Hope townsite. Hope became part of the
Colony of British Columbia when
the new British colony was created on 2 August 1858.
Along with the rest of
British
Columbia, Hope became
part of Canada in
1871. Late in 1859, Reverend Alexander St. David Francis
Pringle arrived in Hope. On December 1 of that year, he founded the
first library on the British Columbia mainland. Within two years,
he founded Christ Church (
Anglican).
Today, Christ Church is the oldest church on the B.C. mainland
still holding services on its original site. Hope incorporated as a
village (District) on 6 April 1929, became a Town on 1 January
1965, and was reincorporated as a
District Municipality named the
District of Hope on 7 December 1992.
Geography
The Fraser River west of Hope
The Coquihalla River near Hope
Hope is
located at the easternmost point of British Columbia's Lower Mainland area. There are relatively significant peaks
to the north, east, and south of the townsite. Only to the west can
flat land be seen, and that view is dominated by the broad lower
reaches of the
Fraser River.
The
segment from Lytton
to Hope separates the Cascade Mountains and Coast
Mountains
, thereby
forming the lower part of the Fraser Canyon, which begins far upriver near Williams
Lake
. At Hope, the river enters a broad flood
plain extending to the coast and Vancouver, British
Columbia.The Coquihalla and Sumallo
Rivers
rise in the Cascade Mountains northeast and
southeast of Hope, respectively, and empty into the Fraser River
there.
Demographics
(according to
Statistics Canada
2006 census)
- Population: 6,185
- Growth Rate (2001-2006): 0%
- Total Private Dwellings: 2,855
- Area: 41.42 km²
- Density: 149.3 people per km²
Arts and culture
Totem overlooking Fraser River in
downtown Hope
Chainsaw Wood Carving
Hope holds
chainsaw wood carving
competitions and exhibitions. From 4-7 September 2008 the Second
Annual Hope Chainsaw Carving Competition took place. Chainsaw wood
carvings are displayed and exhibited throughout the downtown core
of Hope. Memorial Park in downtown Hope has a display of chainsaw
wood carvings. Hope is home to a notable widely known carver named
Pete Ryan who has carved a number of the chainsaw wood carvings
exhibited in downtown Hope.
Hope Arts Gallery
The Hope Arts Gallery exhibits and sells a variety of art by local
artists. The Hope Arts Gallery is located in downtown Hope and has
several rooms displaying sculpture, pottery, paintings and
drawings, jewellry, fabric arts, basketry, cards and gifts and
photography. The Hope Arts Gallery is run by volunteers from the
Hope Arts Guild. The Hope Arts Gallery presents ART WALK, a self
guided tour to art and chainsaw wood carvings in Hope.
Hope Brigade Days
One of the largest events of the year in Hope is Hope Brigade Days.
Hope Brigade Days occur every year at the start of September. Hope
Brigade Days events include a Parade, Fireworks display, Midway,
Chainsaw Carving Competition, Demo Derby, Kids Karnival, 4x4 racing
among others.
Attractions
A lake and mountain view in Hope
Hope Museum
The Hope Museum shows the history, culture and heritage of
Hope.Located in downtown Hope together with the Hope Visitors
Centre, the Hope Museum is open during the summer. Many Exhibits
including First Nations culture, early Fort Hope, the
Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, the
Kettle Valley Railway, pioneer
life, logging, and mining. A main exhibit is The Home Gold Mill
gold ore concentrator. The large Home Gold Mill exhibit is located
outside the Museum and can be viewed year round.
Hope Recreation Complex
The Hope Recreation Complex includes a pool, arena, and fitness
centre.The Hope and District Recreation Complex is run by the
Fraser Valley Regional District.
Hope Slide
The
Hope
Slide
was one of the largest landslides ever recorded in
Canada. It occurred in the morning hours of January 9 1965
near Hope, British Columbia, and killed four people.A viewing site
showing the Hope Slide is an about 15 minute drive east of Hope on
Highway 3.
Memorial Park and Friendship Garden
Friendship Garden
Immediately adjacent to the District Hall in
Hope, is a Japanese garden called
the Friendship Garden, dedicated to the Japanese-Canadians who were
interned nearby at Tashme
during World War
II.
Hope Memorial Park, adjacent to the District Hall and Friendship
Garden, is the site of a concert series on Sunday afternoons in
July and August.
Memorial Park was granted to the then-village of Hope in 1932 by
the province of British Columbia. It occupies roughly 7 acres in
the heart of the town.
Othello Tunnels
Othello
Tunnels
is the popular name for the main human-made
features of Coquihalla Canyon Provincial
Park
.Located east of Hope along the canyon of the Coquihalla River and a decommissioned railway grade, now a walking
trail, leading eventually to Coquihalla Pass
. Originally part of the Kettle Valley Railway, five tunnels
and a series of bridges give a spectacular view of the Coquihalla
River as it passes through the river's narrow
gorge.
Sports
Curling
The Hope Curling Club is located close to the Hope Recreation
Complex. The Hope Curling Club sponsors bonspiels such as the Men's
Bonspiel annually in January as well as the Mixed Curling
Bonspiel.
Golf
Hope has a picturesque Golf course and club located on the banks of
the Coquihalla River.
The Hope Icebreakers Junior Hockey Club
The
Hope Icebreakers were a
Canadian Junior ice hockey team. They played in the Pacific
International Junior Hockey League and the town of Hope, British
Columbia, Canada from the 03/04 to the 07/08 season, after which
they were approved by BC hockey to move to
Mission
, BC, Canada. They subsequently changed their
name to the Mission Icebreakers.
Government
The
District of Hope is a district
municipality that is part of the regional district
called the Fraser Valley Regional
District.
District Municipality
The Mayor of Hope is Laurie French. The District of Hope provides
services such as Planning & Community Development, Building
Permitting, Bylaw Enforcement, Operations (Public Works) and
information about the District of Hope Volunteer Fire Department.
Fraser Valley Regional District
Mayor Laurie French also serves as a director on the Board of the
Fraser Valley Regional District.In addition to regional planning,
the Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) works in collaboration
with the District of Hope to provide recreational and cultural
programs, ice arena and swimming pool, regional parks, mapping, air
quality, mosquito control, weed control, E911 dispatch fire
service, and search and rescue.
Province of British Columbia
The
member of the legislature
representing Hope in the Chilliwack-Hope provincial electoral
district is Barry Penner.Barry
Penner was elected in the 2009
British Columbia general
election.
Parliament of Canada
In
Canada, the Parliament of Canada
consists of the upper house, the Senate of Canada and the lower house, the
Canadian House of
Commons. The
Member of Parliament
representing Hope in the
Electoral District of
Chilliwack—Fraser Canyon in
the
Canadian House of
Commons is the
Honourable Chuck
Strahl. The
Senate of Canada has
several senators that represent BC as a whole.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Highways
The
Trans-Canada Highway
(
Highway 1) goes through
Hope. Hope is at the southern terminus of the
Coquihalla Highway (Highway 5 ).
Hope is at the western terminus of the
Crowsnest Highway, locally known as the
Hope-Princeton highway (Highway 3). Hope is at the eastern terminus
of
Highway 7.
Hope Airport
Hope
Airport
, (IATA: YHE, ICAO: CYHE), is located 2.6 NM
(4.8 km; 3.0 mi) west of the Hope Townsite(the previous Town
of Hope) within the municipal District of Hope, British Columbia,
Canada. The airport is operated by the Fraser Valley
Regional District. There is one turf runway about 1,207 metre
(3,960 feet) long. The airfield is home to the Vancouver Soaring
Association, a gliding club owning and operating school and
recreational sailplanes and tow planes. The Hope Airport lies
within the community of Flood in the District of Hope.
Railways
The
Canadian Pacific
Railway passes through Hope. The
Canadian National railway also
passes through Hope.
The Canadian, a
Canadian transcontinental passenger train currently operated by
VIA Rail Canada, passes through Hope
calling at the
Hope railway
station.
Heliports
Hope heliport is a
private heliport located at the Fraser Canyon Hospital
Charter helicopter service
Hope has charter helicopter service available that provides service
for the natural resource industry, including forestry and mining
exploration, as well as other industries including film, tourism,
and public service. For example in the Flood community of Hope
close to the Hope Airport there is a helicopter base that provides
charter helicopter service.
Health care
Fraser Canyon Hospital
Fraser Canyon Hospital is a 10 bed hospital and provides services
including: 24/7 Emergency care stabilization and triage, and
Hospice beds and services. Emergency care stabilization and triage
24/7 is unique to Fraser Canyon Hospital due to its geographic
isolation and emergency service requirements in an area where major
highways converge. Fraser Canyon Hospital officially opened on
January 10, 1959 and began as a 20-bed hospital, complete with
delivery and operating rooms.
Education
The Fraser-Cascade School District # 78 operates several schools in
the District of Hope. There are three schools in Hope Townsite(the
previous Town of Hope): Coquihalla Elementary School, which offers
Kindergarten to Grade 4, C.E. Barry Elementary School, which offers
Grades 5-7, and Hope Secondary School, which offers Grades 8-12. In
addition, Silver Creek Elementary School, which is located in the
community of Silver Creek, offers Grades Kindergarten to 7, with
these students then attending Hope Secondary School for Grades
8-12. The Fraser-Cascade School District also operates other
educational programs such as the District Alternative Secondary
Program.
Hope in the media
Hope has been a popular location to shoot films.
First Blood (1982)—the first
Rambo film, starring
Sylvester Stallone,
Brian Dennehy, and
Richard Crenna—was filmed almost entirely in
and around Hope, as was
Shoot
to Kill (1988), starring
Sidney
Poitier,
Tom Berenger and
Kirstie Alley.
K2
(1992) was also filmed nearby, with the area's mountains standing
in for the Himalayas
."Hope's Hollywood Moments", p. 20 in Experience
Hope, 2008 visitor guide to Hope.
Hope
Springs (2003), starring Colin
Firth and Heather
Graham, was filmed in and around Hope, but set in a fictional
Hope, Vermont
in the United States
.
Other films made in whole or in part in and around Hope have
included
Fire with Fire
(1986),
Yellow Dog
(1994),
White Fang II (1994),
The Pledge (2001),
The Stick Up (2003, starring
James Spader),
Suspicious River (2004),
Afghan Knights (2007), and
Wind Chill (2007). Hope was the setting for
a story by
Todd McFarlane in
Spider-Man #8-12.
Reality
show contestant Ryan Jenkins from
VH1's series Megan Wants a Millionaire was
found dead in the Thunderbird Motel in Hope on August 23, 2009 of
an apparent suicide after being charged with the murder of his wife
in California
.
See also
Notes
- District of Hope name for the area of the previous town of hope
see district website -
www.hope.ca/upload/dcd597_Hope_Townsite_ROADMAP.pdf
- see Fraser Valley Regional District webpage on hope -
www.fvrd.bc.ca/AboutUs/FVRDMemberMunicipalities/Pages/DistrictofHope.aspx
- District of Hope map of the community of Kawkawa Lake, see
district website -
www.hope.ca/upload/dcd604_Kawkawa_Lake_road_map.pdf
- District of Hope map of the community of Silver Creek, see
district website -
www.hope.ca/upload/dcd605_Silver_Creek_road_map.pdf
- from Map of the District of Hope, see district website file -
www.hope.ca/upload/dcd600_frvd_area_hope.pdf on map webpage
www.hope.ca/bylaws/index.php?SUID=&selectedFolder=84
- "Historical Christ Church still on original site", p. 38 in
Experience Hope, 2008 visitor guide to Hope.
- see www.crowsnest-highway.ca/cgi-bin/citypage.pl?city=HOPE,
dates are from this good online secondary source for the European
history of Hope.
- p.24 2008 Hope Visitor Guide, Hope Standard Publications
- p.25 2008 Hope Visitor Guide, Hope Standard Publications
- see the artist's website www.pete-ryan.ca
- website - www.hopeartsgallery.com/about.html
- 40th Annual Hope Brigade Days Official Guidebook
- 40th Annual Hope Brigade Days Official website -
www.hopebrigadedays.com
- p.9, 2008 Hope Visitor Guide, Hope Standard Publications
- p.12B, The Hope Standard newspaper, Thursday 14 August 2008,
Experience the Past special reprint section available at Hope
Visitor Centre
- see official website
www.fvrd.bc.ca/Services/HopeRecreationandCulture/AbouttheHopeRecreationComplex/Pages/default.aspx
- p.41, 2008 Hope Visitor Guide, Hope Standard Publications
- Hope Slide Souvenir Edition, The Hope Standard, January 1965,
available at the Hope Visitors Centre
- "Beautiful Japanese Garden", p. 26 in Experience Hope,
2008 visitor guide to Hope.
- "Weekends come alive with music", p. 27 in Experience
Hope, 2008 visitor guide to Hope.
- p.37, 2008 Hope Visitor Guide, Hope Standard Publications
- Official website from BC Parks
www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/coquih_can.html
- see www.hopebc.com/events.html
- see www.golfhope.ca - Hope Golf and Country Club
- www.hope.ca/election.php
- www.cd.gov.bc.ca/LGD/gov_structure/elections/index.htm
- www.hope.ca/district_services.php
- www.fvrd.bc.ca/ABOUTUS/BOARDOFDIRECTORS/Pages/default.aspx
-
www.fvrd.bc.ca/AboutUs/FVRDMemberMunicipalities/Pages/DistrictofHope.aspx
- bc2009.com/ridings/Chilliwack-Hope/
- www.barrypenner.ca/
- www.barrypenner.com
- www.leg.bc.ca
-
webinfo.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/ProfileConstituency.aspx?Key=542&Language=E
- for a map of the Chilliwack—Fraser Canyon electoral district
see
www.elections.ca/scripts/pss/Map.aspx?L=E&ED=59005&EV=99&EV_TYPE=6&PC=&Prov=BC&MapID=&QID=-1&PageID=13
-
webinfo.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/ProfileMP.aspx?Key=128584&Language=E
-
www.parl.gc.ca/common/senmemb/senate/isenator.asp?Language=E
- Map of the District of Hope, see district website file -
www.hope.ca/upload/dcd600_frvd_area_hope.pdf on map webpage
www.hope.ca/bylaws/index.php?SUID=&selectedFolder=84
- see www.valleyhelicopters.ca
- see website
www.fraserhealth.ca/Services/HospitalServices/Pages/HospitalServicesDirectory.aspx
- Simone Rolph - Hope Standard, Published: 14 January 2009
- see www.sd78.bc.ca/sitemap.html
- see www.sd78.bc.ca
- see http://www.sd78.bc.ca/dasp.htm
- http://www.tmz.com/2009/08/23/ryan-jenkins-dead/
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