Hope, British Columbia

The Stó:lō have lived in the Fraser Valley since 8,000 to 10,000 years ago. In late 1782, a smallpox epidemic among the Stó:lō killed thousands – an estimated two-thirds of the population. 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 town site. Hope became part of the new British colony of British Columbia when it 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, and on 1 December of that year, founded the first library on the British Columbia mainland. Within two years, he also founded the Christ Church Anglican church, the oldest church on the British Columbia mainland that still holds services on its original site. It is a National Historic Site of Canada. In 1891, the subdistrict of Hope had a population of 774. Hope incorporated as a village 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. Naming Fort Hope was established in 1848–49 by chief trader Henry Newsham Peers. He discovered a route through the mountains that did not dip below the 49th parallel, which had become the American border. Thus, the hope that his route would be workable was fulfilled. World War II During World War II an internment camp for Japanese Canadians was set up near Hope at Tashme, now known as Sunshine Valley, just beyond the 100-mile exclusion zone from the coast. Recent history In 2011, the metal Kawkawa Bridge was demolished; previously, it was featured in the 1982 Rambo film, First Blood. In 2020, a wood carved statue of Sylvester Stallone character John Rambo was erected in Hope. In 2025, the Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China in Vancouver protested the display of the flag of the Republic of China at the town's central bus stop, which led to its removal. == Geography ==

west of Hope near Hope Hope is at the easternmost point of British Columbia's lower mainland area and is usually considered to be part of the Fraser Canyon area or "eastern Fraser Valley" as "Lower Mainland" is commonly understood as synonymous with "greater Vancouver". 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. The Coquihalla and Sumallo Rivers and Silverhope Creek rise in the Cascade Mountains northeast and southeast and south of Hope, respectively, and empty into the Fraser River. The Skagit River begins south of Hope, across a low pass from the head of the Silverhope valley, which is the access to the Canadian shoreline of Ross Lake. Climate Hope has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb) with warm summers and moderately cold winters. Hope has a cloudy climate for most of the year. Late summer is the sunniest time of the year. The high, nearby mountains block direct sunshine when the sun is not high enough in the sky. This is reflected in the sunshine measurements for Hope so the Campbell–Stokes recorder, the standard method for measuring sunshine hours doesn't record all the hours that the sky is clear in Hope. == Demographics ==

In the 2021 Canadian census conducted by Statistics Canada, Hope had a population of 6,686 living in 2,939 of its 3,243 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 6,181. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. Ethnicity Religion According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Hope included: • Irreligion (3,375 persons or 53.3%) • Christianity (2,645 persons or 41.8%) • Hinduism (65 persons or 1.0%) • Sikhism (45 persons or 0.7%) • Buddhism (20 persons or 0.3%) • Judaism (20 persons or 0.3%) • Islam (15 persons or 0.2%) • Indigenous Spirituality (15 persons or 0.2%) ==Economy==

Hope's labour force works in a variety of industries. Almost 50 percent of the labour force is involved in four main industries: accommodation and food services (17.1 percent), health care and social assistance (12.8 percent), retail trade (10.3 percent), and transportation and warehousing (8 percent) (2006 data). One of the town's largest employers is Nestlé Waters. Nestlé, the world's biggest bottler of water, packages more than 300 million litres of water from Hope aquifers annually. Nestlé pays C$675 to the provincial government for this quantity of water (C$2.25 per million litres). The Nestlé bottling plant employs approximately 75 people. Economic planning Hope's economic development planning is rooted in the community's strategic location, telecommunications infrastructure (high-speed internet), and strong support for new development and redevelopment. The 2014 Economic Profile identifies several sectors as significant areas of opportunity within the local economy: • Tourism: including development of tourism products attractive to the primary market coming from the west. • Virtual commuters: professionals able to serve their clientèle from off-site locations, such as consultants, photographers, graphic designers, and software developers. • Natural resources: sustainable and responsible development of natural resource industries. • Lifestyle manufacturing or services: such as coffee roasters, sustainable agriculture, micro-brewery, and other clean water-based industries. • "Gap" retailers: independent, entrepreneurial retailers who can deliver niche services for local customers and travellers. In addition, the Revitalization Tax Exemption Bylaw, adopted by the Hope District Council in 2013, encourages property owners who develop or redevelop their properties to apply for financial incentives in the form of tax relief. == Arts and culture ==

Chainsaw wood carving Hope holds chainsaw wood carving competitions and exhibitions. From 4 to 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 carver Pete Ryan, who made a number of the chainsaw wood carvings exhibited in downtown Hope. It is located in downtown Hope and has several rooms displaying sculpture, pottery, paintings and drawings, jewellery, fabric arts, basketry, cards and gifts, and photography. The gallery is run by volunteers from the Hope Arts Guild. The gallery presents ART WALK, a self-guided tour to art and chainsaw wood carvings in Hope. Hope Brigade Days One of Hope's largest events of the year is Hope Brigade Days, which occurs the weekend after Labour Day every September. Events include a parade, fireworks display, midway, chainsaw carving competition, demolition derby, kids' carnival, and 4x4 racing. == Attractions ==

Hope Museum The Hope Museum shows the history, culture and heritage of Hope. In downtown Hope, together with the Hope Visitor Centre, the Hope Museum is open year-round. Exhibits include First Nations culture, early Fort Hope, the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, the Kettle Valley Railway, pioneer life, logging, and mining. Hope Recreation Complex The Hope Recreation Complex includes a library, 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 9 January 1965, near Hope, killing four people. A viewing site showing the Hope Slide is approximately a 15-minute drive east of Hope on Highway 3. Memorial Park and 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. Men from that camp were employed during the war building the Hope-Princeton Highway. 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. There are two main options for hikers to explore Othello Tunnels. The Othello Tunnels portion of Kettle Valley Trail, 4 km to-and-back, is stroller-friendly and wheelchair-accessible. The Hope-Nicola Valley Trail Loop, a 5.5 km loop hiking trail, is relatively well-maintained but not accessible, nor recommended for people with mobility issues. == Sports ==

and is the southwesternmost summit of the Coquihalla Range of the Cascade Mountains. Curling The Hope Curling Club is near the Hope Recreation Complex. The club sponsors bonspiels such as the Men's Bonspiel every January, and the Mixed Curling Bonspiel. Golf Hope has a golf course and club on the banks of the Coquihalla River. 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 from the 2003–2008 seasons, after which they were approved by BC Hockey to move to Mission, British Columbia. They subsequently changed their name to the Mission Icebreakers. The Icebreakers have a Sasquatch logo. == 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 Victor Smith. Fraser Valley Regional District The mayor of Hope 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 Hope is in the Fraser-Nicola riding(electoral district) provincially. The current MLA for Fraser-Nicola is Jackie Tegart. Prior to the 2017 election, Hope was in the Chilliwack-Hope riding provincially, and represented by MLA Laurie Throness, who was elected in 2013. Parliament of Canada Hope is in the electoral district of Chilliwack—Hope, which is represented in the House of Commons of Canada by Mark Strahl. == Infrastructure ==

Transportation Highways The Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) passes through Hope. Hope is the southern terminus of the Coquihalla Highway (Highway 5), the western terminus of the Crowsnest Highway, locally known as the Hope-Princeton highway (Highway 3), and the eastern terminus of Highway 7. Hope Aerodrome Hope Aerodrome is west of the Hope Townsite Fraser Canyon Hospital officially opened on 10 January 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 two schools in Hope Townsite The Fraser-Cascade School District also operates other educational programs such as the District Alternative Secondary Program. District enrolment declined from 1,993 students in the 2009–2010 school year to 1,615 in 2014–2015. ==In popular culture==

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, and set in the fictional town of Hope, Washington. The Discovery Channel docuseries Highway Thru Hell is based in Hope and surrounding areas. In Spider-Man issues #8–12 (the "Perceptions" story arc) by Todd McFarlane, a wendigo creature is blamed in the deaths of several children near Hope, British Columbia, and terrorizing the town. Spider-Man's alter ego, Peter Parker, is sent to take pictures during the media frenzy that follows. In the 2012 video game Deadlight, the protagonist, Randall Wayne, is from the town of Hope. A fictionalized version of the town and its denizens is presented via flashbacks. Hope features as the final location in the 2015 simulation video game Rebuild 3: Gangs of Deadsville. == Notable natives and residents ==

• Jeff Hoggan, NHL player • Darren Huston, CEO of Priceline • John Weaver, sculptor == See also ==