Hope historical society’s efforts to save historic train station boosted by positive reports

The fight to save a historic train station in Hope took a major step forward this week.

The Hope Station House Society reported on its Facebook page yesterday the group has received a report by Heritage Works, assessing the condition of the building and its suitability for future use, as well as a statement of significance, a nationally adopted tool for recording heritage value of a historic place.

The Hope Station House was originally built in 1916 by the Great Northern Railway and was eventually taken over by Canadian National Railway. In 1985 the building was moved to its present location at the Junction of Highways 1 and 3 in Hope.

The Great Northern Railway once competed for railway right of way through the B.C. interior with Canadian Pacific's Kettle Valley Railway. According to Barrie Sandford in the book, "McCulloch's Wonder" the railway through the Coquihalla canyon was to be shared by the Great Northern and the Kettle Valley Railway, but soon after the agreement was completed the Great Northern Railway began reducing service in southern British Columbia.

The old train station is a landmark visible to motorists exiting the Trans-Canada Highway into Hope.

"Our heads are still spinning with the vast amount of amazing detail in these reports, and although we plan to share more details in the upcoming days, suffice to say for now that it’s an incredible feeling to see all our belief in the value of this building reflected by such expert and independent voices,” the society said in a statement, June 15.

The society’s bid to preserve the building was given extra impetus by statements made in the reports, which said: "The Hope Canadian National Railway Station is an extremely significant, rare, and valuable site,” and, “In our opinion, there is absolutely no reason to demolish the building, and to do so would be unconscionable.”

Hope District Council is now looking at future options for the station house.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to tips@infonews.ca and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.