Hope Springs Eternal
Town growing as a tourist destination

by Dane Gibson
TIMES REPORTER

     Tapping into the diverse range of activities offered in and around Hope is as easy as visiting the town's Visitor Information Centre.
     Inge Wilson manages the centre.  She said the image people have of Hope as a place to gas up, eat and move on is fading.
     "When we look to the future, we're moving toward becoming a tourist destination," Wilson said.
     "We're trying to educate our guests on what we have to offer beyond being just a replenishing stop."
     Wilson thinks of her community as a hub.  There are all kinds of of environments in and around Hope for people to explore.
     "This area is what people have in mind when they come to Canada.  The sheer cliff walls, the raging rivers and the rugged wilderness idea.
     "We have it all and they're all accessible."
     "Our target here is to provide the visitor with enough information to convince them to stay, whether for a few hours or a few days."
     "There are so many activities to take advantage of."
Local artists will add to the ambiance that is Hope, displaying their work throughout the summer.  Just one more reason to take a stroll through the town.
     "Through the Hope Artist's Guild, we're promoting a chainsaw carving display and artwalk.  We have a rich and active arts community that we're very proud of."  Wilson said.
     She points out taht hiking, mountain biking, heritage sites and adventure can all be a part of the Hope experience--if you take the time to explore.
     A good place to start is the Visitor Information Centre, located at 919 Water Avenue.

Activity Breeds Activity
Our View

The Hope Standard

     Thousands and thousands of vehicles fly past our community hour after hour and day after day, yet somehow Hope does not prevail.
     This weekend was a perfect example of how this community does not reach the one market in this area that seem to be growing in leaps and bounds--tourists.
     Year after year, it seems that this community is as hesitant at handling tourists as a parent holding a newborn for the first time.
     But few of the old-hands in this community like the Chevron gas stations with their Town Pantry markets, McDonald's, Coopers, PharmaSave and Dairy Queen were just flying this weekend and were even described by one police officer as the only spots in town that really needed traffic control.
     What do these companies offer that attracts so much attention on matter where they seem to locate along the highway?  Convenience and a level of comfort in their products and services.
     In the interior core it was different story with many block sitting empty of cars and many doors remaining closed on the Sunday and Monday.
     Yet nearby at Memorial Park, 14 tour buses were seen at one time and tourists by the hundreds wandered around the carvings with little to draw their attention away.
     Old-Hope Princeton Highway and Water Streets are little gold mines as service centres to the traveling public.  but many will venture into the core of the community if they are enticed with unique art, music, flags, food, fun and welcoming open doors.