Hope Highlights: Your Council Update

Hope Highlights – Here are the key decisions and updates from the November 9, 2026 Regular Council Meeting: 

• Community arts update: The Hope and District Arts Council shared progress on fundraising and reducing its deficit and requested additional support for the Art Machine. Read more.  

• Celebrating Hope Communities in Bloom: The group celebrated 20 years, highlighting Hope’s five bloom recognition and beautification work, and thanked District staff for their support. 

• 2026 General Local Election: Council received the Chief Election Officer’s report on the election results. Read the report.  

• 2027 Grant-in-Aid requests reviewed: Council reviewed nine applications totalling $61,150 and approved funding allocations under the program’s $10,000 annual budget. The program supports local non-profit initiatives that benefit the community and encourage volunteerism. Read the report.  

• Purchasing policy deferred: Council deferred the updated Purchasing Policy to the next meeting, requesting further work on local purchasing and union labour provisions. Read the report.  

• Purchasing card policy approved: Council adopted the updated Purchasing Card Policy. Read the report. 

• 280 Hudson Bay Street rezoning adopted: Council adopted Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 1635, 2026, changing the property’s zoning from Downtown Commercial (CBD) to Commercial Transition (C-5). Read the bylaw. 

• Development permit area enforcement: Council gave three readings to bylaw amendments that would allow tickets and penalties for contraventions of the Official Community Plan’s development permit area requirements. Read the report.  

• 2027 utility fees advanced: Council gave three readings to Fees and Charges Amendment Bylaw No. 1641, 2026. Proposed residential increases of 4.9% for water, 25.3% for sewer and 2.9% for solid waste total approximately $11.20 more per month to support utility operations and future infrastructure needs. Read the report. 

• Road safety improvements: Staff reported $19,000 in ICBC funding for traffic signal backup power at Third Avenue and Wallace Street and speed reader boards on Kawkawa Lake Road. Downtown sidewalk grinding has also addressed tripping hazards. 

📅 Next Regular Council Meeting: Monday, November 23, 2026, at 7 p.m. 
📋 Agendas for upcoming Council meetings are available by the end of the business day on the Friday before each meeting. View agendas and minutes.