When we see District of Hope public works staff busily engaged in Centennial Park, we know spring has arrived in Hope - or, at the very least, is just around the corner. And although spring was somewhat late this year, in May the crews were out mending river bank fencing, clipping grass and bushes and re-arranging the park’s beautiful flower beds.

But there was more going on this year, as we saw some “irregular people” - led by Chamber-of-Commerce president Victor Smith - working right alongside the public works regular guys. A closer look soon revealed there were some members of the Hope Rotary Club on a value-added mission. Why, you ask?

Let’s take a look back to1946 when the Hope Rotary Club was chartered. And their first community project, as evidenced by this photo in 1947/48, was to start that park along the Trans Canada Highway to commemorate the founding of Fort Hope in 1848. Even though in subsequent years the club undertook many other projects around town, such as the health unit, the visitor centre, the clock, the lodge extension, the trails and others, time and again Rotarians were drawn back to their original baby. In the fifties the wishing well was erected, serving its original purpose for some 12-13 years before being converted into a flowerpot. And over the years other items were added, also by the Town, later District, of Hope, like benches, fencing and flowerbeds, till in 2002/03 the viewing deck was put in place. By clearing the bank, the deck gave a whole new look to Hope’s river front, inviting passers-by to stop and make further explorations in our beautiful town. In 2005 interpretive signs were added and in 2007 the Department of Highways installed the pedestrian-operated traffic lights. All these added to the volume of visitors coming to take a peek. And last winter the Hope Rotary club decided to add three more carvings this spring - two of them from last year’s Chamber of Commerce chainsaw carving tournament and the centrepiece sculpted by local carver Pete Ryan, commissioned to highlight Fraser river’s big fish - the sturgeon. At the same time the wishing well has been given a “well”-deserved facelift, and other beautifications and additions still to be carried out, all aimed to attract more attention. And not just this Thursday night, when at 6:00 p.m. everyone will have the opportunity to attend a little re-dedication ceremony at Centennial park, with the ribbon cutting carried out by Mayor Laurie French and Esther Schafer, great-granddaughter of Irvine Corbett, one of the charter Rotarians from 1946.

Today, the Hope Rotarians have reached another milestone, that helps to showcase our beautiful community. Rest assured they’ll be back some other time to this site in their never-ending quest to finish what they started more than 50 years ago.