Hope council orders demolition of Hope Motor Hotel within 150 days

Hope council has unanimously ordered the owner of the Hope Motor Hotel to demolish the hotel portion of the property within 150 days. The remedial action requirement, approved Aug. 10, also calls for the removal of the breezeway connecting the hotel to apartments above an adjoining liquor store and the relocation of the electrical service.

The District of Hope may carry out the work and recover the costs from the owner if the deadline is missed. Chief administrative officer Kevin Dicken said the district has tried to secure compliance through fines but has not made progress.

A 2024 fire in the condemned hotel section prompted an inspection that identified more than a dozen deficiencies, including a broken sprinkler system, missing emergency lighting and damaged fire-alarm pull stations. A later 2025 inspection followed the discovery of unpermitted renovation work and found further unresolved issues.

The report says the building poses a significant safety concern for the 12 people living in the apartments above the liquor store, many of them seniors. It also notes that pieces of siding and awning have detached during windstorms, creating hazards for pedestrians and parked vehicles.

The owner has accumulated more than $60,000 in fines and late-payment penalties. The property is owned by 1257111 B.C. LTD., a company with a registered office in Surrey; costs not paid to the district may be added to property taxes.