Image: Ryan Smith, Hope Community Cleanup Society /

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Community cleanup in Hope

Hope Secondary students, Hope mayor pitch in to clean up 2 encampments Tuesday

Dec 18, 2024 | 6:35 AM

HOPE — It just goes to show that many hands can truly make light work.

Students from Hope Secondary School’s leadership program teamed up with Hope-area volunteers, including District of Hope Mayor Victor Smith, to clean up two main encampments Tuesday morning, requiring about an hour to get the job done.

Ryan Smith of the Hope Community Cleanup Society, organizer of the event, lauded the community effort.

“Wow, what an incredible turn out! It took everyone about an hour to get the two main encampments cleaned up and hauled out,” Smith said on Facebook. “Big thanks to everyone who showed up, including the students from the high school leadership program. That was a great community effort. Thanks to Mayor Victor Smith for binging his truck to help haul away the trash and for helping us unload at Emil Anderson’s yard.”

Smith said Mayor Smith helped haul away what he himself couldn’t get into his trailer. Smith also helped facilitate the dumping privileges the group enjoys through the generosity of Emil Anderson.

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“They allow us access to their facility, saving us hundreds in fees that we used to just pay ourselves out of pocket. It’s been a huge help,” Smith said.

Image: Ryan Smith / Beautiful Hope, B.C., after two encampments were cleaned up Tuesday (Dec. 17).

While there is still one tent/tarp structure that remains occupied for the time being, it should be gone by next week.

“We’ll be going back to clean that mess up then,” Smith said. “I’m so proud of our community. Merry Christmas all!”