Hope golf course, council to ask province for flood repair help
Published 8:30 am Friday, January 16, 2026
District of Hope council is endorsing a letter to the province in support of repairing the flood damage to the Hope Golf & Country Club’s course.
Council unanimously agreed during Monday night’s (Jan. 12) council meeting to endorse and send a letter so that the golf course can receive financial support, and assistance with flood mitigation, from the province.
During his presentation to council, Steve Wilson, president of the Hope Golf & Country Club Society, said that the main priorities at the moment are preserving what is left of the course, mitigating future flooding, and repairing damage caused by the December flooding.
“Presently, the most important thing to protect is the course as it is today,” Wilson said. “We propose to install a series of rock spurs along hole No. 8 fairway with a more robust (structure) behind number four green.
“The idea is to construct the rock spurs at an angle to the river, so that they will deflect the force of the water back towards the river. They will be entirely built inland and away from the water’s edge. Future flooding will erode any front cover and hit the spurs, and it is important to keep the spurs inland to avoid triggering any environmental permitting.”
The society would also like to install a temporary bridge to allow golfers access to hole No. 7 which was turned into an island due to the newly formed river channel. Wilson said a permanent bridge would not be feasible as it would be too expensive and too risky due to the river’s unpredictable nature.
He also explained to council that a large island has developed in the original river channel, across from the course, and it is directing the flow of the river east and putting “unnecessary pressure against the golf course.” He proposed removing the island as it will minimize erosion.
These plans are dependent on receiving support from the district, the province, and potentially the federal government.
Wilson said, depending on how much repairs and cleanup is done, the club wants to be open to the public again on March 1.
All of council agreed that the golf course was an important asset and a source of pride for the community.
“People just kept coming for the cleanup (on Dec. 30),” said Coun. Pauline Newbigging, who is the pro shop manager for the golf club. “There were some guys that came out from Mission because they come here to golf. So, that’s bringing people into our town and spending money in our town.”
John Fortoloczky, district chief administrative officer, said that it is important for the public to know that the area is part of Crown land and that, in district staff’s experience, “dealing with the province on matters like this has not been good because they don’t see these things as priority.” He said that the district needs to “put the ball directly in the provincial government’s court” and communicate that they need to do something to address future flooding.
“The province holds the resources, they hold the permitting capability, and ideally, they can lead the contract,” Fortoloczky said. “If they try to pass it off to us, like a lot of other issues, they will just let time go by. With respect, I recommended we bring the letter to Minister (Kelly Greene) with the intention of putting this on the promise to get this remediated, utilizing the recommendations that the golf course comes up with, and seeing if we can move forward.”
Greene is the Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness.
The next council meeting is on Jan. 26 at 7 p.m.