Mural in Hope, and a Memory from the Fraser Canyon

 

A Mural in Hope, and a Memory from the Fraser Canyon

I lived between Yale and Hope from 1969 to 1973. It was a very different time in the Fraser Canyon. Life felt harder then—more isolated, fewer services, and not much visible recognition of the different cultures and histories that shaped the land. For a young person trying to make sense of the world, it wasn’t always an easy place to grow up or settle into.

That’s why seeing something like the new mural in downtown Hope feels significant.

This mural, created by Indigenous artist Bonny Graham with support from the Hope Inclusion Project and community members including Marla Rosenberg, Peter Bailey, and Linda Bailey, represents something that didn’t exist in the same way back then: a public, visible commitment to inclusion. It was 18 months in the making and now stands in the heart of town as a permanent reminder of belonging, shared history, and respect for Indigenous roots.

The mural is also dedicated to Linda Bailey, who passed away on June 1, 2026. From what the community has shared, she played a key role—alongside others—in helping bring anti-oppression education and inclusion-focused work into Hope. Her name now sits not just in memory, but in a piece of public art that will be seen by thousands of people passing through.

What stands out most is the shift in tone. In the late 60s and early 70s, places like Hope and Yale were still very much shaped by logging, highway expansion, and survival economics. Conversations about inclusion, reconciliation, or anti-oppression were not part of everyday public life in the way they are now. Seeing a mural that explicitly acknowledges Indigenous roots and community inclusion feels like a different era arriving in physical form on a wall.

Public art like this does something quiet but important—it changes what a town chooses to say about itself. Instead of silence, it puts values into the open. Instead of invisibility, it offers recognition.

For someone who remembers the Fraser Canyon from decades ago, this isn’t just a mural. It’s a marker of how far community conversations have shifted, and how much further they still have to go.

But it is also, simply, a hopeful sign.

Reflective Questions

1. What do you remember most clearly about life in the Fraser Canyon during the late 1960s and early 1970s?

2. How has the sense of community in places like Hope and Yale changed over time?

3. What does “inclusion” mean to you now, compared to what it might have meant decades ago?

4. How do public murals and art change the way a town understands its own history?

5. Why is it important to visibly recognize Indigenous roots in public spaces?

6. What kinds of challenges do small towns face when trying to shift toward more inclusive values?

7. How can community-driven projects influence education and local awareness over time?

8. What memories or emotions does this mural bring up for you personally?

9. How do we balance remembering difficult past experiences with acknowledging positive change?

10. What role do individuals like Linda Bailey play in shaping long-term community change?

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