Former Hope mayor Bud Gardner has a special memory of the opening of the Coquihalla Highway: he was in the car with then-premier Bill Bennett as it burst through the vinyl barrier at the Nicolum Creek Bridge to celebrate the occasion.
Gardner recalls that the day – Friday, May 16, 1986 – was filled with fanfare and excitement.
It began with a ceremony in Hope’s Memorial Park, where breakfast was served to anyone who dropped by.
Gardner, who was the mayor from 1978 to 1996, estimates there were around 2,000 people gathered for the opening speeches, including from Bennett, MLAs and MPs.
Then, the dignitaries piled into convertibles to travel the new highway to Merritt.
Gardner was in the lead car with Bennett and his wife, Audrey, as they started off the journey with the equivalent of a red-ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The “red ribbon” in this case was a large vinyl barrier with a “Coquihalla Highway 5” logo, which the car drove through to mark the official opening of the new route.
“It was a great day for me. I was mayor for almost 20 years, and this was probably one of the highlights of my mayoral career,” Gardner said.
The convoy drove to Merritt, where another large celebration was held similar to the one that had taken place in Hope.
But Gardner said early discussions about a new highway being built from Hope into the Interior weren’t always met with the same enthusiasm.
He said some residents and business owners were concerned the route would bypass Hope and impact tourism in the community.
Through ongoing discussions with the province, Hope officials were able to express those concerns.
“After much negotiations and talking to them, they were really good to me. We decided together to have (the highway) close to Hope, where it is now, and that they would give us access into Hope,” Gardner said.
“If you wanted to get back on the highway, you would have to drive all the way through Hope to get on the other side to get back on.”
He said the community experienced a “bit of a downturn” for the first six months or so after the opening, particularly with Expo 86 being held in Vancouver at the same time.
“People were using the highway, which was kind of a novelty for B.C., and were whipping right by, and people were heading for Expo,” Gardner said.
He said the situation reversed itself in a few months, resulting in a “steady increase” of people stopping by Hope for a break or a meal on their way elsewhere.
Gardner said business in the community continued to pick up over the years, including new fast-food restaurants, and has remained stable.
He said the Coquihalla has been “a good highlight” for Hope.
“It’s been great for B.C., great for our community. I was proud to be part of it,” he said.