Fundraiser launched to build plaque at Deb Hope’s favourite trail in Metro Vancouver

A family friend of beloved former Global BC anchor Deb Hope has launched an online fundraiser to build a small memorial on Hope’s favourite trail in Metro Vancouver.

Angela Sinclair, who works with one of Hope’s daughters Katherine, aims to collect $2,500 to put a plaque on both ends of a walking path in Anmore, where Hope would often walk her dog.

Sinclair said Hope was special to many people in B.C., and that she too had a special connection.

“When I first came to Canada I watched the news from day one, and with my broken English I was still able to connect her stories … She was really bringing the stories to life,” she told Global News.

“I wanted to do something to pay tribute to her legacy in the community. This is where she would mingle and talk to her neighbours and walk her dog and just be a local … So I wanted to do something that can remember her and also respect her and be proud of her.”

Sinclair has launched a GoFundMe campaign to get the trail adoption off the ground, which has already collected more than half its goal.

“She touched the hearts of so many people and filled our evenings with smiles and laughter for decades,” the crowdfunding campaign states.

“Deborra was more than a news anchor; she was a beacon of trust and compassion for viewers across the province.”

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Hope was a resident of the Village of Anmore, near Coquitlam, but was born in Trail.

She died at the age of 67 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Hope joined Global BC in 1981 when it was still known as BCTV and was a regular presence on screens in the living rooms of many British Columbians for more than 30 years. She retired in 2014.

She has represented Global and worked with countless charities over the years, including projects for the Courage To Come Back Awards, Make-A-Wish Foundation, United Way, Canuck Place, the Down Syndrome Research Foundation, St. Paul’s Hospital, the Variety Telethon, BC Children’s Hospital, and the AIDS Walk for Life.

“Beyond her professional accomplishments, Deborra’s legacy lies in her kindness and compassion,” Sinclair wrote in the campaign.

“She touched the lives of countless individuals with her genuine interest in their stories, listening to their triumphs and challenges with empathy.”

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According to the Village of Anmore’s trail marker program, each plaque is expected to cost $1,200.

Each one purchased will be maintained for a 10-year period, as a way to “celebrate the life of a loved one or honour an individual, group or special event.”

The plaques can be either engraved stainless steel or engraved lamacoid.