SOOKE LOCAL BREAKING NEWS
ARCHIVE from JANUARY and FEBRUARY 2017
Tuesday, February 28 ~ SOOKE. On Monday February 27 around 10:15 pm, Sooke RCMP received a call of a man with a sawed-off shotgun at a residence in the 2100-block of Church Road in Sooke. That location is quite close to the Sooke RCMP detachment building.
The man, who is well known to police, had uttered threats to kill another man and to burn the house down, says Sooke RCMP Detachment Commander S/Sgt Jeff McArthur.
“As officers moved in on the home they could hear what sounded like a shotgun racking,” says McArthur. “The suspect male was determined to be inside an outbuilding on the property – which is basically a small farm. Attempts were made to have the suspect exit the building and surrender, but he was not cooperative.”
“The suspect responded to numerous requests for him to surrender by emphasizing his lack of affection for the police with coarse language,” stated McArthur.
The RCMP Vancouver Island Emergency Response Team was called in. Tear gas was deployed inside the building. Shortly afterwards, this 4-hour standoff ended when the suspect walked out. He was uninjured.
A 30-year-old male Sooke man is charged with the following as the result of this investigation: Possession of a Prohibited Weapon; Uttering Threats; Fail to Comply with Probation Order. The investigation is continuing. The suspect remains in custody, appearing next in Provincial Court in Colwood tomorrow morning, March 1.
Tuesday, February 28 ~ SOOKE. In case you were rushing out to buy your tickets for the Jon Brooks concert this weekend, please note… the March 4th concert has been rescheduled to sometime in October 2017.
Due to a health incident that occurred for Brooks in Michigan this past Sunday evening, he will be off his guitar and away from the concert circuit for a bit, recuperating in his hometown in Ontario.
The Sooke Folk Music Society might find another singer-songwriter to perform instead, this Saturday night, March 4 at Holy Trinity, 1962 Murray Rd, Sooke. Tickets $15 at Shoppers or $20 at the door. We’ll keep you posted if that’s going ahead, and who would be performing.
For this and other concerts hosted by the Sooke Folk Music Society: www.sookefolkmusicsociety.com
Monday, February 27 ~ West side of Vancouver Island. BC NDP leader John Horgan will kick off his 2017 re-election campaign in his home riding of Langford-Juan de Fuca on Saturday March 11.
The big-crowd event will be held at the Langford Legion, 761 Station Avenue starting at 10:30am.
Horgan has held the Langford-area riding (by various electoral area names, including Sooke and up to Port Renfrew) since 2005. He has also built an NDP stronghold on Vancouver Island that has repeatedly proven for him to have a far-reaching and deep reach into many communities and economic sectors.
For this election, the reboundaried riding has lost the largely rural area of Metchosin. Ridings are rebalanced over the years based on population numbers. Both Langford and Sooke have seen population increases in recent years, due mainly to the relatively lower cost of housing on the west side of south Vancouver Island.
The BC provincial election is set for Tuesday, May 9.
Sunday, February 26 ~ SOOKE. Monday night February 27 is another Council meeting night in Sooke, Monday February 27. There will be public input starting at 6 pm ahead of the Regular Council Meeting of the District of Sooke. The regular meeting will be webcasted at www.sooke.ca
The 7pm regular meeting includes two delegations. RCMP Cpl Scott Hilderley will pitch on behalf of the Journey Middle School Youth Council and RCMP Strategic Prevention Services for a $500 community grant. And there will be presentation by local development consultant Herb Haldane regarding the District’s amenity policy.
Correspondence to Council that is listed on the agenda includes a thankyou from Team Sooke/Juan de Fuca for supporting a refugee family (with $3,600 to cover bus passes for a year). The arrival date of the Iraqi refugee family is still not confirmed.
There is also an email from Carolyn Bateman regarding the location of a new Sooke Library — she is opposed to SEAPARC Leisure Complex as the most recent targeted location based on distance from the town core. While many individuals and families take part in activities at SEAPARC on Phillips Road (which has never seemed to be an issue), pushback on social media against the SEAPARC location has swirled on social media for the past few weeks. See article on page 5 in February 24, 2017 issue of West Shore Voice News for an update on what the Vancouver Island Library Board and SEAPARC are saying about the proposed construction of a standalone library next to SEAPARC.
There is also correspondence from Terrance Martin saying the new park along the Sooke River at the foot of Shambrook Way (downslope from the ‘seniors village’) has no provision for future vehicle access and that the public access walkway that has been designated will cause parking problems on Shambrook Way.
Mayor and Council verbal reports are listed on the agenda. At the February 14 meeting there was a barnburner of a verbal report from Councillor Kerrie Reay in which she rebuked negativity on social media and against Council in general.
Sunday, February 26 ~ Sooke. Returning to Sooke for his first concert here since 2013, Canadian singer-songwriter Jon Brooks will be performing on Saturday, March 4. The 8pm evening concert being held at Holy Trinity Church (1962 Murray Rd, Sooke) has been organized by the Sooke Folk Music Society.
An essayist and master of his ‘pet’ guitar, Brooks profiles himself as a thinker, writer, traveler and ‘armchair theologian’ turned full-time songwriter in 2010.
Spoiler alert! Brooks lyrics are edgy, and may offend some. But that’s his point… to hit home some important points that hold society back from improving itself.
From our Sooke Voice News concert review after the Jon Brooks 2013 Easter-weekend concert that was held at Sooke Baptist Church: “I never thought I’d be playing in a Baptist church,” he quipped during this part-talk, much-sung performance that with a short intermission lasted about two hours, and then expounded on the irony and hypocrisy of a myriad Christian denominations and the ‘scarring’ of people raised Catholic to which at least one gasp was elicited from someone in the back.
Tickets for the March 4 concert in Sooke are available in advance at Shoppers Drug Mart Sooke ($15) or at the door ($20).
Unlike many organizations in Sooke, the Sooke Folk Music Society covers its expenses with ticket sales and fundraising. They have never requested a grant from the District of Sooke. www.sookefolkmusicsociety.com .
Saturday, February 25 ~ SOOKE & OTTER POINT. The Juan de Fuca Community Trails Society will be holding their 2017 AGM on Tuesday, February 28. The meeting starts at 7 pm.
The group has invited District of Sooke planner Danica Rice to talk about the municipality’s Official Community Plan. Extensive public input toward the Sooke OCP was undertaken during September to December 2016, and the final document is yet months away.
JdF Community Trails is excited about a new community trail being built between Horne Rd and Goodmere Rd with the help of some of their volunteers. They are also following TimberWest building a road in their Private Managed Forest north of Otter Point Road near Sooke. This will be ongoing through April.
More details on both of these projects at www.jdftrails.ca
![Community Grant applications due March 15, 2017 [Click on image to enlarge]](https://islandsocialtrends.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DoS-GRANTSdeadlineMar1517-ad-WestShoreVoice-web.jpg)
The meeting dates are Wednesday March 8, Thursday March 9, Wednesday March 22 and Thursday March 23 (to hear community grants applications), Wednesday March 29 (if required), and Thursday March 30 (if required).
All the meetings will start at 6:30 pm, being held in council chambers at Sooke municipal hall.
Applications for the community grants are due March 15, 2017. For groups that would have applied for ‘Category B’ (project/capital grants) in previous years, this is the deadline. Previous annually-renewed operating grants (i.e. the previous ‘Category A’) do *not* require an application. [Click on the image to enlarge and see more info.]
Information, policy details and application forms about the 2017 Community Grants are on the District of Sooke website at www.sooke.ca
Friday, February 24 ~ SOOKE. The 8th annual Sooke Seedy Saturday is coming up tomorrow February 25 at Sooke Community Hall. 10 am to 3pm. Vendors, displays, workshops. Admission by donation (their suggested donation is $5).
The workshop at 11am is about ‘building soil from scratch’. The 1pm workshop is for learning more about raising chickens in your backyard.
For beginner-gardeners through experienced farmer/growers, this is an event for catching up on the latest and finding those seeds and starter plants that you’re looking for. Organized by Sooke Food CHI.
Thursday, February 23 ~ There will be some Highway 14 (West Coast Road) maintenance Monday to Friday in the Jordan River area, February 27 to March 10 during 8 am to 4 pm.
Expect some minor delays as there will be single-lane alternating traffic.
Please use caution around the construction site, says Mainroad South Island.
Wednesday, February 22. Edward Milne Community School will be holding their annual spring Open House tomorrow on Thursday, February 23 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.
EMCS Principal Pat Swinburnson says everyone is welcome to attend this event that will showcase the variety of courses we are able to offer at EMCS.
This open house is not just for incoming students and parents, says Swinburnson. It is equally relevant for current students who are charting their course towards grad. The evening starts at 6:30 pm for a brief presentation in the theatre, then moving into the rest of the school until 8:30 pm.
Info: www.emcs.web.sd62.bc.ca
Tuesday, February 21 ~ SOOKE. Over $2 million dollars in 2017 operating grants is being issued to a total of 29 arts organizations in the Greater Victoria area. Sooke was not part of the deal, as it requires the municipality to be part of the Capital Regional District’s (CRD) Arts Development Commission.
West Shore Voice News has asked District of Sooke Mayor Maja Tait about intentions for Sooke to get on board with this program.
“We had a brief conversation a few years ago and it was too expensive to join, I think it was around $30,000. But since then the structure has changed and it’s timely for Council to be apprised,” says Tait. “So we’re looking to coordinate a proper presentation,” she told West Shore Voice News today.
At present, the eight municipalities on the CRD Arts Development roster are Victoria, Saanich, Oak Bay, Esquimalt, Metchosin, Highlands, View Royal and Sidney. More info: www.crd.bc.ca/service/arts-funding
This year’s total of $2,153,060 in CRD arts grant funding is intended to help generate economic and social benefits for the Capital Region. One of the largest amounts goes to the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, with Pacific Opera Victoria and Belfy Theatre receiving the next two largest grants. Here is the full list:
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria $443,430 | Atomic Vaudeville $25,000 | Aventa Ensemble $22,930 | Ballet Victoria $45,000 | Belfry Theatre $217,460 | CineVic $23,000 | Community Arts Council of Greater Victoria $24,000 | Dance Victoria $62,930 | Deluge Contemporary Art $38,210 | Early Music Society $12,000 | Greater Victoria Performing Arts Festival $8,000 | Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra $8,000 | Intrepid Theatre $97,930 | Kaleidoscope Theatre $55,000 | MediaNet $19,000 | Open Space $82,930 | Pacific Opera Victoria $220,450 | Puente Theatre $31,000 | Story Theatre $40,000 | Theatre Inconnu $27,500 | Theatre SKAM $34,000 | Victoria Children’s Choir $13,930 | Victoria Conservatory of Music $55,000
Last year, organizations funded through the Operating Grant program produced over 2,600 events including in dance, visual and media art, music, and theatre. These activities bring visibility to the region. The activities generate numerous audience and volunteer opportunities for citizens and visitors of all ages as well as economic benefits through the employment of artists, technicians and the staff of local organizations.
“Operating grants are a vital investment in the development of the arts and in the cultural fabric of the entire region,” said Colin Plant, Chair of the CRD Arts Commission. “Municipal boundaries don’t apply when it comes to the arts and the Arts Commission is committed to working towards full participation from all jurisdictions in the Capital Region,” he said in a media release yesterday.
![Sooke Mayor Maja Tait last fall during her Mayor's Open House [Photo by West Shore Voice News]](https://islandsocialtrends.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/1305-MayaTait-closeup-Oct1716-web.jpg)
“We are in the process of finalizing our report from 2016’s Summit. There was a lot of follow-up work that is now being completed, so hope to have everything together in the next month,” said Tait this week.
“We will have another Summit in 2018. Every two years provides a good opportunity to check in and report out to the community on Primary Health initiatives,” she says.
Various issues brought up or explored at the 2016 gathering included lack of access to family doctors in this region, overload at the one local Sooke clinic, the inadequacy of local x-ray services (still analog, not digital, and only available two days a week), and the distance to a major hospital. The closest hospital is Victoria General Hospital at Helmcken & Hwy1, which at 35km away doesn’t seem far but requires reliable access along Hwy14 (Sooke Road) which is the one-road-in/out of Sooke.
Opening remarks by Island Health’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Richard Stanwick at the 2016 summit knocked people’s socks off, with this statistically-backed comment: “Women in Sooke are not living to the average age of women in BC. There’s something better for men in Sooke.” That sobering message was delivered with a suitable amount of wit. Economic stressors have a big impact on people’s health, and today’s youth at low incomes may not live as long as their parents, said Stanwick. He stressed the provincial fiscal need to shift to an emphasis on preventive care.
Back in 2014 under then-Mayor Wendal Milne, a “GP for Me” health summit was held at the Prestige hotel from which this current health initiative has grown.
This article was first published in the February 17, 2017 print/PDF edition of West Shore Voice News (page 3). // WSV
![District of Sooke Councillor Kerrie Reay at a Sooke public event in Oct 2016 [photo by West Shore Voice News]](https://islandsocialtrends.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/1320-KerrieReay-Oct2016-web.jpg)
So it was somewhat ironic that the closing heat of the 3-hour meeting was a 10-minute pronouncement from two-term Sooke Councillor Kerrie Reay that she will not be seeking re-election in 2018. And not just for any old reason, but mostly due to the undue pressure of criticism from certain factions of the community, particularly as delivered through social media.
As Sooke’s rep to the VIRL board these past few years, it is Councillor Reay who guided the new Sooke library project to now its near fruition (construction launch likely set for this spring on the old septic field at SEAPARC). She was the one who led the announcement of the 5-acre property purchase on February 29, 2016 — a rare day for a rare acquisition. Of the 5 acres alongside Wadams Way and Anna Marie Road, one acre was earmarked for the library. Well, that arrangement didn’t work out, but Sooke can still get a library, if Sooke hurries up with a land offer to VIRL (VIRL to pay all construction costs). Reay got elected to the VIRL executive last month.
It’s Reay who over a few years massaged the Community Grant policy into a process that became thorough and principled, if not always to the political taste of some. It’s Reay — as she has frequently pointed out — who in the 2014 municipal election received the most votes of any current councillor in Sooke. She took heat from some Sooke residents about how she chaired the hiring committee for the current CAO. She bore really the public’s lack of understanding of how a professional hiring process works.
Kerrie Reay in her detailed and lengthy verbal explanation at Council on Tuesday night took aim mostly at various negative encounters with inaccuracies and accusations by others on or through social media. She also noted being appalled at the vigilante actions taken by a few members of the community toward one of the District staff at that person’s home.
Overall, her experience of such intense negativity in Sooke politics is not what she expected to have to endure while serving the community, and that’s what finally cinched the decision for her to not run again. She said the pressures have taken a toll on her family and friends. The journey has clearly robbed her of the joie de vivre that she first brought to her community service through elected office.
In the past year or so, Reay retired from a decades-long career with the provincial government in Corrections where (as she outlined on
Tuesday night) how she had made considerable contributions to decisions, processes and outcomes.
Reay’s political appeal is in large part to the more traditional and conservative threads of the community. She understands the importance of small business and the need for economic development in this town, trying to work with the existing Official Community Plan that has repeatedly proven to present more impasses than opportunities since the demise of Sooke-region fishing and forestry last decade.
Reay says she will serve out the rest of her term until the fall of 2018. But likely with less wind in her sails. After November 2018 she may well still contribute to the community. As a resident of Sunriver and with her active interest in various aspects of the community, she won’t likely fade away.
As for the matter of social media, it is a dangerous landscape where ideas often lose a sense of proportion and even truthfulness. For some reason, people feel freer to express opinions and use intense language online that they would not use to a person’s face. Damage can happen.
Speaking one’s mind is important. But even if one doesn’t agree with Kerrie Reay’s politics, it would benefit the Sooke community if everyone were to take a good hard look at how they behave on social media. // WSV
Sunday, February 19 ~ SOOKE. Spring is around the corner, starting at the 8th annual Sooke Seedy Saturday on February 25 at Sooke Community Hall.
Organized by Sooke Food CHI, the one-day seed and local food growing event certainly emphasizes how long the growing season is on the west side of Vancouver Island.
The day will highlight a range of seed and plant vendors, a seed exchange table, and educational displays with information on things like composting and keeping bees. This year’s Kids Zone makes for a great family-friendly event.
“Our local Seedy Saturday is an excellent opportunity to connect with local food producers, and learn about seeds and food security in our region. Now that the snow is gone, let’s all gear up for gardening,” says Sooke Food CHI board member Anita Wasiuta.
Long-time avid gardeners as well as farmers are well-served by the event. Two workshops this year are well-suited for backyard gardeners, says Wasiuta.
- 11 am – Building Soil from Scratch. How can you build strong, vibrant, long-lasting soil? No matter what the current state of your soil, learn how to improve it naturally and inexpensively. Presenters: Ron & Shirley O’Brien, Sooke Garden Club members
- 1 pm – Introduction to Backyard Chickens. Raising backyard chickens can be a rewarding experience and a great way to teach kids about nature. Learn about coop set up, what breeds work well, feed requirements and general care.
Presenter: Nancy Bennett, Three Sisters Farm.
Admission to the 10am-3pm event is by donation, with a suggested amount of $5. Raffle ticket donations will go to support Sooke Transition House.
Again this year, Sooke Fall Fair folks will be part of the vent, with lunch downstairs and their monthly market sales of essential oils, knitting, quilting, collectibles and jewellery.
Sooke Food CHI is a local non-profit food security group working to create vibrant, sustainable food systems for the region.
Thursday, February 16 ~ SOOKE. In the newly named Langford-Juan de Fuca riding, BC Liberal candidate Cathy Noel will be running head to head against long-time Juan de Fuca MLA and BC NDP leader, John Horgan.
Horgan has long had a strong following in the Sooke and Juan de Fuca areas, since first being elected in 2005. The riding formerly included Metchosin but now for the 2017 election includes Langford instead, in addition to Sooke and the Juan de Fuca area up to Port Renfrew. Horgan was elected leader of the BC NDP and as such became leader of the Official Opposition in May 2014.
Noel says she was approached last fall by the BC Liberal party to become their candidate for Langford-Juan de Fuca. She has a strong entrepreneurial background through her many years organizing marathon races around south Vancouver Island, more recently including the Times Colonist 10K Run, the Goddess Run in Langford, and the 10K run in Sooke. Herself a runner, she took part in the Boston Marathon in 2012.
Noel says she brings strong project management skills to the table and sees the need for more jobs in the Langford-Juan de Fuca riding area which she feels will follow from economic development.
Last week, all BC Liberal island candidates and Premier Christy Clark to discuss that party’s first-ever Island-specific election platform, which is being overseen by Comox Valley MLA Don McRae. Much of the BC Liberal focus in times past has been on the Lower Mainland and BC interior regions.
For many years the BC NDP have held most Vancouver Island ridings as a stronghold. With Horgan as their leader. the Official Opposition has stood strong on issues like the environment, green technology, and the need for fairer social programs including $10/day child care.
The BC Liberals have now nominated 76 candidates province-wide. The provincial election is set for Tuesday May 9, 2017.
Thursday, February 16 ~ SOOKE. The Sooke Historical Society (which operates the Sooke Region Museum) and Edward Milne Community School Society are among recipients of charitable funding from TELUS through the “Fibre for Good” program. It’s about “TELUS giving back”, says TELUS rep Lisa Ballinger.
Other charities in the south Vancouver Island area will be receiving TELUS funds, including: Victoria Conservatory of Music, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Victoria, Children’s Health Foundation, and Pacific Centre Family Services. Ten charities in the Cowichan area are in total receiving $22,000 from TELUS.
The announcement was made at a February 15 evening business mixer held jointly by the West Shore Chamber of Commerce and the Esquimalt Chamber of Commerce, held at the Coastal Community Credit Union in Langford town centre. Coastal Community Credit Union has 23 branches on Vancouver Island, says the credit union’s regional manager for the south island, Moira Hauk.
As the host for the evening mixer, Coastal Community Credit Union had the opportunity to tell people more about their services including the ITMs (interactive teller machines). When you pick up the handset, you’re instantly face-to-face with a Coastal Community expert. Because your transactions are handled by a real person, you can ask questions and get immediate answers. ITMs provide for account inquiries, cash and cheque deposits, cheque-cashing, cash/coin withdrawals, account transfers, bill payments and more.
Wednesday, February 15 ~ SOOKE. At the February 14 District of Sooke Regular Council meeting, Council approved amendments to their District of Sooke Policy 5.1, Community Grants Program Policy. The District says their amended policy aims to streamline and simplify the application and review process for the awarding of Community Grants. Some key details:
- Existing Category A grant recipients (i.e. recipients who received operating grants annually, last reviewed in October 2015) will be automatically considered for 2017 funding, without the need to reapply.
- All other local not-for-profit groups seeking Community Grant funding for 2017 must submit an application by March 15, 2017. (Many of these groups will have in the applied for and/or received ‘Category B’ project grants, generally for one-time capital expenditures.)
Staff are offering two evening workshops to familiarize applicants with the amended Community Grants policy and the new application process: These evening workshops will be offered on February 21 & 22 in the Council Chamber (7 pm).
Links: Policy 5.1 Community Grants Program Policy | Community Grant Application Form
A policy still remains on the books that a small percentage of development cost charges (DCCs) as paid by developers who are approved to develop properties in Sooke, will go into the Sooke Program of the Arts (SPA) Fund. At present, there is no arts-related committee to separately review any arts-related applications.
As it presently stands, in 2017 all grant applications will go directly before Council. The next regularly scheduled Council meeting after the grant deadline is on March 27.
Tuesday, February 14 ~ SOOKE. Just ahead of 10 pm tonight at District of Sooke Council, two-term Councillor Kerrie Reay announced that she will not be seeking re-election in 2018. Her verbal explanation was detailed and lengthy.
Noting, in particular, her various negative encounters with inaccuracies and accusations by others on or through social media, Reay said that such intense negativity in Sooke politics is not what she expected to have to endure while serving the community.
In the past year or so, Reay retired from a long career with the provincial government in Corrections.
More to come in the February 17th issue of West Shore Voice News.
Tuesday, February 14 ~ SOOKE. Anyone from the community may nominate any business for the Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce 2017 Business Excellence Awards. This year’s categories:
- Professional Services
- Retail and Services
- Manufacturing and Industry
- Dining and Hospitality
- Trades and Skilled Labour
- Home Based Business
- Not-for-Profit Organization
- New Business of the Year
- Business of the Year
All businesses are eligible for awards, whether they are a Chamber member or not. You may nominate only one business per category; a reason for nominating MUST be provided on the form. Nominations due March 5.
Nominees will be invited to support their nomination with a letter (in point form) detailing their achievements.
Nominations and accompanying support letters will be judged, and winners chosen, by “an impartial panel of esteemed business professionals not affiliated with the Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce”, says the Chamber.
This year the Chamber emphasizes this: “winners are NOT chosen solely by the number of nominations received”.
The banquet at which the awards will be presented will be held April 1. See events: www.sookeregionchamber.com
Saturday, February 11 ~ SOOKE. The long-promised new Sooke Library could end up snuggled up beside SEAPARC Leisure Complex instead of being built on property owned by the District of Sooke on Wadams Way in town centre.
The Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL) board has for several years had a new library in mind for Sooke — in fact, it’s been one of their top priorities.
Thing is, VIRL asks the various communities in their region to provide land at no cost. Then VIRL builds a library facility at their own cost. That’s their business model.
Seems the District of Sooke hasn’t wanted to part with land for no remuneration. The District purchased about 5 acres in the heart of Sooke last year (along Wadams Way / behind the Evergreen Shopping Centre). Of that 5 acres, one acre was being set aside for VIRL to build a new 10,000 sq.ft. library.
Now SEAPARC is suddenly in the game. Construction could begin as early as this spring on the old septic field area at the front of the SEAPARC (CRD-owned) property at 2168 Philips Road, says SEAPARC Chair Mike Hicks. If library construction commences this spring, that would probably delay the planned construction of the fitness centre expansion by about two years.
Other recreation centres in the CRD (such as the Monterey Centre in Oak Bay) also include a seniors centre within the library building footprint.
Friday, February 10 ~ SOOKE. Traffic enforcement in the west side of Sooke is being stepped up by Sooke RCMP.
“Numerous violation tickets for speeding on Grant Road have been issued by Sooke officers and members of the Integrated Road Safety Unit in the past month,” says Sooke RCMP Detachment Commander S/Sgt Jeff McArthur. The speed limit on Grant Road is 40 km/h.
“Increased enforcement on Grant Road, Otter Point Road, and Sooke and West Coast Roads is to be expected,” he adds. “Otter Point Road from near Wadams Way, to Sooke Road will see increased enforcement activity. This is a 30 km/h zone,” says S/Sgt McArthur. He explains that the intersection of Grant Road and Otter Point Road is partially blind and considered to be in need of enforcement action. [Yellow line on the map shows the 30 km/h zone on Otter Point. Map provided by RCMP]
“Traffic enforcement in Sooke is done in consideration of the accident statistics, analysis of risk, and public input. We regularly receive calls from residents of Grant Road complaining about speed,” says S/Sgt McArthur.
As well, on January 22, a resident advised that his dog was run over and killed that morning, by a vehicle in the 7000-block of Grant Road. The complainant advised that he was walking his dog at roadside on a leash at the time this happened. He requested increased speed enforcement. No details were gathered on the motorist who allegedly killed the dog, and therefore, that investigation has been concluded, says Sooke RCMP.
Thursday, February 9 ~ REGION. Due to the change in weather, there are multiple areas of flooding and pooling on highways in the South Island area. Drivers are advised to slow down and drive for the conditions of the road. There is the possibility of hydroplaning.
Trees and hydro lines are down in some areas. Road access will not be available for road clearing equipment until downed lines are cleared says Mainroad South Island Contracting.
Wednesday, February 8 ~ SOOKE. The real estate market is landing softly at its new high level. The robust level of sales transactions and persistent steep price increases in 2016 (on the heels of many years of price increases) were of course not sustainable.
Greater Victoria Real Estate Board (VREB) president Ara Balabanian says this: “Over the last few decades, the historic cycle in Victoria is longer periods of stable activity and price followed by a rapid rise in activity and property values over a relatively short period of time.”
Look where prices have arrived as of January 2017 (VREB figures). The benchmark (data-adjusted) for single family homes in Greater Victoria overall was $636,100 last month, which is up by $111,000 over the figure for January 2015 (note, the average of actual sales was $804,558 last month). In the west shore area, the benchmark was $515,700 last month, which is $88,000 higher than a year ago. Nothing else in the economy comes anywhere close to that level of inflation.
Langford’s single family home benchmark was $516,100 in January 2016, with Colwood at $565,000 and Sooke at $436,100. All of those are peak price points.
A total of 478 properties sold in the VREB region last month, which is 11.3% fewer than the 539 sales transacted in January 2016. It’s worth noting the reverse trend in the western communities: in Langford, Colwood and Sooke combined, sales volume in January 2017 was steady, and a bit higher than in December. Comparing Langford and Sooke, there were more sales in January 2017 compared to a year ago, not fewer. This can generally be attributed to relative housing affordability compared to the Victoria/Saanich/Oak Bay core.
Condos are not frequently available in Sooke, and only three sold in Colwood last month. But in urban-style Langford last month there were 23 condo sales at a raw average sale price of $287,478 (and with a benchmark notably pumped up to $325,300 as an indication of where market interest is heading).
It remains that those already in the housing market are generally doing fine by their investment (usually so long as they don’t try to ‘buy upwards’ in the market upon resale), while affordability for others appears to be continually out of reach.
The ‘new normal’ in Canada’s housing market appears to be that there are those who play the home ownership game and those who simply don’t. And it’s something that some demographics are getting used to.
The millennium generation (adults in their 20s and early 30s) has in large part been forced into a renter’s lifestyle, where investments are instead made in wellness, travel and technology rather than the overhead of home ownership maintenance (and oftentimes becoming landlords with secondary suites to deal with). Seniors finding themselves without adequate pensions may oddly find themselves taking up the trademark millennium work-and-get-by-on-less lifestyle by default.
Wednesday, February 8 ~ SOOKE. With the recent heavy snow accumulation, and the rains forecasted for later this week, the District of Sooke would like to ensure that homeowners are prepared for any potential flooding.
As a precautionary measure, local residents are invited to fill their own sandbags using supplies from the District of Sooke Public Works Yard at 2060 Kaltasin Rd. Sand and bags are available, but you’ll need to bring along your own shovel.
The Public Works Yard is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. For access to sandbag supplies on Saturday and Sunday, February 11 and 12, call 250-415-3475.
Wednesday, February 8 ~ South Vancouver Island. Snowfall is forecasted to develop mid-afternoon today February 8, increasing this evening.
Snowfall over the Pacific Marine Route (including Sooke Road / Hwy 14 / West Coast Road), Lake Cowichan and the Malahat may be quite heavy, as well as featuring some freezing rain.
Mainroad South Island winter operations will be in effect on all highways. That includes additional personnel and equipment. The priority is highways, bus routes and school bus routes as well as main corridor roads. Side roads are done after that. Clearing access for police, fire and ambulance gets priority. Motorists are reminded to drive safely around highway maintenance vehicles.
Tuesday, February 7 ~ SOOKE. Sooke Fire Chief and Emergency Program Coordinator Kenn Mount reminds residents about winter driving conditions and to take extra precautions around emergency vehicles.
“This means staying back 150 meters when driving. And if Emergency Equipment is parked on the side of the road, a reminder to respect flaggers and to pass slowly only when directed to,” says Chief Mount.
“I see lots of people out tobogganing; it’s prudent to wear a helmet and to respect people’s space to avoid accidents,” he says.
“Heavy snow on tree limbs can knock power lines down. Never approach downed power lines and call 911 and BC Hydro.”
[Photo of Sooke Fire Chief Kenn Mount by West Shore Voice News, 2017]
Tuesday, February 7 ~ OUTAGE report. A relatively low number of BC Hydro customers –– 683 — are without electrical service at this hour (11:45 am), with most of those in the Duncan and North Cowichan areas, including 71 in the Willis Point area near Brentwood Bay.
About five BC Hydro customers are without power in the 2800-block of Sooke River Road as of 11:16 am, with snow storm given as the cause. Crews have been assigned, no arrival time yet given.
Tuesday, February 7 ~ WEST SHORE of VANCOUVER ISLAND. A few weather-related tips have been issued by Juan de Fuca Emergency Program Coordinator Jeri Grant:
“Make sure your vehicle is completely clear of ice or snow before starting the trip. Flying snow from cars causes accidents.
People really need to slow down when driving in this kind of weather/conditions and be mindful children are not at school and will be out playing in the snow, sometimes on the road.
The trees are weighed down with snow so be prepared for possible power outages, make sure your mobile phone and electronics are fully charged. If you see downed power lines stay back 10 m (30 feet) and call BC Hydro Call 1 800 BCHYDRO (1 800 224 9376) or *HYDRO (*49376) on your mobile.”
Tuesday, February 7 ~ SOOKE. Schools in Sooke, Colwood, Langford and Metchosin are closed today in School District 62 (SD62) due to challenging road and sidewalk conditions.
Recent snowfall has piled up. “All Sooke schools closed due to ice & uncleared sidewalks,” was the official Tweet out from Sooke School District 62 (SD62) today.
Schools are also closed in Saanich (SD63) but are open in Victoria (SD61).
Monday, February 6 ~ SOUTH VANCOUVER ISLAND. Snow that has been falling lightly but steadily since Sunday night, through today with about 15 to 20 cm forecasted for overnight into Tuesday February 7 — sees Mainroad South Island doing operations on all highways.
The roads contractor announced this afternoon that regular winter crews are on shift 24/7 with additional personnel and equipment brought in as conditions warrant. This 24/7 winter road crew status will continue “until the conditions change and highways are back to normal”, it was stated in a Mainroad news release.
‘The public can be assured that in emergency situations where police, fire and ambulance are requiring assistance that our crews will assist them to reach their destination,” says Mainroad in their release.
During winter driving conditions everyone is reminded to drive safely, especially when approaching a highway maintenance vehicle.
“For visibility, It’s a good idea to keep your headlights fully on during the day in snow or rain, which also lights up the tail lights on your vehicle,” says Juan de Fuca Emergency Program coordinator Jeri Grant.
Highway conditions or issues can be reported to the 24-hour communications centre at 1-877-391-7310.
[Photo Copyright 2017 West Shore Voice News: westward view on West Coast Road on Monday, February 6]
Monday, February 6 ~ SOOKE. Parents in Langford, Colwood, Sooke and other areas of the west side of Vancouver Island are already on top of this today, but for everyone else… schools in Sooke School District 62 (SD62) are open today despite the snowfall.
SD62 posted this Tweet this morning: “As always, it is up to #SD62 parents to decide if they feel comfortable sending their child to school. All schools are open.”
SD62 students coming in from Port Renfrew, Jordan River, Shirley, Woodhaven — no bus today, says SD62. The school district has also posted that the BC Transit bus #14 in East Sooke is not running today.
SD62 Superintendent Jim Cambridge said at a board meeting last fall that closing schools for ‘snow days’ is always a difficult decision as it affects so many people, families, workplaces and child care arrangements. There are operational, financial and safety considerations as well as the impact on learning outcomes depending on the phase of the term/semester.
Sunday, February 5 ~ SOOKE. Well, it’s not a wild windy storm out there tonight. Just a gentle snowfall, but steady. However, with temperatures hovering around zero, that makes for slippery or uncertain road conditions in the dark.
Good to see more drivers taking the slow but steady approach for driving on Highway 14 (Sooke Road) this evening. It seems to be sinking in that just a few more minutes to get there is not so bad.
Mainroad South Island has done a good job of clearing one lane for each side on most of the 4-lane portion, and obviously made tracks on the 2-lane portion.
[Photo-infographic by Mainroad South Island]
Saturday, February 4 ~ SOOKE. In the days following the executive order by US President Donald Trump to ban incoming refugees and other travellers from seven specified middle-east countries for 120-days, it leads to a question about any possible impact on the Iraqi family of four who await immigration to Canada to live in the Sooke area.
“I am not aware on an impact on our refugee family.” says Sid Jorna who heads up the Team Sooke Juan de Fuca refugee family initiative. “It would be a surprise if it did impact, as Canada’s response is so very different,” he told West Shore Voice News this weekend.
However, Jorna adds: “Our Sponsorship Committee is currently inquiring of our government the status of our application.” For several months now, the expected arrival date of the new-to-Sooke family has been ‘sometime in March 2017’. The family being sponsored by Team Sooke Juan de Fuca is from Iraq, but they have been in Lebanon for a quite now already, awaiting immigration to Canada.
Friday, February 3 ~ 3:40 PM Pacific Time. Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for Greater Victoria. Total snowfall amounts of 15 to 25 cm are expected by Saturday morning.
“A low pressure centre is bringing heavy snow to the inner south coast tonight. 5 to 10 cm of snow has fallen since this morning. An additional 5 to 15 cm of snow is expected by early Saturday morning. The snow may become mixed with or change to rain at lower elevations especially near the Strait of Georgia tonight.”
“Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions. Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow.”
Further Environment Canada alerts and forecasts are likely to be issued. To report severe weather, send an email to ec.tempetepacifique-pacificstorm.ec@canada.ca or tweet reports to #BCStorm.
[Photo by West Shore Voice News: Highway 14 after a light snow fall, December 2016]
Friday, February 3 ~ SOOKE. [This event has been rescheduled to Wed February 15 due to weather conditions.] Ever wonder if there’s a connection between vaccinations and autism? Here’s a chance to discuss that following a 90-minute film called ‘Vaxxed’. Happening on Wednesday, February 15 at this month’s Awareness Film Night…. an evening event at Edward Milne Community School in Sooke, 7pm. Admission by donation.
In particular, the Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine is thought to be connected to causing autism. It remains a controversial topic. Vaxxed features interviews with pharmaceutical insiders, doctors, and politicians, as well as parents who feel the vaccine had injured their children.
The Vaxxed documentary released in 2016 is directed by Dr. Andrew Wakefield, the British gastroenterologist who first reported in 1998 that the MMR vaccine may cause autism.
More info on next week’s film night and the autism issue: www.awarenessfilmnight.ca
Tuesday, January 31 ~ WEST SHORE. This afternoon around 3:10 pm there was a collision of a logging truck and car on Sooke Road (between Luxton Road and Happy Valley Road in the Langford area).
Three people in the vehicle were injured — two adults (a man, and a woman who was driving), and a child.
The three people who had been travelling in the Kia Forte sedan that was badly damaged in the crash were taken to Victoria General Hospital following the collision. The truck driver was reported as not injured.
Sooke Road was closed in both directions for more than six hours, once again affecting access to/from the community Sooke for which Highway 14 is the “one road in and out”. Traffic was diverted at Happy Valley Road as crash-scene analysts gathered evidence. The road was cleared and traffic flowing again around 9:30 pm this evening after the logging truck was towed away.
Langford Fire Rescue, BC Ambulance and RCMP attended the scene. Police are continuing their investigation and seeking witnesses.
Tuesday, January 31 ~ SOOKE. The webcasting process during District of Sooke Council and Committee of the Whole meetings is valuable and handy for Sooke residents who wish to view Council proceedings remotely on their computers or hand-held devices.
In future if senior staff (or the Chair of the meeting) make sure that all members of council make their remarks with active microphones, it would better serve the public to hear the full proceedings.
Webcasting is increasingly relied upon (and hopefully provided as) a service to an informed citizenry. If a Councillor happens to make statements while their microphone is off, they should be asked in real time to repeat their statements for the video record.
Monday, January 30 ~ SOOKE. Tonight’s Committee of the Whole meeting in Sooke council chambers showed evidence of strain among Council members and also between staff and Council.
The tug of war just below the surface of procedural debate was not really about any conflict of desired goals for the municipality. Everyone seems on board for clarifying objectives and finding solutions.
The dissonance had more to do with really neither side having fully done its homework ahead of this meeting. To give all this the benefit of the doubt, let’s say this evening’s 1.5-hour meeting was approached by both sides as being an exploratory opportunity.
There were two main topics of discussion. The first was business licences and the other was the process of developing a new or ‘refreshed’ official community plan.
On the matter of business licences, there were comments from Council about not knowing what goes on in other municipalities with regard to business licences even though that information has been published in recent news articles and is readily accessible on various municipal websites. As recently published by West Shore Voice News (in December 2016), in Langford and Colwood there are one-time perpetual licences (sign up once, and no further renewal fees). All other municipalities have business licences, and virtually all of them charge fees in varying amounts. Business licences are required for most higher-level business actions such as obtaining credit or applying for other strategic business dealings.
There seemed to be some deleterious concern over apparently an increasing number of businesses not obtaining or renewing their business licences. It was pointed out that there is little to no enforcement of whether a business obtains or holds a licence. Without enforcement, a natural erosion of compliance is an understandable result.
It was pointed out that the current business licence bylaw was established in 2007. Now 10 years later, much has changed both in the municipality itself as well as in the community as impacted by changes in demographics and the economy.
Discussion of business licences did not go very deep. There was no significant debate about categories (e.g. home based, commercial) other than to zero in on asking about inter-municipal licences as if they were all the new craze. Most municipalities have had inter-municipal licences for a long time.
On the matter of the Official Community Plan (OCP), the discussion waters were muddier. Mayor Maja Tait, and Councillors Rick Kasper and Bev Berger were on Council when the current OCP was finalized in 2010. They had varying degrees of recollection of process and detail. Councillors Kevin Pearson and Kerrie Reay pointed out that bylaw development was often challenged or thrown into confusion when viewed through the lens of the current OCP. Councillor Pearson attempted to politically assuage the feelings of the community members who feel their work has been disregarded in various ways over the past seven years, suggesting that this new OCP revision process been seen as a process to “refresh” the existing OCP. However, based on the amount of public input gathered by staff (mostly under the management of Danica Rice, Planner II, over about four months in Fall 2016), it appears an entirely new OCP could be the likely outcome.
So here’s where it became more complicated. Rice made a brief verbal OCP presentation, saying her preliminary findings from a significant amount of public input was to demonstrate the community’s vision for the future. She made it clear that she was asking Council for their input and direction. She has a lot of data, which she has organized to a first-level of commonality. But she was seeking policy indications from Council as to how to further sort and direct the information toward more definitive statements. Council essentially balked at this, implying that more composition or writing should be done by staff before bringing it before Council. At the end of a lengthy debate, it was determined that Councillors would approach staff with more ideas, so that a first draft OCP could be pulled together for public consideration.
While public input is vital to a community official plan process, it seems that Mayor and Council are reluctant to really lead the charge. This OCP will likely be the result of political response to a bulk of data (from multiple surveys and open houses) more so than a vision of Council being brought to the people. Kind of an OCP by default, it would seem so far.
Based on community input (and who’s to say how broad that input group was), Rice summarized “the three big goals” of the new OCP direction as:
- protecting the environment
- celebrating community and culture (including First Nations, the arts, heritage, volunteers and services)
- the economy – being open minded and focussing on opportunity (with Rice adding that this one would naturally flow from successful achievement of the first two).
And then Ms Rice, as Planner, asked Council: “What is the next step?” Overall, Council indicated that it is hoping for a simpler, more streamlined high-level document that sets out a vision, but which does not go too deep into practicalities that either conflict with current bylaws or end up impeding development progress in the community.
As a matter of technical note, the webcasting process is valuable and handy for Sooke residents who wish to view Council proceedings remotely on their computers or hand-held devices. But in future if senior staff (or the Chair of the meeting) make sure that all members of council make their remarks with active microphones, it would better serve the public to hear the full proceedings. If a Councillor happens to make statements while their microphone is off, they should be asked to repeat their statements for the video record.
Council decided to hold yet some more public meetings about the OCP, perhaps drilling down to focus on one or two topics each evening. Whether Sooke residents have the available evening time to participate in a series of meetings of this nature is questionable. While it’s a valiant attempt to involve the public, it’s possible that — after doing surveys and attending several open houses last fall — that the public is hoping both Council and staff will just roll up their sleeves and produce a substantive document that moves the process much farther along. Politicians are elected and staff are hired to do this sort of work. Public input has already been received in spades — and more should be done, but in a way that responds to some real commitments from elected officials.
Friday, January 27 ~ SOOKE. The District of Sooke Committee of the Whole Meeting coming up on Monday January 30 (6pm, council chambers), has two main agenda items: business licences and official community plan (OCP).
Here is a direct link to the agenda which contains some background information (such as business licence fees and the input process of Fall 2016 about the OCP): http://sooke.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Committe-of-the-Whole-30-Jan-2017-1.pdf . The photo shows the display boards for the OCP public input process as took place at SEAPARC Leisure Complex on November 2, 2016.
Public input can be made on those topics after each agenda item.
‘New Business’ is also listed on the agenda.
Thursday, January 26 ~ SOOKE. On January 24, James Daniel Tierney, age 21, of Sooke was sentenced in BC Provincial Court in Colwood.
Sooke RCMP Detachment Commander Jeff McArthur says the young man plead guilty to two counts of Assaulting a Peace Officer (relevant to his arrest on January 21 in Sooke), one count of Assault (relevant to an assault on a BC Transit bus in Sooke January 18), and one count of Carrying a Concealed Weapon (relevant to being checked at McDonald’s in Sooke carrying a large knife January 6). Two counts of Uttering Threats and one count of Breach of Undertaking were stayed. A suspended sentence and 18 months probation was given.
Wednesday, January 25 ~ SOOKE. Langford Mayor Stew Young was the guest speaker at a well-attended breakfast meeting of the Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce this morning.
About 30 people attended to hear Langford’s long-time mayor (first elected in 1993) talk about economic development for what is becoming a broader region on the west shore. He proposed that economic growth and changes for both Langford and Sooke will become increasingly intertwined in the years ahead.
Not a new idea … improvements to Highway 14 (the one road into and out of Sooke) will support economic growth in Sooke, the crowd heard from Mayor Young. But what does seem new is an intention for the two municipalities to cooperate and integrate more on matters of business development and economic growth. Himself a business man, Young stressed the importance of business people having more direct input to Council, whether as members of Council or members of committees like Economic Development.
District of Sooke Chief Administrative officer Teresa Sullivan has in recent months expressed interest in setting up an economic development committee (EDC) again in Sooke. In past years EDC committees have come and gone, with not a lot of identifiable outcomes beyond those involved in the committee. During approximately 2013 to mid-2016, the District of Sooke contracted with the Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce to undertake economic development but that mix also didn’t produce buoyant results for businesses in Sooke overall.
Councils in Sooke have– to varying degrees — not been overly supportive to fostering business or attracting investment. In fact, under Mayor Janet Evans (2008-2011) the public frequently heard at council meetings that “Council is not to be seen to be supporting business”, and that approach somewhat lingered under Mayor Wendal Milne (2011-2014). Sooke Mayor Maja Tait has not directly wooed business in any particular way, though seeing this effort for a new EDC under her watch is a good sign.
Mayor Young pointed out that essentially bleeding the residential and small business tax base is not a way to grow the community. He insists that attracting larger commercial investment from beyond the community is the way to go… an influx of capital that ultimately leads to more local jobs. When people stay in their communities to work and raise families, it strengthens all aspects of the community. He suggested that efficiency at municipal hall — especially for development permits — is a way to help attract investment. He also reiterated his stance that business licences be purchased once (without an annual renewal fee after that) as one way to cut businesses a break.
Langford’s mayor compared Sooke to where Langford was around 20 years ago, in terms of getting organized for growth that will ultimately stabilize the community with more jobs and local opportunities.
Business members at the breakfast around the large table set up in a small conference room at the Prestige Oceanfront Resort seemed to have mixed reactions to Mayor Young’s views on business. While businesses will generally always want growth, each community has their way of going about things.
Parting ways last year essentially over the sagging results evolving from mismatched goals, the District of Sooke and the Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce still experience a gap in philosophy. How to bridge that difference in understanding about business development — or at least to agree on some common goals — remains to be seen.
Monday, January 23 ~ SOOKE [updated January 24]. Tonight Sooke Council agreed to restructure their community grant process. The deadline for all grant applications will be March 15.
Details are still being ironed out, pending a refined staff report (see January 22 article below, for details).
Council tonight heard from Corporate Officer Gabryel Joseph (and through his report) that a streamlined process would save staff time and allow for a broader view of where grant funds have been going over the past many years. With all of Council hearing the grant applications, it would not leave some Councillors out of the loop.
Joseph suggested that grants repeating for as many as 10 years might be better administered as regular line items in the annual Sooke budget, which dovetails into the 5-Year Plan.
Grant categories (such as the current Category A for operations and Category B for projects) are likely to be dropped.
Councillor Kerrie Reay who chaired the Community Grant Review Committee for several years cautioned her fellow councillors to be aware of where funds are being requested for salaries or wages, and where ‘provincial downloading’ might be shifting responsibility to the municipality.
Final approval of community grant policy changes can be expected at the next regularly scheduled Council meeting on February 14. After that, full notice will be given to the community.
Council members were invited by staff to submit further ideas and comments as the policy become refined in the days ahead. During the meeting tonight Councillor Brenda Parkinson stood up for the arts, proposing that arts funding applications be heard separately by the Sooke Program of the Arts Committee. However, all committees (other than required standing committees) were disbanded in December 2016.
Several people in the audience attended to hear about changes to the grants process — particularly from the arts community.
There was no dispute that the Sooke Food Bank and other inarguable groups would continue to receive funding.
In a separate motion this evening, the Sooke Lions Club retroactively received $5,000 for pulling off the Sooke Santa Parade in December 2016.
Tonight’s Council meeting was chaired by Councillor Rick Kasper as acting mayor. While Mayor Maja Tait had presided over a public input meeting from 6 to 6:40pm, she was managing a flu and did not stay to chair the regular council meeting.
Sunday, January 22 ~ SOOKE. The District of Sooke’s Community Grant Review process may get a major overhaul on Monday night, January 23. Council will have before them some staff recommendations that — if approved — would bring all of Council into the grant-funding loop, and eliminate distinctive grant application categories.
By eliminating categories, the reasoning is that all applications could be considered at once, and at one time during the year — notably during the budget process. Details of the annual District budget are primarily hammered out February through April.
With Council handling grant applications directly, this would eliminate the involvement of a committee and would save a projected chunk of staff time (estimated by staff as 25 to 30 hours).
Another recommendation from staff is that limits be created for how many consecutive years an organization might receive a grant before a resolution of Council is required to create a budget line item of supportive funding. Budget line items are generally a more permanent guarantee of continued or repeated annual funding.
The present system of Category A operating grants (available annually) & Category B project grants (available through a bi-annual intake, spring and fall) produced some confusion for applicants. And those who applied for the fall season Category B grants often were at the mercy of what was figuratively ‘left in the pot’ after whatever was awarded in the first batch of grant approvals.
The overall amount of grant funding has been set by Council at the start of the budget year, generally based on what they feel taxpayers can afford. In total, the total budget category amount for community grants has been reduced over the past few years.
Generally speaking, committees take care of a greater level of detail that Council usually wishes to take on. However, this gave a lot of weight to the committee’s decisions, with — as a matter of efficiency — not a lot of detail making its way back to the Council table unless requested by Council. In the last year or two, individual grant details were ultimately reviewed in greater detail by Council so that various details and funding levels could be considered.
For the past few years, the Community Grant Review Committee has been chaired by Sooke Councillor Kerrie Reay. Also on the committee for several years has been Councillor Bev Berger. Two other committee members have been persons annually appointed from the community.
The January 23, 2017 meeting agenda is available online at www.sooke.ca
Wednesday, January 18 ~ SOOKE. BC Lietenant Governor Judith Guichon launched a province-wide Canada 150 launch tour to visit all BC school districts, with a first stop at three schools in Sooke School District 62 (SD62) today.
SD62 provides education to students and families in a wide geographical area on the west side of south Vancouver Island, including Sooke, Langford, Colwood, Highlands, Metchosin, Juan de Fuca and Port Renfrew. Today’s three school visits by Her Honour were all in the town of Sooke itself.
First thing in the morning was a visit to Sooke Elementary School followed by a visit to Journey Middle School mid-morning. After lunch at the Sooke Legion, Lt Gov Guichon addressed a full auditorium of high school students at Edward Milne Community School (EMCS) in the afternoon. At each assembly, the Lieutenant Governor got Canada’s 150th Birthday off to an official start. Oh Canada was performed by two singers at the start, and a taped version of God Save the Queen wrapped up the assembly.
In her cheerful address to the high school students, Lieutenant Governor Guichon was a bit instructional (the role of the Lt Gov with relation to the crown and constitution, and the names of former BC Lieutenant Governors), a bit BC-promotional (with accolades for various BC regions and a pitch about various Government House ‘priority programs’), and a bit playful (including a ‘disqualification’ of VIPs in the front row to answer some of the questions that she pitched to the students).
She outlined the priority programs were outlined as Right to Read (including support for libraries in remote regions), Sing Me A Song (including a songwriting and performance contest with a $1,000 prize in each of three age categories), and Stewards of the Future (aimed primarily at Grade 10 students to promote leadership with land and water).
During the assembly Q&A, students asked Her Honour about her travel, how a Lt Gov is chosen and what the qualifications are, and how youth or the public might contribute suggestions to government or her office. The students seemed curious, intent and perhaps a bit surprised at aspects of Guichon’s skills and interests — that she owns a ranch, and that she has a 3-wheel electric vehicle that (when plugged into the power grid at her ranch) will cost nothing to recharge.
A formal group of VIPs attended the afternoon event, comprised of [in photo from left]: SD62 Board Chair Bob Phillips, SD62 Superintendent Jim Cambridge, T’Sou-ke Nation elder Shirley Alphonse, Lieutenant Governor Judith Guichon, EMCS Principal Pat Swinburnson, T’Sou-ke Nation elder Linda Bristol, and District of Sooke Mayor Maja Tait. Also in attendance were SD62 Trustee Margot Swinburnson and District of Sooke Councillor Bev Berger.
Students were advised by school administration before the formal event got started that all hats should be taken off, and all phones be turned off, with a reminder that they were representing their school. A bit motivationally they were told they represented “the west coast / best coast”.
After addressing the high school students, Lieutenant Governor Guichon seemed genuinely delighted to mingle with students in the lobby to answer further questions.
You can also see an extended version of this article on page 1 of the January 20, 2017 issue of West Shore Voice News (download alert: 22 MB file size).
Saturday, January 14 ~ SOOKE. Various groups and individuals around town are preparing to take part in a recently-announced public input session at Sooke municipal hall.
At Council last week, Mayor Maja Tait opened the meeting with a pronouncement of not only more opportunities for public input, but opportunities that would be more effective. At present, formal public input to council is mostly contained to tight time limits of 2 minutes (general input) or 5 minutes (delegations).
Mayor Tait said she has asked staff to provide a review with recommendations regarding the current Council procedure structure.
Two opportunities for direct public pitches to Mayor and Council are coming up Monday, January 23 (6:00 to 6:40 pm, ahead of the regular council meeting) and Monday, January 30 (7 pm). www.sooke.ca
Mayor Tait is continuing to open up and ‘make friendly’ the governance process. The annual Mayor’s New Year’s Levee that she hosted on January 1 was open to children and families.
![Lt Gov Judith Guichon during the official welcome of the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge, Sept 24 2016 [Photo Copyright 2016 West Shore Voice News]](https://islandsocialtrends.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/174704-LtGovGuichon-Sep2416-byWestShoreVoice.jpg)
SD62 Superintendent Jim Cambridge was excited to announce the three-school visit during an Education Committee of the Whole meeting last night in the school library at Millstream Elementary.
As part of launching Canada’s 150th Birthday celebration, Her Honour will be attending an assembly at Sooke Elementary at 9am on January 18, followed by 10:30 am participation at an assembly at Journey Middle School.
After lunch that day the Lieutenant Governor will attend an assembly at Edward Milne Community School (EMCS) at 1:30 pm.
Wednesday, January 11 ~ SOOKE. As many as 22 additional teachers (full time equivalents / FTE’s) will be hired in Sooke School District 62 (SD62) which delivers education to families in Langford, Colwood, Sooke and surrounding areas.
This is an update from last week when the first estimate was 14 FTE’s, as announced by SD62 Superintendent Jim Cambridge at the SD62 Education Committee of the Whole meeting held on January 10 in the school library at Millstream Elementary.
The new hires are possible following a BC Ministry of Education announcement that $50 million would be released in total to BC schools. That sum is just part of the available funding that will result as the BC Government continues its negotiations with the BC Teachers Federation (BCTF) following a Supreme Court of Canada decision that says the BCTF contract will unsuitably altered by the BC Government back in 2002. So in a sense, this is ‘back pay’.
A second ‘payout’ will come after further negotiations; that sum has been widely estimated to be around $300 million. However, SD62 Chair Bob Phillips says “$80 million in Learning Improvement Fund (LIF) money is already in the K-12 system”. He adds: “We’re excited about losing LIF restrictions. There is no need to find some new $80 million that is already in place going forward in the BCTF 5 year collective agreement,” Phillips says.
SD62 will get about $900,000 out of the that first $50 million payout. The money will arrive soon, and hiring is set to begin as soon as the 27 schools in SD62 determine (at the school level by principal, vice principal and staff) what their needs are for more teachers. Options include part-time teaching in full classrooms, teacher-librarian, educational assistants, counsellors and other positions.
The new hiring number of 22 FTEs was announced by SD62 Jim Cambridge last night at the school district’s Education Committee of the Whole (ECOW) meeting held at Millstream Elementary. The change from the earlier estimate was produced out of meetings between SD62 administration (Jim Cambridge, lead) and the Sooke Teacher’s Association (lead negotiator is Ian Johnson, STA president).
French Immersion Choir performance at Millstream Elementary.
Cambridge explained that some smaller schools like Colwood Elementary will get 0.4% of an FTE. Bigger elementary schools will get almost a full time person, he said. The largest high school in SD62 (Belmont Secondary) will get 2.8 FTEs.
Ahead of regular business at the ECOW meeting, some Grade 3 French Immersion students performed as a small choir and another small group made a presentation regarding stress-management techniques. Board members and administrative staff expressed their amazement at the level of information delivered by the students.
At various points in the meeting — including during a presentation of graduation rates in SD62 over the past three school years, both trustees and staff expressed how pleased they were about student performance through the tough economic times (both for the school system and families) that were experienced over the last several years.
Statistical graduation profiles were presented by SD62 Assistant Superintendent Paul Block. In 2015-2016 the overall grad percentage (students who completed Grade 12) was 76.1%, up from 74.6% and 73.5% in the two preceding academic years (i.e. 2014-2015 and 2013-2015 respectively). Those number still fall short of the BC provincial average (of public and private schools combined), with a graduation rates of 83.6% in 2015-2018 (and 83.9% and 84.% in the two years preceding).
Sports academies are bustling with participation in SD62 schools. A presentation to the Board by Wayne Kelly could boast a tally of 750 students registered in sport and dance academies in the three SD62 high schools and two of the middle schools. As the Academies coordinator, Kelly says he expects the number to reach 850 or more for 2017-2018. Academies offer sports like soccer, baseball/softball, golf, hockey and lacrosse as well as dance. Registration fees range from $550 to $1,500, which is considered affordable compared to similar programs in BC Mainland schools. Talent scouts come out to see sports games, toward opportunities for post-secondary sport scholarships — especially for girls — coming up in the United States. For some student demographics, Academies tend to improve student retention at specific schools and in high school in general.
Tuesday, January 10 ~ SOOKE. Municipal councils are now in a 4-year cycle for elections or re-election. This started with the fall 2014 election. Previous to that, Mayors and Councillors served for 3-year terms of office.
It was the direction and tone of Mayor Maja Tait’s opening remarks ahead of the regular Council agenda last night that served to open the political playing field in what — to some — seems a year early. But in fact, all service of elected officials carries political weight. The decisions they make, the actions they take — all of it builds to their future, whatever that may be.
Mayor Maja Tait in an interview with West Shore Voice News at her office in December 2016 definitively stated that she is running again for Mayor. That would be for a second term. As Mayor Tait is now a 3rd VP of the Union of BC Municipalities and also holds a seat on the BC Transit Commission board, she does need to be an elected official in order to continue those appointments. Tait said that broader regional input is of benefit to Sooke [see article pg3 in Dec 30, 2016 West Shore Voice News].
That aside, last night at Council Mayor Tait clearly indicated that this 2014-2018 Council now has enough on its plate, in saying that the previous committees (i.e. Sooke Program of the Arts, Parks and Trails, and Sooke Community Centre) had given Council plenty to consider and to work with. In that statement she effectively set down a marker, a turning point, for dealing with the many issues that are already in front of Sooke Council and within the community during 2017-2018. New or other horizons lie beyond that.
Meanwhile, Mayor Tait did open up a bit of room for more public input, by indicating that she wants to go back to a “Committee of the Whole structure” or general input sessions held by the Mayor for general public input, starting this month. On January 30, there will be an open session where the public can bring forward their concerns on whatever topics they wish. Tait listed what some of those items might be including business licences and the sign bylaw. She says that “what’s working and what’s not” is essentially what she hopes to hear about.
Mayor Tait also declared that she will hold a 40-minute public input session on the 4th Monday of each month (ahead of any scheduled 7pm Council meeting), as another way for people to get their points across to Mayor and Council. That type of meeting interaction will begin on Monday, January 23 at 6 pm running to 6:40 pm.
Tait stated that the Corporate Officer is working on a staff report on the “council procedures bylaw” and that she looks forward to that forthcoming report. Public input at formal council meetings is presently acheived in three ways: as a formal delegation (with 5 minutes to speak); in general public input that must be about an item on that night’s agenda (generally with 2 minutes to speak); and during previously advertised public hearings on specific bylaws or other matters of identified business (apparently no time limit).
In our article last night following the January 9 council meeting (see below), it was written that three members of the current Sooke council (Tait, Pearson and Parkinson) had publicly stated that they will be running for Mayor in the fall of 2018.
In followup, Councillor Brenda Parkinson said in email today: “I have absolutely no intention or desire of running for Mayor in any election and that my decision will absolutely not change.”
Councillor Kevin Pearson said today that he hopes to continue focusing on business of the remaining mandate before getting too heavily into re-election politics, and did not deny his intention to run for Mayor.
It’s energizing to know that Sooke has not lost its edge for its interest in local political matters. It shows a healthy interest in exploring what matters to the taxpayers and community. We’re seeing the process of democracy at work. Sometimes that seems like a messy process as many ideas are put forward, positions pushed, and goals pursued. But without such a process of input, debate and action-taking, any community would not only come to a standstill but fall backward in its progress.
Sooke has, in some ways, a unique municipal landscape in that rural and urban interests sometimes compete. That includes matters of growth and density, the rights of rural landowners to use firearms for crop protection, and transit issues as relate to the distance along Hwy 14 to/from more robust services and job markets in Langford, Saanich, Victoria and beyond. Handling the needs of seniors and the need for activities for youth has also long been on Sooke Council’s plate, going back several Councils now.
A flurry of public input sessions on what contribute to the composition of a new Official Community Plan in Sooke was undertaken over several months in fall 2016. Hopefully some public viewpoints and suggestions are genuinely extracted and built upon from there.
Top of the list for any council in today’s day and age is jobs and the economy, which is supported by concerns for affordable housing. Mayor Tait and her 2014-2018 council are well aware of all these issues and seem intent on focusing with good will and hard work on seeing what resolutions and improvements might be attained. ~ WSV Editor
Monday, January 9 ~ SOOKE. Some Canada 150 banners to help perk up the town core area in Sooke during 2017 were approved for purchase by Sooke Council this evening. Up to $10,000 will spent on the banners and their installation.
The motion surfaced at council after it was announced that a grant submitted to the federal Canada 150 grant process by Elida Peers and others who were hoping to organize a Salmon Festival theme around it, had been declined.
While Councillor Ebony Logins said she felt the funding request should wait until April when other project grants come forward, Council overall realized that this is a bigger thing than just ‘one group’. Canada 150 is a celebration for the whole community.
Funds were at first going to come out of Council contingency, which Logins pointed out is only $35,000 of which $10,000 would have been a large portion. The funds will instead come out of the Sooke Program of the Arts budget (they had $10,000 left over from the cancelled Mosaic 150 project last year). ~ WSV
Monday, January 9 ~ SOOKE. Tonight’s District of Sooke Regular Council Meeting — the first of 2017 — started with a lengthy statement by Mayor Maja Tait on sort of a new year’s theme. She outlined what she felt had room for improvement over last year, and where things might head in 2017.
Tait mentioned that the three new committees that were seeking participation from the community before Christmas — to start in 2017 — were still not established. There were some public concerns that the committees seemed to be weighted heavily with Councillor members, leaving less room for public input. Tait said the previous committees (like Sooke Program of the Arts, and Parks and Trails) had done their work, indicating that Council would now have enough on their plate and basically didn’t need more promises to keep.
The next election cycle is in the offing and already gearing up. Three members of the current council — Mayor Maja Tait, and Councillors Kevin Pearson and Brenda Parkinson have all publicly stated that they will be running for Mayor in the fall of 2018. Mayor Tait needs to remain elected in order to continue her service on the UBCM executive and the BC Transit commission.
The new Sooke Fire Chief Kenn Mount (relocated here from the Shuswap region in south-central BC) was officially introduced to Council and the community. Interim Fire Chief Russ Cameron was thanked for his commitment to help out during the transition. Long-time Fire Chief Steve Sorensen left his post in summer 2016, though his official retirement completed in mid-October 2016.
Council voted for all of Mayor and Council to attend various leadership conferences in 2017. FCM will be in Ottawa, AVICC will be in Campbell River, and UBCM will be in Vancouver. Councillor Rick Kasper reiterated his position that he feels all elected officials should attend these conferences as a way to stay in touch with what is going on in other municipalities, to share and gain ideas.
While there were delegations (a form of public input) on the proposed firearms Bylaw 659 — both in support of the use of firearms by agricultural land owners — the Bylaw was not up for discussion by council this evening. It received 1st, 2nd and 3rd readings at the December 12, 2016 council meeting but council seems unsure of which way to go. They are kind of caught between a rock and a hard place (rural and urban interests in the community).
Overall, there was an odd or different energy about tonight’s meeting. Even long-timers of Sooke politics commented on it after the meeting. Trying to get 2017 off to a fresh start seems to be robust in some ways but loosely organized or faltering in others. Some of the joie de vivre that is usually in the council chambers (regardless of issues being discussed) was just not there. It was an odd start to the new year. ~ WSV Editor
Monday, January 9 ~ SOOKE. District of Sooke council will hold a Regular Council Meeting tonight, 7pm in Council Chambers.
The agenda includes public delegations (presentations) on the proposed Sooke Firearms Bylaw 659 which proposes that ALR landowners be allowed to use guns or bow and arrow to protect crops from wildlife (such as wild geese and deer). For some residents this flies in the face of public safety in the region.
Agenda and webcasting: www.sooke.ca ~ WSV
Saturday, January 7 ~ WEST SHORE of VANCOUVER ISLAND. Property sales through the Victoria Real Estate Board (VREB) MLS were steady in Dec 2016 (471 sales vs 465 in Dec 2015), and strong if compared to 283 sales in Dec 2013.
Meanwhile, inventory levels dropped by 40.7% to a low level of 1,493 active listings (vs 2,517 in Dec 2015), with all of that way down from the Dec 2013 inventory of 3,554 properties for sale. Supply has been drying up after a strong run of sales in 2016 under continued conditions of low interest rates and a race against the clock regarding stronger mortgage qualification rules for first-time buyers that came into effect October 17.
“As we expected, 2016 broke records in terms of the number of properties sold in our area,” notes Mike Nugent, outgoing 2016 VREB President. Overall property sales tallied at 10,622 in 2016, exceeding the previous high of 9,241 sales as set in 1991. Nugent adds that 25% of December 2016 sales sold over asking price, in the present-day modest price point of “up to $750,000”. In a news release Nugent stated: “Your average buyer will face a competitive market.”
Looking at single family home prices for the west side of the island (Langford, Colwood and Sooke) compared to the overall Greater Victoria area (see custom table above), in just one year all pricing is solidly up more than the average income of a Canadian worker (which is about $49,500). In fact, the year-over-year actual sales average for Langford was up almost $110,000 and in Sooke the one-year jump was over $128,000.
Note: the Benchmark HPI price is a data-adjusted figure based on criteria considered of influence upon the true value of a home. The raw sales average (shown in bold) is what people actually pay. ~ WSV Editor
Friday, January 6 ~ SOOKE. Whether or not firearms and bows with arrows can be used in the District of Sooke by agricultural land operators to protect their crops, will be heard in delegations and likely also public input at the January 9, 2017 Regular Meeting of District of Sooke Council.
There are two delegations early in the January 9 meeting agenda during which two members of the public are listed to speak to proposed Bylaw 659 that would allow the use of firearms in the District of Sooke for the protection of crops.
- A presentation by E Boucher (no first name given) is simply titled “Concerns with Proposed Bylaw 659”
- A presentation by two persons identified as “Carle and Roth” (no last names provided), is noted with this comment: “Ensuring that ALR land owners can protect livestock”
The format of this agenda differs from agendas of previous years, when more information about the delegations — including their reason for wanting to make the presentation — was publicly provided ahead of the meeting.
Public input on any agenda items is allowed at Sooke council meetings. The Public Question and Comment Period will immediately follow the above-mentioned delegations, allowing other persons to give their views on whether it is safe to allow the use of weapons in Sooke which is increasingly becoming a built-up urban area.
The proposed Bylaw 659 already passed first, second and third readings at the December 12, 2016 meeting of Sooke Council. Councillor Kevin Pearson said he voted for the motion as a way to open public debate. Councillor Brenda Parkinson was the only councillor who officially opposed the motion.
In an atypical move to not go for final approval of a Bylaw that was given 3rd reading at a previous meeting, the proposed Bylaw 659 is not listed on the agenda for Council consideration. Perhaps Council is buying more time (after hearing delegations and public input on January 9) before making a final decision.
Concerns in opposition to the proposed bylaw are for matters of public safety. Proposed Bylaw 659 would allow the use of firearms and bows with arrows at a distance of no closer than 150 meters to public buildings or areas where people might be expected to gather.
Last year some residents of Whiffin Spit wrote letters to Council saying that public safety should trump the right of people to kill animals on their property. In one case, a deer with an arrow in its head was seen making its way through a homeowner’s yard in the Whiffin Spit area, reportedly the result of an ‘incomplete kill’ at a nearby tree farm.
The entire discussion started last year after Juan de Fuca Electoral Area (JDFEA) Director Mike Hicks made a presentation to Sooke Council asking for their consideration to allow owners of agricultural land to use firearms to deal with what is apparently an increasing and troublesome population of wild geese. The geese are destroying crops. They are also contaminating the surface of the Fred Milne ball field, which has recreational implications for youth and other users. Hicks is also the Chair of the SEAPARC board.
The agenda and webcasting for Monday night’s 7pm meeting in council chambers is at www.sooke.ca ~ WSV
Thursday, January 5 ~ BC. School Districts in British Columbia are in total receiving $50 million to hire more teachers for the remainder of the 2016-2017 school year.
BC Minister of Education Mike Bernier made the announcement today, explaining that it’s up to each school district in discussions with local BC Teachers Federation (BCTF) representatives, to determine what sorts of teacher or staff support hiring will be done with the additional 2016-2017 funds. Province-wide, the $50 million will allow for the hiring of about 1,100 teachers, said Bernier.
Bernier says that the $50 million announced today comes on top of the $5.1 billion already invested in public education in BC. The $50 million is a portion of what will finally be determined in negotiations between the BC Government and BCTF.
Most school districts already know where the needs are, so the additional funds are likely welcome. The funds will be included in the 2017 provincial budget (coming in February), and so will carry forward into hiring considerations for school boards in 2017-2018.
The funds issued at this time are in response to the Supreme Court of Canada decision that reversed a decision made by the BC Government in 2002 that effectively cut back on teachers and funds available for schools to operate over the past 15 years. Since 2002 the continued cutbacks have impacted not only the teachers but the entire delivery of education in BC, as school boards were obliged to find all available funding (including teacher salaries) from per-pupil funding ratio revenues and other miscellaneous revenue sources.
In Sooke School District 62 (SD62) — which serves families and students in Langford, Colwood, Sooke, Highlands, Metchosin, Juan de Fuca and Port Renfrew — about 14 teachers (full time equivalents) will likely be hired pending discussions with the Sooke Teachers Association on January 6, says SD62 Superintendent Jim Cambridge.
Cambridge says that in SD62 the additional funds will probably be used to hire additional secondary school teachers, as well as additional special needs support for the elementary schools. He identified those as top priorities. He also mentioned the options of hiring educational assistants (EAs), additional half-time teachers for full classrooms, teacher-librarians and counsellors.
Monday, January 2, 2017 ~ SOOKE. The Weather Network shows sustained winds (and gusting) in the Sooke area through today and overnight to Tuesday.
Winds are being generated from within a polar cold air mass reaching us from over the mainland, instead of being the warmer Pacific air streams that we often appreciate in our Vancouver Island winters.
Winds are from the northeast gusting around 43 km/h or higher this morning, sustaining through tonight. This makes the wind chill soooo cold! Wind chill is -8°C at the moment, and getting colder by evening. Bundling up is a good idea if you’re venturing outdoors.
If you put out your bluebox recycling today in these winds, check that all those bits of paper aren’t flying around the neighbourhood!
Check out the SOOKE weather updates anytime on the Weather Network website, or via our WEATHER page.
Sunday, January 1, 2017 ~ South VANCOUVER ISLAND. About 1,988 BC Hydro customers in the south Vancouver Island area were without power this afternoon. And while some customers saw power restored, others lost power: still 1,502 had no power as of 11 pm this evening.
There was some light snowfall last night, with trees down on wires in some cases. Temperatures have been hovering around zero since last night. Wind speed picked up mid-evening.
AFTERNOON (2pm): Although the weather is calm and skies are bright, around 1:15 pm 673 customers lost power west of Otter Point Road in the Sooke area; also in the Sooke area about 135 customers lost power around Belvista Place. In the Highlands/Langford area 674 customers are without power west of Millstream Road. Power is also out for some customers on Ganges and in Duncan.
EVENING (11pm): At 11 pm tonight there were still 1,502 BC Hydro billing customers without power (that’s about 4,500 people). That includes 115 in Metchosin, a few in Langford, 828 in the West Coast Road area west of Sooke, 107 in the Blythwood/Woodlands area east of Sooke, 384 in the Lochside Drive area of Saanich, and a few on Galiano Island.
Updates: www.bchydro.com
Sunday, January 1, 2017. The Mayor’s Levee at the District of Sooke council chambers today was well attended. Mayor Maja Tait and Councillors Kevin Pearson, Brenda Parkinson and Kerrie Reay were in attendance along with many community leaders and many folks from around town.
The annual levee is a traditional event where the community can chat casually with the mayor and council. This year there was a light covering of snow in town to add that ‘new year’ feel to the event.
Entertainment was provided by the Sooke Naden Band as well as local singer Janet McTavish and guitarist.
There were light refreshments. The event was held from 10 am to 12 noon.
After this event some people headed to the Polar Bear Swim at Whiffin Spit for noon, or to the Sooke Legion levee that started at noon. [Photos by West Shore Voice News]
Sunday, January 1, 2017 ~ South VANCOUVER ISLAND. About 1,988 BC Hydro customers in the south Vancouver Island area are without power this afternoon. There was some light snowfall last night, with trees down on wires in some cases. Temperatures have been hovering around zero since last night.
Although the weather is calm and skies are bright, around 1:15 pm 673 customers lost power west of Otter Point Road in the Sooke area; also in the Sooke area about 135 customers lost power around Belvista Place.
In the Highlands/Langford area 674 customers are without power west of Millstream Road. Power is also out for some customers on Ganges and in Duncan. Updates: www.bchydro.com
Thursday, December 29 ~ Looking to new year’s eve. The weather forecast for Sooke by The Weather Network for Dec 31 is with temperatures falling to -2°C at night, and back up only to 0°C during the day on January 1, 2017. There is only a 10% chance of rain/snow, according to the forecast.
A Canada 150 fireworks celebration will be held at the Victoria Inner Harbour that evening. Festivities start at 5 pm, with fireworks scheduled for 9 pm. See details on our Vancouver Island subpage.
In Sooke, Mayor Maja Tait and Council will host a levee on New Year’s Day, Sunday January 1, from 10 am to 12 noon in Council chambers, 2225 Otter Point Road. Everyone welcome, and families are invited to bring their children along too.