Saturday, May 4, 2019 ~ SOOKE
~ by Mary P Brooke, West Shore Voice News
The Knox Centre on Church Road in Sooke has 42 rental units, now lived in by families and seniors. It’s a modern, affordable rental building with up to date energy efficiencies.
The backstory is about 11 years in the making, as the church group (Knox Presbyterian) became the developer and journeyed through many chapters including dealing with zoning and building permits from the District of Sooke, getting various taxes and levies waived.
Waived fees included development cost charges and permit fees by the District of Sooke amounting to $208,000, and Sooke School District 62 (SD62) waiving $23,000 in Sooke Site Acquisition Charges which was controversial and was not a unanimous decision as it utilized education-related fees. Other funding came from applying for provincial grants, and other fundraising that ultimately led to the official on-site celebration on April 26, 2019 hosted by the Premier of BC.
Premier John Horgan (who as MLA for Langford-Juan de Fuca has Sooke in his riding) said the Knox Centre is part of his government’s work to make life more affordable for everyone in BC.
“For years, too many families and seniors in Sooke and throughout the province have struggled to find safe homes with rents they could afford. Our government is making different choices that put people first,” Horgan told the gathered crowd that Friday afternoon outdoors behind the Knox building.
The building at 2110 Church Road resulted from a partnership of the Province, Knox Presbyterian Church, Knox Vision Society, and the District of Sooke. Knox Vision Society is operating the five-storey building (residential space is above the main level which has a cafe space for lease, church office, and community amenity space with kitchen and lounge). The Society was established by the church in 2008 to help the community address the need for affordable housing. The church provided the land for the development, valued at about $1.3 million.
“This decade-long project has been a labour of love by committed parishioners,” said long-time Sooke resident Eleanor Shambrook, chair, Knox Vision Society. Everyone went the extra mile including the architect and building contractor who carried additional financing charges while the project was delayed and made a point of hiring local contractors. Reverend Gordon Kouwenberg said it was built by prayer.
Ceremonial ribbon-cutting to officially open the Knox Centre affordable housing building on Church Street in Sooke. Clowning it up in the back row with a ‘joyful noise’ were (from left): Premier John Horgan and Knox Presbyterian Reverend Gordon Kouwenberg. Front row (from left): T’Sou-ke Chief Gordon Planes, Knox Vision Society Chair Eleanor Shambrook, District of Sooke Mayor Maja Tait, and Knox Vision Society vice-chair MJ Whitemarsh.
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This article was first published (in a more condensed version) on page 5 in the April 26/May 3 combo edition of West Shore Voice News.