Thursday April 24, 2025 | SOOKE, BC [Posted at 3:53 pm] Updated April 26, 2025
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Things can get heated during election campaigns. Opinions, viewpoints and expectations can escalate.
There have been reports of an on Tuesday April 22 in Sooke where there was an altercation over campaign issues or signage. Someone was approached or accosted when trying to intervene.
According to someone who works in the area, it happened at the big bench out front of VOS INO cafe on Eustace Road in Sooke (near Sooke Community Hall).
Reportedly the person causing the damage and/or intense actions was a Conservative Party volunteer or campaign worker who interacted with some veterans and some staff from the nearby Pharmasave who are cafe customers.
It happened to Paul:
Local long-time Sooke resident and veteran Paul McTavish filed a complaint with Sooke RCMP. Here are some details from McTavish, who is a regular at the VOSINO Cafe.
“I have the video of him slapping the coffee out of my hand and being belligerent and trying to hit me with his SUV and he tried side swiping me and I defensively put my elbow up and hit his mirror. It started with him being disrespectful to the ladies at Pharamasve that work in the back as he parked in their loading zone and the lady asked him can you please move. He said back “fine I will be here an hour” and then the ladies said he can be towed and he again said “I will be here for 3 hours”. He plants a Grant Cool (Conservative) sign and a friend of mine made a joke that he put the sign in front of the No Parking sign,” says McTavish.
“He bolts out of his truck and confronts me, now he is a big strong looking fella, who is obvious that he is a bully and I stood up to him.” said McTavish in a message to Island Social Trends. “He slaps the coffee out of my hand and people step in between and he gets back into his vehicle. I walked to the end of the little shelter there to take a picture of his license plate and he aimed his vehicle at me,” says McTavish.
“I took a defensive stance to hit his car if he hit me. He gets out and calls us a bunch of liberals (sic) and then drives off trying to side-swipe me with his car and I knock his mirror,” says McTavish.
“Then he went to the police and the police showed up and we gave statements and showed them the video.”
Who and what:
The name of the person reportedly causing the altercation is apparently unknown. According to the local Conservative candidate’s campaign representative the person is unknown to their campaign.
Cool campaign:
The Conservative candidate for Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke is Grant Cool.
The candidate’s official agent is Bert Chen who says they’ve asked among their campaign team and no one has self-identified as the person described by the victim.
The Cool campaign has filed a complaint with the Sooke RCMP.
Candidates in Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke:
The four major party candidates in Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke are Grant Cool (Conservative), Stephanie McLean (Liberal), Maja Tait (NDP) and Ben Homer-Dixon (Green).
The riding covers a wide area of Greater Victoria and beyond, including Esquimalt, Colwood, View Royal, Sooke, Metchosin, Juan de Fuca up to Jordan River, and parts of Saanich as well as a few First Nations.
NDP candidate Maja Tait (a long-time municipal councillor and Mayor) released a comment on April 26, saying that “violence and threats have no place in our politics”.
“Anyone who knows Paul knows just how much he’s contributed to our community as a respected veteran and friend. I truly hope he’s okay and that this issue is dealt with promptly,” said Tait in a statement on NDP letterhead.
“There’s a lot at stake in this election — I am feeling the weight of it as well,” said Tait. “But while some seek to divide us, our strength comes from unity.”
Sooke RCMP:
Island Social Trends inquired on April 24 with Sooke RCMP about this incident. Any response that is received will be in updates to this article.
More to come.
===== RELATED:
NEWS SECTIONS: SOOKE | FEDERAL ELECTION 2025