Makerspace opens in Sooke

Thursday, November 29 ~ SOOKE

by Mary P Brooke and Chelsea Kirkpatrick

On Tuesday evening November 27, the new Makerspace within Edward Milne Community School in Sooke held an upbeat grand opening.

About 30 people attended to cheer on Sooke Mayor Maja Tait, EMCS Principal Laura Fulton, and EMCS Coordinators Anne Bell and Ebony Logins as they did the ribbon-cutting.

Sew things, build things, print things. It is an equipped place where skills can be learned and shared and the inter-generational transfers of skills can be fostered.

The Sooke Makerspace organized by the EMCS Society consists of a workshop, computer and electronics lab, tech shop, and arts and crafts space. Conventional tools and equipment as well as cutting-edge technology such as 3-D printers and a CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machine are available for use.

The facility is a good fit with the resilience and self-sufficient temperament of the Sooke community, Makerspace is a membership community workshop where people can share ideas, take classes, and use tools and equipment they likely don’t have at home to build and craft.

This project was initiated by a small group of local residents. Seed funding of $75,000 was provided by a donor through United Way Greater Victoria.

Any monetary donations to the Makerspace will be matched by United Way Greater Victoria. Call 250-220-3875 for more details. Donations are also being accepted of good quality tools and equipment – call 250-642-6371 for details.

The Makerspace is open varying hours – check the website www.emcsprograms.ca/makerspace for upcoming workshops.

A variety of membership options include $15 for drop-in; $35/month: Month-to-Month Membership; $30/month: Monthly Membership ($180 Paid Semi-Annually); $25/month: Annual Membership ($300 Paid Annually); and $95 Punch Pass (10 Visits.)

Community workshops will be available for children, youth, adults, and seniors.

Makerspace will provide shared work space, tools, equipment and materials, and inspiration to line up with the interests, ideas, creativity, and effort of users of the space.

Items for use in the shop include various hand and power tools, ShoptBot Desktop CNC with Vcarve Pro 9.012 ShoptBot Edition software, Prusa 3D Printer, sawtop table saw, planer, joiner, drill press, band saw and miscellaneous items such as a moisture meter, combination squares, measuring tapes, drop cloths, dust masks, heat guns, and more!

And in the textiles room: Sewing Machines, sergers, quilting machine, and glue guns.

An electronic/robotics room is still in the works.

Makerspace welcomes donations to enable various equipment acquisitions: laser cutter, 3D printers, screen printer, and more!