Friday October 4, 2024 | SOOKE, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
The unveiling of a revitalized mural that celebrates cultural heritage and renewal in Sooke took place on this rainy Friday morning in the center of town.
But the skies cleared and there was bright sunshine during the event.
The mural recognizes a special place in history on the traditional territory of the T’Sou-ke Nation.
A piece of local history has been reborn on the north wall of Heritage Row, a building facing Otter Point Road adjacent to Cafe VOSINO (formerly known as The Stick in the Mud Coffee House) on Eustace Road. It’s across from the Sooke Legion Branch 54.
Celebrating forestry and looking forward:
Originally installed in the 1990s by Bill Dixon, the mural there once depicted the Sooke community’s logging heritage. Starting around 2007 the town’s economy shifted fairly rapidly to a dependence on tourism along with rapid housing growth of a more urbanized style.
Today at 11 am project partners including members of the T’Sou-ke First Nation, Mosaic Forest Management and the District of Sooke met to unveil a revitalized mural that celebrates the forest-town history while embracing the future of a fast-growing west coast island community.
District of Sooke Mayor Maja Tait described the unveiling as a moment of reflection and celebration, marking the culmination of months of collaborative effort.
Remarks were also delivered by an elder of the T’Sou-ke First Nation, and special guests including artists Diego Navarez and Shelley Davies, and representatives from the T’Sou-ke Nation and Mosaic Forest Management.
Highlights of the moment:
- Unveiling of the mural, symbolizing the collaboration and community — honouring Sooke’s past and celebrating the town’s future.
- A blanketing ceremony to honour a T’Sou-ke Elder and the mural artists.
- The vibrant mural itself, capturing a blend of Sooke’s historical and forward-looking identity.
Who was there:
About 80 people attended the outdoor event.
This is a provincial election season and there were people there to capture this moment of historical change in Sooke including BC Green candidate David Evans, former Green candidate David Merner, Annemieke Holthuis of the Sooke Region Community Health Network.
District of Sooke Councillors Jeff Bateman and Tony St Pierre attended as well as environmental supporter Sinclair Phillip. Rose Dumont of T’Sou-ke First Nation attended.
Photos and further details to come.
===== RELATED:
NEWS SECTIONS: POLITICS | BC ELECTION 2024 | SOOKE REGION