Reverse order by date. I've found that organizing my thoughts with related links for further reference is essential for this aging, routinely distracted, rather overloaded mind (yes, I did my Wordle this morning, got it in four.). It's also something of a community service, I believe, as I'm doing my learning in public and hopefully providing something of value for my colleagues and our successors. My views and perspective keep evolving (as with us all I was so encouraged to discover years ago when first learning about neuroplasticity.) Please dive in if and as you wish. 

(Local Government 101 education and refresh here and here.) 

* AVICC Convention 2025 (April 10, 2025) 
* Economic Development and Land Use Committees Pre-Launch Edition (March 30, 2025)
* Arts File - CRD, West Shore, Sooke (March 20, 2025) 
* School District #62 (March 12, 2025)
​* Calling 911 On (Seeming) Provincial Downloads (March 8, 2025) 
​* Promise and Potential: Sooke Region Tourism (March 2, 2025) 
​* The Road to Referendum (Feb. 23, 2025) 
​* Bill 44 Update: SSMHU Redux (Feb. 17, 2025) 
* Budget 2025 (Jan. 19, 2025) 
​* Twenty Five Years: District Anniversary (Dec. 7, 2024) 
​* Vote! (Oct. 8, 2024) 
* Preparing for the UBCM 2024 Convention (Aug. 28, 2024) 
* Hwy 14: Condensed & Updated (June 13, 2024) 
* Hwy 14 Revisited: Congestion & Safety Edition (March-June, 2024) 
* CRD’s Proposed Transportation Authority (May 23, 2024) 
* Budget 2024 (Feb. 28, 2024) 
* Living With BC’s New Housing Regulations (Feb. 27, 2024)
​* Responding to Homelessness In Sooke (Feb. 2, 2024) 
* Dealing With Our Own Biosolids in the CRD (Jan. 31, 2024) 
* Sooke Food Security (Oct. 25, 2023)
* UBCM 2023 Convention (Sept. 14, 2023)
* Wildfire Season and Disaster Preparedness (Aug. 22, 2023)
​* Council's Last Call This Summer (July 24, 2023)
​* Patience and Process: Back to the OCP (June 18, 2023)
​* Building/Developing Sooke (May 30, 2023)
* CRD Overview 2023 (May 12, 2023)
​* Housing 101: Preparing for the UBCM Housing Summit (March 31, 2023)
* Budget 2023 Starter: Police, Fire, Climate Action (March 15, 2023)
* Sooke Policing Overview (Jan. 12, 2023) 
* Sooke Selfie: Census 2021 Snapshot (Dec. 21, 2022) 
* Service Agreements: Supporting Sooke Community Organizations (Dec. 12, 2022) 
* #Sooke Gathering Places & Spaces (Dec. 2, 2022) 
* R/x for Sooke Health Care (Nov. 28, 2022) 
* Sooke Lions Centre: Paws & Reflect (Nov. 26, 2022) 
* Years In Review: 2018-22 (Oct. 13, 2022)
* All Candidates Meeting Speaking Notes (Oct. 12, 2022)
* Bathroom Reading: Sooke Sewers (updated: Oct. 8, 2022 & March 29, 2023) 
* Campaign 2022 Q&A Responses (Oct. 5, 2022) 
* OCP Public Hearing Preview (Sept. 27, 2022) 
* Next Step for the Official Community Plan (Sept. 7, 2022) 
* Sparking #Sooke Community Development (Aug. 31, 2022)
* Our Up-Sooke-Sized Building Boom (Aug. 26, 2022)
* Highway 14 Revisited: Summer 2022 Edition (Jul. 22, 2022) 
* BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag) Sooke (May 12, 2022)
* Opening Day + Saga of the Sooke Library (Feb. 25, 2022)
* District 101: Facts & Figures from the Citizen Budget Survey (Nov. 30, 2021)
* Budget 2022 (Nov. 25, 2021)
* Draft OCP: My Appreciative Inquiry (Oct. 20, 2021)
* Addressing Homelessness (Visible, Invisible, Pending) in the Sooke Region (Oct. 15, 2021)
* Help Wanted: Interim Climate Action Coordinator (Oct. 12, 2021)
* OCP Update - Fall 2021 (Sept. 4, 2021)
* Paws In Ponds Corridor (July 26, 2021)
* Proposal: Sooke Lions Community Centre in the Park (July 9, 2021)
* Sooke Elder's Complex (aka Gathering Place) Update (June 21, 2021)
* Back to Basics: Food & Shelter Essentials (June 15, 2021)
* State of Sooke's Youth Nation (March 15, 2021) 
* Climate Action: Link Frenzy! - Sooke, Regional, Provincial, National, Global (Feb. 24, 2021)
* Context for Sooke Climate Action (Feb. 19, 2021)
* Help Wanted: Sooke Committees Update (Jan. 24, 2021) 
* What's Next for Sooke's Evolving Road, Sidewalk and Roundabout Network (Jan. 20, 2021)
* Sooke Fiscal 2021 and the BC Restart Fund (Nov. 22, 2020)
* Team OCP: Introducing the Advisory Committee (Aug. 8, 2020) 
* Parks & Transportation Masterplans (July 13, 2020) 
* Burning Issue: Fire Protection Services Bylaw (May 19, 2020)
* Masterplanning Sooke's Smart Growth: OCP Preview (Dec. 20, 2019) 
* The CRD Share of Your #Sooke Tax Bill (Nov. 13, 2019)
* $$$ (Start of a New Five-Year Financial Plan Cycle) (July 29, 2019)
* Climate Cha-Changes (May 17, 2019)
* Notes from Local Government Leadership Academy Seminars (April 10, 2019)
* Climate Change, Pot Shops and Four Lanes (April 7, 2019)
* Highway 14 Revisited: Spring 2019 Edition (March 29, 2019)
* Timbites Sooke (March 26, 2019) 
* Calling All Monopines: Cell Phone Towers (Jan. 27, 2019)
* Seeking Solutions in Saseenos: Lewers/Driver 2 (Jan. 16, 2019)
* X homes + Y people + Z cars = ? (Dec. 18, 2018)
* Council Report: 5 Hours, 47 Minutes Later (Dec. 6, 2018)
* Fresh Paint, Familiar Refrain for Sooke Road (Nov. 17, 2018)
* Learning Curve: Council Dynamics & Respectful Workplaces: Orientation Session (Nov. 6, 2018)
* Proposal: A Forest and the Trees Bylaw (Oct. 16, 2018)
* Verbateman Answers to the Voice News (Oct. 15, 2018)
* Fire Department Overview (Oct. 15, 2018)
* Me & Ms. Reay (Oct. 14, 2018)
* Quoting Myself: All Candidates Debate (Oct. 12, 2018)
* Lemons = Non-Conforming Lemonade: Lewers/Driver 1 (Oct. 11, 2018)
* Thoughts on the Arts (Oct. 10, 2018)
* Zero Waste Version of My 2018 Brochure (Oct. 8, 2018)
* Campaign 2018: Back to the Blog (Oct. 8, 2018)
* No More Tankers: A National Energy Board Submission (Oct. 4, 2018)
* Tonight @ Council (April 13, 2015)
* My CGI Dreams for Sooke (April 13, 2015)
* It Takes A Community (Nov. 11, 2014)
* Looking Glass: Sooke News Mirror Q&A (Nov. 6, 2014)
* Cycling Forward (Nov. 3, 2014)
* Sooke Voice News Questionnaire (Oct. 29, 2014)
* CFAX Candidates Survey: My Responses (Oct. 20, 2014)
* More on the Subjective Sooke News (Oct. 13, 2014)
* The Good (Oct. 9, 2014)
​* First Thoughts (Oct. 6, 2014) 
​

The annual Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities convention is April 11-13 in Nanaimo. It was held here in Sooke once (2013 at the Prestige) but otherwise largely switches back and forth between Victoria and Nanaimo. (My ongoing pilgrim's progress as an elected representative has benefitted immensely from these conventions and their workshops, forums, trade show meet-and-greets and networking opportunities starting with my first AVICC in 2019 in Powell River. Securing a large enough convention space is the critical factor that prevents most municipal, regional district and First Nation members from hosting.) 

AVICC comprises 55 member governments and represents 380 elected officials on Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, qathet, North Coast and Central Coast. It is one of five area associations operating through the Union of BC Municipalities. 

* Convention Program 2025
* Resolution Package 2025
* Resolution Backgrounders 
* Resolution Archive (1996 to present)

2024/2025 Executive
Councillor Ben Geselbracht, City of Nanaimo, President
Director Vanessa Craig, RD of Nanaimo, 1st Vice President
Councillor Sarah Fowler, Village of Tahsis, 2nd Vice President
Director Travis Hall, Central Coast RD, Director at Large
Councillor Will Cole-Hamilton, City of Courtenay, Director at Large
Councillor Tanille Johnston, City of Campbell River, Director at Large
Director Penny Cote, Alberni-Clayoquot RD, Past President
Director Donna McMahon, Sunshine Coast RD, Electoral Area Representative

Theresa Dennison, AVICC Executive Coordinator

Convention Highlights
* Community Health Care Solutions (Fri. 9:30 AM)
* Convention opens (Fri. 2 PM) 
* Keynote: Journalists Keith Baldry and Vaughn Palmer: BC Political Pulse (Fri. 2:30 PM)
* Minister of Health Josie Osborne (Fri. 4:10 PM)
* E-Comm 911 Update (Fri. 4:25 PM)
* Plenary Session: Regional District Legislation: A Roadmap (Fri. 4:30 PM)

* Redefining Regional and Community Economic Development (Sat. 7:30 AM) 
* Resolutions Session #1 (Sat. 8:45 AM)
* UBCM President Trish Mandewo (Sat. 9:35 AM) 
* Resolutions Session #2 (Sat. 10:55 AM)
* Urban Matters seminar (Sat. 1:30 PM)
* Community Housing Solutions (Sat. 3 PM) 
* Amplify Climate Solutions Through Regional Collaboration (Sat. 3 PM) 

* Federation of Canadian Municipalities update (Sun. 8:50 AM)
​* Meeting Rules and Responsible Governance with Eli Mina (Sun. 9 AM) 
* Resolutions Session #3 (Sun. 11 AM) 
* New AVICC Executive welcomed (Sun. 11:50 AM) 

Community Healthcare Solutions 
Island Health's Dr. Reka Gustafson 
- re: substance use strategies and alcohol reduction policies
- District of Tofino Municipal Alcohol Policy - Events (2021) + Port Alberni begins work on its policy (2025)
- in terms of substance abuse, we are at same place as we were with cancer research in the 1930s 
- the current narrative stigmatizes because it considers substance use a moral failing. No substance is morally good or bad. The new narrative starts by understanding this is part of the human experience 
- compassion and creation of supports can minimize impacts 

Community Action Initiative
- Andrea Derban 
- Dedicated to catching people upstream before they call into substance-use spiral which is rooted in trauma and early development issues 
- Local Leadership United - local governments supported by CAI and federal government + key messages 
- 2023/24 Annual Report 

Cowichan Community Action Team
- Connected to the Our Cowichan Community Health Network
- Duncan village project inception, design, execution with support of First Nations, local government, non-profits and now 200 members of this action team + The Village, located at 610 Trunk Rd. in Duncan, is owned by BC Housing and operated by Lookout Housing and Health Society - 34 modular sleeping cabins for people in transition from homelessness, and wraparound services are provided 24 hours a day.
- Creation of a village environment designed with direct involvement of PWLLE has provided simple dignity and human needs, reducing costs to Duncan's policing and health-care system
- next step is a Village 2.0 or Vision For Wellness approach for the village with goal of reaching hidden crisis as identified in the 2021 BC Coroner's Report -- primarily young men (often trade workers) who are addicted to pain medication. 
- Mid-term (5-10 years) objective: Purchase of development sites for Supported Housing (two 50-70 unit buildings) and Transitional (aka Second Stage) housing, both with "trauma-informed, culturally grounded treatment and daily support services"+ "investments in affordable housing as per Duncan's Housing Needs Assessment for workforce and low-income families and seniors." 

BC Nurses Union
- Presentation by Caitlin Jarvis, South Island Region
- Half of BC nurses are under 40, 90% are women  
- Local governments can help with nurse retention and recruitment through housing, child care, transportation and recreation incentives. 
​- Minimum nurse-to-patient ratios and recruitment/retention announced by the Province on March 1 
​- Ratios Save Lives website 
- BC to become first jurisdiction in the world to have a staffing standard of one nurse for every four patients in medical/surgical units 24/7/365, thus increasing quality of care, lowering readmission rates and minimizing burn-out of nurses. (California and Australia saw nursing numbers grow when ratios introduced; inactive and early retiree nurses returned to work; 67% say they are more likely to carry on with ratios in place.) 
- $237m in new recruitment funding to continuing growing the number of BC nurses (6,567 nurses newly registered in 2023) + BC Health Workforce Strategy (2023) + First Year Accountability Report 
- Canadian Federation of Nurses' Union's "All In For Public Health Care" federal election campaign 

Fair Care Alliance 
- Advocating for enhanced health services from north of the Malahat to Port Hardy (population 460k vs. 445k on the south island)
​- The issues - half the island's population gets 1/5th of the resources; patients from north of the Malahat necessarily must be treated at the VGH and Royal Jubilee, making this a south island issue as well. 
- Addressing three key systemic failures: "1. Van Isle's healthcare issues are not isolated but are part of a larger systemic problem; 2. Long wait times, staff shortages and patient transfers stem from the way the system is designed, managed and funded; and 3. These issues are deeply rooted in the structure of the healthcare system rather than being temporary or one-off problems." 
- One tertiary hospital in Nanaimo (346 beds) vs. two in Greater Victoria (844 beds) 
- No cardiac clinic, no cath lab 
- Nanaimo Regional Health District objectives - primary: new north tower at Nanaimo General; business case required before being budgeted by the Province 
- Cancer centre announced for Nanaimo (April 2024) 

​- Context: Health Capital Projects In BC (March 2025) includes in the Island Health Region  ... 
* Long-term care homes in Colwood (Royal Bay, 306 beds), Campbell River (153) and Nanaimo (306) 
* Cowichan District Hospital replacement (204 beds) + affiliated housing for 60 nurses in training 
* Nanaimo Intensive Care Unit (12 beds) 

Comments from Minister of Health Josie Osborne 
- Five months into the job, "drinking from a firehouse" analogy 
- Challenges across system, notably rural, remote and indigenous communities 
- Solutions arise when Province, local governments and First Nations collaborate
- Significant progress with First Nations Primary Health Centre Centres, another 11 of which will open this year (three on Vancouver Island, T'Sou-ke included); navigators to aid FN patients access the system are proving essential 

- health care worker recruitment and retention a funded priority; example of two new doctors lured to Port Hardy, keeping ER open for longer hours and enjoying north island lifestyle 
- Team-based care at Sidney's Shoreline Medical Clinic is an inspiring example, she said 

- toxic drug crisis requires focus on treatment, recovery and aftercare 
- new detox centres for indigenous youth opened last year in Lantzville and on Quadra Island 

- "do not give up on advocating for your communities - we are listening and acting" 
- promise of more healthcare workers emigrating to Canada from US 
- recruitment campaign set for Washington state, Oregon and California with upbeat messaging re: working in a public, universal healthcare system where patients are treated with equity and respect

​- 250k British Columbians connected to doctors last year through the Health Connect Registry  
- Kudos to Colwood Medical Clinic, municipally owned and staffed by an eventual team of seven physicians hired and paid by the City of Colwood; other examples in Cumberland and Comox Valley. Commitment not to poach doctors from other communities but to recruit from outside BC.  
- 



2025 Resolutions 
Regional Resolutions 
R1 Addressing Local Community Concerns with Private Managed Forest Lands (Cowichan Valley RD) 
- Ministry of Forests to implement the delayed Private Managed Forest Land Program Review 
- Reform the Private Managed Forest Lands Act to ensure lands are ecologically managed as a community watersheds
- AVICC has traditionally called on province to regulate private forest lands as it does crown lands 

R2 Island Rail Corridor (Alberni Clayoquot RD) 
- Province to restore and upgrade the east-west rail link between Port Alberni and Parksville for use in event of wildfire or highway closure

R3 Power Supply Investment North Island (Port Hardy) 
- Upgrade the North Island power supply to support industries transitioning to aquaculture, mining exploration and green energy projects 
- remote community electrification subject of a half dozen AVICC resolutions over the years 

Resolutions - Endorsed 
Health and Social Development 
R4 Mental Health and Addictions Resources (Parksville) 
- Improved resourcing and facilities for youth (18-28) mental health and addictions 

R5 Volunteer Fire Department Funding Model (Sunshine Coast) 
- Support for rural and remote volunteer fire departments via BC Hydro, BC Ambulance and ICBC 

Community Safety 
R6 Fire Inspections and Investigations 
- support for rural communities now required to hire fire investigators/inspectors under the new Fire Safety Act 

Environment 
R7 Non-Migratory Resident Canada Geese (Metchosin) 
- goose cull program to reduce numbers on the South Island (now approx. 10k) 

R8 Financial Incentives for Residential Rainwater Catchment Systems (Tofino) 
- Rebates and/or financial incentives for residential rainwater catchment systems 
- previous resolutions have focused on agricultural
- aligns with earlier AVICC calls for e-vehicles, building retrofits, energy efficient appliances 

R9 Conserving BC Landfill Capacity (Nanaimo RD) 
- request that the Province double-down on waste reduction, material reuse and recycling (i.e. circular economy) 

R10 Sustainable Funding for Landfill Gas Regulation Compliance (Comox Valley RD)
- new provincial regulations require infrastructure upgrades, specialized training, monitoring
- small governments need financial support 

R11 Legislating the BC Coastal Marine Strategy (Langford and Saanich) 
- Enshrine the BC Coastal Marine Strategy into law 

R12 Provincial Circular Economy Strategy (Nanaimo RD) 
- request that Clean BC's circular economy ambitions be actioned via a Circular Economy Strategy 

R13 Sustainable Funding for Small Water Systems (Comox Valley RD) 
- funding for water treatment systems and operationalization for small communities 

Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation 
R14 Funding Indigenous Government Engagement in Local Government Planning (Cowichan Valley RD) 

Finance
R15 Sustainable Growing Communities Fund (Parksville and Nanaimo RD) 
- Sustained annual funding for infrastructure projects as per the 2022 one-time funding from the Province 

Taxation 
R16 BC Port Tax Cap (North Coast RD) 

Transportation 
R17 EV Charging Strategy for Remote Communities 

R18 Support and Resourcing for Active Transportation Projects (Cowichan Valley RD) 

R19 BC Ferry Advisory Committees (North Coast RD) 

R20 Emergency Road Network Planning (Sunshine Coast RD) 

Legislative
R21 Provincially Funded WorkSafe BC (Village of Daajing Giids)

R22 Provincial Consultation on Legislative Changes (Parksville) 

Community Economic Development 
R23 Forestry Industry and Fibre Decline (Port Alberni) 


Resolutions - No Recommendation 
Health and Social Development 
R24 Mental Health Support for Elected Officials (Islands Trust) 
- given toxic civil discourse, mental health supports needed beyond optional insurance coverage 

R25 Free Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy for Postpartum Care (Langford) 
- request province support physiotherapists, midwives and nurse practitioners in providing equitable services 
- outside scope of local government jurisdiction 

R26 Child Care Licensing Regulations (Oak Bay) 
- Modify Child Care LIcensing Regulation to allow trained individuals under age of 19 to deliver after-school-care for school-age children 

Housing 
R27 Tiny Homes and RVs (Nanaimo RD) 
- Province to advocate for and incentivize distinctions in codes between tiny homes on wheels and motorized vehicles, towable RVs and temporary small trailers; and to create a new category specific to RV's certified for permanent occupancy. 
- Province to advocate for changes in National Building Code to recognize and define tiny homes as an allowable dwelling unit, then update Part 9 of the BC Building Code accordingly 

R28 Mandatory Good Neighbour Agreement (Sechelt) 
- All supportive housing and shelter operators to enter into Good Neighbour Agreement (GNA) with local governments to clarify expectations regarding community impact, security measures, ongoing engagement with government and residents. [Our Place's Don McTavish shared the organization's Good Neighbour Agreement at a recent Alliance to End Homelessness Health & Housing Committee meeting. Essential, said Fran Hunt-Jinnouchi of the Aboriginal Coalition, given how NIMBYs and other mean-spirited critics will take every opportunity to "double-shun" (i.e. stigmatize all the more) supportive shelters and their residents.]
​
Community Safety 
R29 Province-Wide Ban on Fireworks (Metchosin) 
- Similar resolution was defeated in 2005. Other resolutions have asked for regulation of the use and sale of fireworks, public education, enforcement, and cost recovery where loss can be attributed to the use or abuse of fireworks. 

R30 Fire Resilient Forest Practices (Nanaimo RD) 
- ensure that wildfire interface zones with a 3km radius of nearby communities be "fire-resistant, resilient, biodiverse forests" ~ monoculture coniferous tree farms more susceptible to wildfire, unlike deciduous forests. 

R31 Sharing Fentanyl Precursors Information with Law Enforcement (Qualicum Beach) 
- request for the Province to share information with local authorities in a timely manner re: the trade in percursor chemicals used in production of fentanyl 

R32 Major Planned Events Advocacy (Comox Valley RD) 
- Cost recovery considerations for local government public safety and emergency services related to "major planned events." 

R33 Provincial Disaster Debris Plan (Nanaimo RD) 
- Establishment of a province-wide disaster debris management plan that would provide logistical, financial and operational support for local governments responding to multiple potential issues, i.e. wildfire debris clean-up in riparian areas. (see Province's Debris Waste Management Guidance document re: flood debris.) 


Environment 
R34 Hybrid Wolfdogs (Nanaimo RD) 
- Prohibit the breeding and keeping of mixed domestic dogs and Canis lupus (wolf) hybrids. Article on this Nanaimo RD motion. 

R35 Provincial Support for Addressing Feral Rabbits (Saanich) 
- Province to develop a strategy to address root causes of feral rabbit abandonment + Feb. 2025 article 

R36 Provincial Waste Hauler Licensing (Nanaimo RD)
- Need for better data on waste sent to landfills within a regional district so as to inform efficiency of Solid Waste Management Plans (likely a response to CRD shipments of biosolids to Cassidy, BC) 

R37 Solid Waste Management Approvals (Nanaimo RD) 
- Ensuring that provincially approved Solid Waste Management Plans are in effect for full 10-year legislative lifespan without need for additional approvals to pursue policy actions identified in said plan. 

Finance 
R38 Infrastructure and Capital Projects Requiring Elector Approval (City of Nanaimo) 
- Expand the Community Charter criteria for types of infrastructure and capital projects funded through borrowing without elector approval. Previous resolutions have sought removal of drinking water upgrades and fire-fighting equipment from AAP or referendum requirements, especially when ordered the Province. 
 
R39 Improvement Districts Policy Revision (qathet RD) 
- The Province's Improvement District Governance policy requires updating + Conversion Guide (2004) + Trustees Guidebook (2012). Near-by example: Kemp Lake Water Works District. 

Land Use 
R40 Private Managed Forest Lands (Nanaimo RD)
- Implement recommendations from local governments and First Nations during the 2019 Private Managed Forest Land Program review + What We Heard report (see pg. 66). 

Transportation 
R41 Transit Fees for Seniors (Qualicum Beach) 
- Free transit for seniors aged 65+ 
- Free transit resolutions defeated (narrowly) at UBCM in 2020 and 2022
- Free transit resolution for youth aged 13 and under successful at UBCM 2021 (currently free for 12 and under). 

R42 Traffic Controls at Inactive Railroad Crossings (Qualicum Beach) 
- Revise legislation so that rail maintenance vehicles are required to stop at road crossings, thereby allowing free flow of automobile traffic. 

Legislative 
R43 Payment In Lieu of Works and Services for Land Development (Nanaimo) 
- Enabling local governments to pool revenue from subdivisions and building permits for more impactful projects related to safety, connectivity or transportation management. 

Community Economic Development 
R44 Forestry Industry - Sustainable Fibre (Port Alberni) 
- Sustainable supply of wood fibre to support mills at risk of closure due to shortages, a situation that will result in declining civic populations and lost industrial property tax in event of closure. 

Selected Issues 
R45 BC Human Rights Tribunal (Sooke) 
- Province is asked to increase funding to the Tribunal to accelerate processing of its case files (currently 18 months).
- March 7, 2025 update on case backlog
- My Human Rights and Duties under the BC Human Rights Code

My script ...
"We've heard this weekend about toxic discourse and the decline of civility in our communities. This makes the work of the BC Human Rights Tribunal all the more critical. It receives approx. 2,500 complaints annually from British Columbians who contend that they’ve been subject to discriminatory actions under the BC Human Rights Code – related to age, ancestry, gender identity, mental and physical disability, political belief, race, religion  and sexual orientation included. 

In January, Ebony Logins, former Sooke councillor and now a trustee with Sooke School District, told council during a delegation that a local complaint filed with the Tribunal in August, 2023 had not yet been processed … and it still hasn’t as of this week. 

Our research told us that the Tribunal is working through a major backlog of complaints -- more than 4,000 at its peak in 2023.  The Province responded with additional funding that has allowed the Tribunal to hire four more caseworkers. The backlog has shrunk considerably, but the turnaround time for the resolution process is still at 18 months. 

I spoke with the Tribunal’s Chair Emily Ohler this week … and I quote: “We acknowledge that 1.5 years remains far beyond our service standards. We appreciate the patience and understanding of those people experiencing delays and understand the frustrations. We are working hard within the constraints of our resources.” 

Ms. Ohler welcomes this resolution as part of a long-game strategy to keep the Tribunal’s needs front-and-centre with the Province. 

Importantly, she notes that the Tribunal will see no shortage of future complaints in what she calls a newly  "comic book universe" where gloves are off, filters are down and there is significantly more open and hostile intolerance, discrimination and hate. 

Moving this resolution forward to UBCM will support the Tribunal in delivering increasingly timely responses to British Columbians dealing with potential violations of the Human Rights Code.  I trust we can count on your support." 

Unanimous approval at 11:50 AM on Sunday. 


Late Resolutions from the District of Sooke 

1. Taxation of Utilities Companies 
​WHEREAS the Local Government Act, Section 644 2(a), specifies that a utility company (defined as “an electric light, electric power, telephone, water, gas or closed-circuit television company”) is to be taxed annually by municipalities (not including Regional Districts or First Nations) at the rate of 1% of its revenue from subscribers;

And whereas the legislation does not account for internet and cellular revenues flowing to telecommunications companies;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT this outdated section of the LGA be updated to better reflect contemporary consumer choices and reverse the trend of declining municipal revenues from the 1% in-lieu-of utilities tax

2. Funding for 911 Services WHEREAS the legislation does not account for internet and cellular revenues flowing to telecommunications companies or provide funding for the 911 services available primarily through cell phones;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the cost of 911 services be shifted to those benefiting from these services


Black Press coverage of Sunday morning resolutions session ... 

"AVICC delegates ask for amendment to B.C.'s community charter ~ Local government officials on Vancouver Island are asking the B.C. government to allow them to build critical infrastructure in their communities without the need to go to an alternate-approval process.

At the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities convention Sunday, April 13, in Nanaimo, delegates passed a resolution calling on the province to amend the community charter to expand the criteria around the type of capital projects that can utilize long-term borrowing without requiring elector approval.

The resolution was brought forward by the City of Nanaimo, which failed three times in the past two years to gain alternate approval to rebuild its public works yard.

Nanaimo Coun. Janice Perrino introduced the resolution, noting that "must-have" infrastructure projects have risen in cost to a point that they're unaffordable without long-term borrowing.

"The problem today is when you go to either an AAP or a referendum, very often you have a small group of community members that can rile up the community and vote it down very quickly… " she said. "I can't begin to tell you what it does to your community, what it does to your council, the misinformation."

She noted that local governments would still be able to have referenda for "the fun things" community members might want, such as pools, arenas, parks and walkways, and that the resolution is meant to advance projects that "keep your community going."

Central Saanich Mayor Ryan Windsor spoke in support of the resolution, noting his district is looking at redevelopment of police, fire and municipal facilities.

"And we have a small but vocal group who think they understand economics better than the consultants, the staff, the people who have poured thousands and thousands of hours into it and the message is 'spend money bad'…" he said. 
"Meanwhile, the rest of the public who will benefit from these facilities or essential infrastructure projects for decades are left out in the cold because the group that doesn't want it doesn't talk to them, and we try and reach them, but they're busy in their daily lives."

Windsor said he understands the skepticism about AAPs because it looks to the public as though local governments are "trying to slip a fast one by them," but noted that referenda are also easily manipulated by a small group.
"The fallacy that this is somehow democratic is frankly just wrong," he said.

Arguing against the resolution was Fred Boyko, regional director for Beaufort in the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District. He said resolution is "heavy handed" in taking away the public's voice, and said it diminishes trust in local government.

"Instead of this, I would encourage any level of government to work towards more effective levels of community engagement and education," he said. "If there's one sure way of upsetting the public we represent, it's forcing someone to pay for anything – whether it is infrastructure or services – that they do not want."

The resolution passed by a wide margin.

Other resolutions supported on the second day of the AVICC convention included one asking for a prohibition on the breeding and keeping of hybrid wolf-dogs, and another asking for a provincewide waste hauler licensing system to allow regional districts to better understand where waste is being generated and where the material is flowing. 
AVICC members also voted in favour of modernizing policies to try to maintain viability of improvement districts, lobbying for reconfiguration of out-of-use rail crossings, and calling for better funding for the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal to more effectively process complaints."

Two new standing committees are being launched by the District of Sooke in the days ahead. The same four of us on council are on both committees, along with three public appointees selected from a stack of applications.  Cllr. McMath's career in emergency response prevents her participation. The Mayor has an ex-officio role with all District committees, including these two. We will likely shuffle the deck to accommodate a new councillor following the by-election. 

I'd headline this "relaunch" were these new committees to be "select" committees as were the 2020-22 CED and Land Use editions. The difference is that a standing committee is formed by the Mayor to deal with matters she considers would be more effectively explored first by a committee and then brought to council. Half the members of a standing committee must be council members (section 141, Community Charter).  A select committee requires just one council appointee and a broader range of public members. (section 142, CC). 

Both committees are mandated to work closely with the District's current Strategic Plan, which details ongoing, now and next objectives across multiple areas -- CED and land use included. Fresh ideas and asks will need to be packaged as motions that will need formal approval from the full council, who must necessarily weigh available resources (staff and financial) before any arising motions are greenlighted. 

As Sooke's Corporate Officer advises, each of the new standing committees ...   
* Acts as an advisory body to Council. 
* Reviews and considers staff reports and presentations, providing recommendations to Council.
* Reviews matters raised by members through formal motions and makes recommendations to Council.
* Committee recommendations and relevant materials are submitted for consideration at near-term council meetings.

DOS Committee Structure and Function Policy (2020) 

Almost goes without saying, but I'll do so regardless by noting that these are the latest in a substantial line of committees, commissions and task forces created since municipal incorporation in 1999. After roughly scanning the District's archived minutes, I've assembled a list of them at the end of this post. Respect, appreciation and sincere thanks to the hundreds of community members and elected representatives who've brought their best and brightest ideas, vision, experience, wisdom and practical actions forward in service to Sooke's evolution.

Community Economic Development Committee
Terms of Reference (adopted Dec. 9, 2024)
"The purpose of the Community Economic Development Committee is to provide recommendations and support to Council on matters that prioritize a resilient economy focused on health care, town centre revitalization and tourism and the attraction and retention of diverse businesses to stimulate economic diversity and growth. The Committee will work to provide recommendations that support the strategic goals of the District."

Foundational documents
* Council Strategic Priorities, 2024-2027
​* District of Sooke Community Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan (2021) 

Reference Material 
* Sooke Economic Analysis (Urbanics Consulting, Dec. 2019) 
* Sooke Chamber Economic Survey (2024) 

The Committee will first meet at 1:00 P.M. on Monday, March 31.
Meetings will follow every two months on first Mondays ~ June 2, July 29, Oct. 6, Dec. 1, 2025. 
​
Mandate (as per TOR) 
"• Strategic economic development initiatives that align with the municipality's Official Community Plan (OCP) and related policies.
• Support for business retention initiatives.
• Collaboration with the Sooke Region Business Cooperative to strengthen business partnerships and growth.
• Engagement with service organizations like the Sooke Chamber of Commerce, WorkLink BC, and other local groups to offer workshops, networking events, and programs that support business growth and development.
• Provision of resources and grants to local organizations that drive economic development through workforce training, business services, and volunteer initiatives and community events that boost the local economy.
• Implementation of the Municipal & Regional District Tax Program (MRDT).
• Development of long-term regenerative and community-led destination tourism planning.
• Enhancement of support for small businesses and startups.
• Advocacy for inclusion in the Island Coastal Economic Trust Area (ICETA) to gain access to community grant programs.
• Enhancement of community appeal and economic growth through aesthetics and functionality.
• Development of an employment lands strategy.
• Establishment of a Municipal Development Corporation.
• Public engagement recommendations aimed at strengthening the relationship between Council and the local business community, industry stakeholders, and residents to foster broad participation in economic initiatives.
• Items related to the Community Economic Development Strategy.
• Items related to the Low Carbon Resilience model.
• Any other items referred to the Committee by Council or the staff liaison."

Committee Members
In accordance with the Community Charter, Mayor Tait made the following appointments:
* Cllr. Bateman (Chair)
* Cllr. St-Pierre (Vice-Chair)
​* Cllr. Beddows
* Cllr. Pearson 
* Gwen Fisher, The Artisans Garden   
* Katherine Strongwind, Strongwind Solutions, Sooke Chamber of Commerce board member 
* Scot Taylor,  Westcoast Adventure College and Stickleback Oceanfront Alehouse 

Representatives from the following non-voting organizations will participate in an advisory capacity ...
* Sooke Arts Council (William [Gord] Wallace) 
* Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce (Vice President Marleen Kiral) 
* Sooke Region Tourism Association (new website launching April 2025) (TBD, Gwen Fisher and Kiral are on its board)
* WorkLink Westshore Employment Society (TBD, Peter Doukakis) 

Director of Planning and Development Chris Marshall and CED Officer Gail Scott will support the Committee as staff liaisons and will prepare reports and staff recommendations for the Committee's consideration.

Related from the 2024-2027 Strategic Plan 
Community Economic Development is one of five Strategic Areas of Focus. 
The Committee's mandate directly mirrors the Plan's ongoing, now and next priorities. 

"We provide essential local services and prioritize a resilient economy focused on health care, town centre revitalization and tourism. We attract diverse businesses to stimulate economic diversity and growth." 

Ongoing
• Collaborate with the Sooke Region Business Cooperative to strengthen business partnership and growth.
• Work with service organizations like the Sooke Chamber of Commerce, WorkLink BC, and other local groups to offer workshops, networking events, and programs that support business growth and development.
• Provide resources and grants to local organizations that drive economic development through workforce training, business services, and volunteer initiatives and community events that boost the local economy.

Now
• Implement the Municipal & Regional District Tax Program (MRDT)
• Develop long-term regenerative and community-led destination tourism planning.
• Update zoning to promote mixed-use zoning, enhancing community livability and economic vitality through residential-business integration and creating business-friendly environments for both new and existing businesses.
• Enhance support for small businesses and startups.
• Prioritize business retention initiatives.
• Advocate for inclusion in the Island Coastal Economic Trust Area (ICETA) to gain access to community grant programs.

Next
• Invest in infrastructure improvements for key transportation routes and corridors to support economic hubs.
• Enhance community appeal and economic growth through aesthetics and functionality.
• Create an employment lands strategy.
• Lead the establishment of a Municipal Development Corporation.

Sooke CED Key Performance Indicators 
 * Annual increase in business licenses issued by the DOS (+5% target) ~ 2020 (875 licenses issued); 2022 (912); 2023 (957); 2024 (1,023, or +6.9%).  

* CED Officer liaison with five Sooke organizations, attending approx. 50 meetings annually 

* Monetary value of new funding to support economic growth and diversification: 
- 2023: i) Destination BC ($100k for JDF Tourism Corridor Plan development); ii) Cooperatives First ($75k for Sooke Region Business Services Cooperative feasibility study)

- 2024: i) Destination Canada ($250k, JDF Cross Border Tourism Corridor Project development); ii) Cooperatives First ($50K, SRBSC investment plan). 

- 2025: Municipal Regional Destination Tax (if approved, possibly $350k in new tax revenue annually for destination marketing) 


CEDC Committee 2020-2022 
Feb. 26, 2021
- Announcement of hiring of Sue Welke, Sooke's first CED Officer 
- Master Plan updates - TMP & PTMP 
- Development processes - need to focus on protecting view from harbour and basin properties

March 26, 2021
- Small Business Grant Updates - Cheryl McLay, Province of BC
- Cultural Perspectives - Indigenous Perspectives Society (training proposed by Sooke Chamber)
- Community Inventory Mapping - Buildings, land, other assets in Sooke 

April 23, 2021 
- WorkLink presentation (Peter Doukakis)
- Home-based businesses in Sooke (presentation by Diane Bernard)
- Food security strategy presentation (Christine Bossi, SRCHN)
- CED Strategy Development (workshop in early May) 

May 21, 2021 
- Referral from Council: Farmstand business licensing 
- CED Strategy update 
- Recycling Depot (letter from Zero Waste Sooke) 

June 25, 2021 
- Climate Preparedness and Adaptation Strategy 
- CED Strategy preparation for presentation to council in fall 2021 + Business Walk 
- Funding Programs: ICET, Western Economic Diversification, Natural Resources Canada 
- Sooke Region Food Security Report (SRCHN) 
- Transition Sooke presentation: How To Grow A Local Economy 

Sept. 24, 2021 
- South Island Prosperity Partnership (presentation) 
- Draft Official Community Plan

Oct. 22, 2021
- Draft CED Strategy and Action Plan
- Boat Launch Parking 

Nov. 26, 2021 
- Victoria Foundation Vital Signs Report (presentation)
- Draft CED Strategy and Action Plan 

Jan. 28, 2022 
- Nanaimo Prosperity Corporation (presentation by Bill Corsan) 
- CED Committee Data and Measurement System 
- Draft RFP for Employment Lands Strategy  

Feb. 25, 2022
- Metrics and Tools for Green Businesses In Sooke (Climate Action Coordinator) 

March 25, 2022 
- SRCHN Elders' Complex (Mary Dunn presentation) 
​- Lot A update (Matthew Pawlow) 

April 22, 2022 
- Metrics for CED Strategy and 7% Solution 
- Vancouver Island Green Business Collective membership opportunity 
- Co-working hub opportunities in Sooke (CAC Coordinator report) 
- CED Committee End-of-Term Reporting to Council 

May 27, 2022 
- Speaker: Jeff Frank, T'Sou-ke Nation  
- Inclusion of Deconstruction Bylaw in Climate Action Plan 


RFP for Employment Lands Strategy 
"The work will include engagement with Employment Lands-designated land and property owners to understand the readiness and willingness for selling, leasing or renting property that will be used to set up business and create jobs in Sooke. An Economic Analysis was carried out for the District in 2019, and at this time the District would like to have an update and expansion to the Economic Analysis. The expansion would build out policy and recommendations following interviews/discussions with Sooke land/property owners. Further, geographical analysis is required of the District’s Employment Lands to determine feasible industrial or commercial operations. Policy options and recommendations will be developed by the successful proponent following engagement, geographical analysis and an updated economic analysis." 


Executive Summary - Sooke Economic Analysis 
(Urbanics Consulting, Dec. 2019) 

With regards to demographic and macroeconomic trends, the Consultant has the following findings:
- Provincial economy in BC remains strong and will likely continue outperforming the Canadian average.
- Southern tip of Vancouver Island remains an attractive place to live and work due to affordability and quality of life considerations.
- Population growth rates in neighboring markets (30-40 minutes drive) of Langford, Colwood and Saanich is some of the highest in Canada.
- Low education levels hold back the viability of attracting high pay high value add companies.
- Most workers (71%) commute out of town for employment opportunities.
- Median incomes are comparable to BC and CRD.

With regards to the employment lands inventory and commercial market dynamics, the Consultant has the following findings:
- Plentiful pre-zoned employment lands exist in Sooke.
- Significant public land reserves also exist.
- Significant portion of industrial and commercial lands are underdeveloped, and underutilized.
- Commercial rents are quite high for such a small community with small population and commercial services base.
- Vacancies are low.
- Property taxes are competitive.
- Regulatory environment is conducive to business development.
- DCC rates are higher than and uncompetitive with neighboring jurisdictions.

With regards to forecast of employment lands (both industrial and commercial retail/office) required by 2036, the Consultant has the following findings:
- Low scenario projects approximately 8 hectares of new employment lands required by 2036.
- Median scenario projects approximately 13 hectares of new employment lands required by 2036.
- High scenario projects approximately 23.5 hectares of new employment lands required by 2036.

In conclusion, the Consultant finds that:
- The demand for industrial land use out to 2036 ranges between as little as 4 hectares (low industrial employment capture, and high industrial job density) to as much as 13.4 hectares (representing high employment capture and low industrial job density). The median estimate is approximately 7 hectares.
- The demand for commercial land use out to 2036 ranges between as little as 4 hectares (low commercial employment capture, and high commercial job density) to as much as 10.1 hectares (representing high commercial employment capture and low commercial job density). The median estimate is approximately 6 hectares.
- There is 32 hectares of M2 zoned land that is under utilized. In total there is approximately 41 hectares of under-utilized industrial land with 12.39 hectares of vacant industrial land.
- There is 8.8 hectares of C2 zoned land that is under utilized, as well as 8.67 hectares of C4 “Commercial Recreation” underutilized. In total there is approximately 22 hectares of under-utilized commercial land as well as 7.2 hectares of vacant commercial land.
- There is no projected shortage of industrial or commercial land as the industrial and commercial land inventory indicates that there is more vacant employment land than total warranted demand by 2036 under a “median scenario” projection. In addition, there are significant employment land parcels that are host to limited levels of activity and are considered “under-utilized”. These parcels can be subject to intensification in the coming years as market conditions warrant it. That said, the Consultant estimates that the supply of vacant employment lands will be completely exhausted by 2036.
- Growth industries will be healthcare, warehousing and wholesale trade, filming, tourism and recreation.
- Short-term rentals comprise approximately 3-5% of rental housing stock, or 1-2% of total housing stock. It is most likely that they contribute in a small way to increasing rents and prices.


Miscellaneous re: Sooke Community Economic Development 

From this blog ... 
* Promise and Potential: Sooke Region Tourism (March 2, 2025) 
* Sparking Community Development (Aug. 31, 2022) - published prior to hiring of Gail Scott as Sooke's second-ever CED Officer and successor to our first, Sue Welke.  
* Sooke Committees Update (Jan. 2021). The then-active Sooke Program of the Arts (SPA) and Climate Action committees are effectively rolled into the new CED Committee -- which is asked to use the Low Carbon Resilience model in its decision-making and follow the recommendations of the CED Strategy. The District's formal adoption of LCR in Jan. 2021 and the subsequent Sooke 2030 Climate Action Plan ensures that a "green lens" is applied to all District of Sooke decision-making. The presence of a rep from the Sooke Arts Council in the new committee will ensure arts matters and issues are addressed. 

​
Action Points in the CED Strategic Plan  <direct quotes>

* Develop a Request for Proposals (RFP) for an Employment Lands Strategy

* Promote Sooke to investors/entrepreneurs/tourists.

* Develop a Marketing Strategy to promote Sooke and undertake a community branding initiative to develop a
new community brand.

* Develop Sooke business/investment attraction promotions materials

* To promote Sooke as a destination for tourists and a great place to live and work, actively pursue a world-class event (examples: sporting, arts and culture, engineering or scientific or skills competition) to be held in Sooke in 2023 or later.

* Explore a District grant program for new green, LCR entrepreneurs to set up businesses in Sooke.

* Complete the application to the Municipal and Regional Destination Tax (MRDT) program.

* Look into the possibility of a pilot project with Canada Border Services Agency to have a customs officer in Sooke at the government dock.

* Commission a hotel and tourism study to identify the viability of attracting a major recreation-oriented land use which can serve as a catalyst for expanded hospitality, tourism, hotel and conference facility investment by the private sector. The Study will review the natural and environmental impacts of increased tourism, and how Sooke can encourage tourism development that is low carbon resilient and of minimal impact to the environment and climate. The Study will include “culture and the arts” within the definition of “recreation-oriented”.

* The CED Strategy will be revisited, and may be revised based on the success of actions, and emerging needs and opportunities. The District invites community members and groups to be involved in the implementation and co-creation of this CED Strategy.

Sooke Chamber of Commerce 
Executive Director - Deb Schenk 
​President – Tracy Snow (Sooke Optometrist)
Vice President – Marleen Kiral (Almostronaut Creative)
Past President – Mike Menard (Menard Plumbing & Heating)
Director – Katherine Strongwind (Strongwind Solutions)
Director – Abbie Morris (Hive & Thrive Consulting)
Director – Britt Santowski (Author)
Director – Alexander Kingston (Gadget Tree Tech Services)
Director - Karen Stones (A Sea of Bloom)
Director – Les Haddad (Sooke Delivery Guy)
Director – Tim Ayres (Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty)
Secretary – Barb Dunn (Experior Financial Group)

* 2024 Annual Report
* Agendas and Minutes
* Chamber Directory 
* Business Excellence Awards 
* 25 Reasons To Join 

Chamber Publications 
* Everything Sooke guidebook 
* Investing in Sooke Brochure 
* Other investment attraction brochures ...
* Food and Drink 
* Culture 
* Commerce and Industry 
* Clean Energy 
* Tourism 
* Seniors Services

* Shop Sooke First campaign (launched January 2025) 
- Year of Local (monthly shop-local themes)
i.e., April: Sustainable Shopping Month; May: Local Art & Craft Showcase; June: Shop Local Food and Beverage Experience; July: Sooke Customer Appreciation Week; August: Sooke Style Fashion & Retail Week; September: Back to School Local Shopping Week; October: Halloween Local Shopping Spree; November: Holiday Gift Guide Launch; December: 12 Days of Sooke Giving. 

South Island Prosperity Project interview with CED Officer Gail Scott 
Think Globally, Act Locally: Lessons From Sooke's Economic Success (Aug. 23, 2024) 

Sooke Region Business Cooperative : "A partnership between the District of Sooke and WorkLink BC. "Worklink BC is one of the District of Sooke’s strongest economic development partners," says Gail Scott. "The Sooke Region has very few storefront business support programs that can be accessed locally. Our small and medium businesses are often frustrated by this. They don’t want to drive down to Victoria or up to Duncan to go to a Community Futures office. The solution was to create our own business services cooperative. We’ve just finished incorporating it with the support of Cooperatives First ... This solution addresses local business retention, business expansion, and identification of business opportunities.  The key objective here is to create more local jobs and to reduce people from having to spend way too much time on the road which will lead to a much improved quality of life for them and their families." 

30-Year Vision: "Vancouver Island is a vibrant, sustainable and economically prosperous region. Transformations will include advanced transportation infrastructure, green economy initiatives and a thriving Blue Marine economy. The region will be a hub for innovation and raise the bar to attract talent and investment worldwide. Our communities will be more connected, resilient, and inclusive, with a high quality of life that attracts families, businesses and visitors alike. The economic future will be characterized by sustainable growth, strong community partnerships and a robust entrepreneurial spirit that drives continuous improvement, adaptation and responsiveness to global changes.

Sooke, in particular, will have evolved from a bedroom community to a self-sustaining hub and a vibrant space that embraces a circular economy, strong arts community, local food systems and stunning natural environment that will continue to draw people who value this high quality of life and that deep connection to nature and sense of place, again in friendship and cooperation alongside Indigenous peoples, including the T’Sou-ke and Scia’new Nations."

Mayor's Advisory Committee on Economic Development (2013/14) 
Council minutes, Nov. 25, 2013:  "Dr. Steve Grundy, Chair of the Mayor’s Advisory Panel on Economic Development, provided a summary of the Panel‘s business and resident surveys. Dr. Grundy overviewed results from surveys that were completed by approximately 55 businesses. The survey showed that businesses had overall survived the economic downturn and were generally optimistic about the future, they loved the lifestyle in Sooke but expressed concerns such as taxes and rent. Dr. Grundy advised that the businesses felt they were more service orientated compared to other communities. People felt there was uncertainty about what Sooke was trying to be but were clear that they did not want a Langford (box stores). The survey showed that support for the Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce was mixed but overall was positive as there was a sense the Chamber was on a new course; similar comments were said about the Sooke Region Tourism Association.

Dr. Grundy reported that there was disappointment in comments around support of the Council for business. Dr. Grundy overviewed results from surveys completed by residents where residents echoed the business survey that there was good service in Sooke, a need for more business, and a need for more variety of business. There were comments around the town not being attractive, frustration with Council, and enthusiasm around making the town beautiful. Dr. Grundy summarized that he would like to see Council putting more money into economic development such as business licence fees and the Additional Hotel Room Tax (AHRT) and that town beautification be made a priority." 

Sooke Economic Development Commission 
- Launched by Mayor Macgregor in 2000 with first appointee Cllr. Lorna Barry
- Restructured into three public advisory panels on Oct. 9, 2012 
- Sooke EDC circa January, 2012: Chair Maja Tait, reps from Sooke Chamber, SRTA, Sooke Arts Council and Sooke CHI Volunteer Centre + appointees John Brohman, Steve Grundy, Michael Niykes, Brenda Parkinson and Edward Stipp 
- Feb. 27, 2012: "Council discussed the reporting expectations for the Sooke Economic Development Commission and stated that Council would like to receive the objectives, budget and timelines for the Commission so that Council can consider them in the Financial Plan. In addition, quarterly reports from the Sooke Economic Development Commission are required; including the deliverables of the member groups as to contracted services." 
- Motions from the EDC re: Sooke Starlight Cinema, membership in the Mountain Bike Tourism Association 


Land Use and Development Committee
Terms of Reference (adopted Dec. 9, 2025) 
The purpose of the Land Use and Development Committee is to provide support to Council on matters related to land use, development, and community planning to support sustainable land use planning to accommodate growth while minimizing environmental impact and maintaining Sooke’s West Coast aesthetic in alignment with the District of Sooke strategic plan.

The Committee will first meet at 1:00 P.M. on Tuesday, April 1. Meetings will follow monthly on first Tuesdays ... May 6, June 3, June 2, July 2, (summer break), then Sept. 2, Oct. 7, Nov. 4 and Dec. 3, 2025. 

The committee will serve as a planning advisory body from which Director of Planning Chris Marshall can seek input on various applications before they go to the full council. This year's finalization of the Official Community Plan (due by Dec. 31) will be a top priority. So too will a review of the forthcoming new Subdivision and Development Standards bylaw as well as the zoning bylaw that will follow OCP adoption. 

From this blog: 
- Building/Developing Sooke (April 2023) 
​- Sooke Selfie: Census 2021 Overview (Dec. 2022) 


​Mandate
The Committee is to consider land use and development matters that are to be considered by Council, including:
• Official Community Plan (OCP) amendments, rezonings, development permits, variance applications, strata title conversions, Temporary Use Permits, Agricultural Land Reserve Referrals, and the municipal regional context statement (for the Regional Growth Strategy).
• Updates to zoning to promote mixed-use zoning, enhancing community livability and economic vitality through residential-business integration and creating business-friendly environments for both new and existing businesses.
• Policies to support sustainable land use and community growth, integrating environmental stewardship, economic health, and socio-economic land use matters.
• Public engagement recommendations on land use topics aimed at strengthening the relationship between Council, stakeholders, and community members.
• Any other items referred to the committee by Council or the staff liaison.
* The Low Carbon Resilience Model should provide a lens for the decision making of this committee.

Mayor Tait made the following appointments: 
* Councillor St-Pierre (Chair) 
* Councillor Pearson (Vice-Chair)
* Councillor Bateman
* Councillor Beddows 
* Desiree Cumming - West Coast Design - life-long Sooke resident and new owner of Randy Clarkston and Laurie Wallace's long-standing Sooke company 
* Helen Ritts - Former Chair, OCP Committee and executive member with Friends of Sooke Parks Society 
* Rob Barry - Island Energy 

From the Council Strategic Plan 
Strategic Areas of Focus 
Sustainable Growth and Environmental Stewardship ~ "We promote sustainable land use planning to accommodate growth while minimizing environmental impact and maintaining Sooke’s West Coast aesthetic. We prioritize the protection of blue and green spaces and the implementation of the best environmental practices when planning for growth and development." 

Infrastructure Investments and Multi-Modal Transportation Networks ~ "We make significant investments in infrastructure to support our community’s growth for future generations. This involves upgrading existing infrastructure, building new infrastructure, and seeking funding that supports our growing community’s needs. By enhancing our connectivity and livability, we can reduce our carbon footprint." 

Ongoing
• Collaborate with the T’Sou-ke Nation on land use planning and decision-making. Foster ongoing collaboration with the T’Sou-ke Nation to support cultural revitalization and promote traditional ecological knowledge.
• Consider How We Move, How We Build, How We Grow, How We Relate and How We Lead to support a path to Sooke 2030 emission reduction.
• Increase community resilience through emergency management planning including mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.
• Promote local food security and cultural preservation with a focus on community and indigenous gardens.
• Protect water quality and aquatic ecosystems.

Now
• Update Housing Needs Report.
• Update zoning bylaw following provincial regulations.
• Establish clear, consistent and equitable development policies and a process for streamlining applications.
• Integrate ecosystem protection into all stages of
development projects.
• Identify and map environmentally sensitive areas

Next
• Update Official Community Plan
• Develop more substantial, brand-relevant design guidelines to articulate a clear identity for Sooke.
• Create incentives to bring more commercial and industrial uses to the district.
• Create a municipal land acquisition strategy to support planned development and expand green spaces.
• Strengthen environmental protection through Environmental Development Permit Areas.

 
Previous Land Use and Development Committees
This will be the fourth time a Land Use Committee has been struck over the 15 years.

~ The most recent LUC Committee was formed in early 2021: Councillor Tony St-Pierre (chair), Susan Belford, Brian Butler, Paul Clarkston, Katarina Duke, Dave McClimon and Kyle Topelko. 

 Excerpts from end of term report to council (presented to COW on June 20, 2022) 
​"- climate action was not considered sufficiently during the committee's term;
- the community is well represented through a diverse and informed membership;
- members had hoped to contribute more to the OCP's final draft;
- the delay in the OCP’s adoption has slowed the committee’s productivity; and
- future iterations of the committee should consider innovative recommendations which support affordable housing and encourage balanced priorities.
- the committee's purpose was not clear at times and more specific requests for recommendations from Council would have been well received."

Subjects discussed and agendas, 2021-22
- May 2022: Inclusion of Deconstruction Bylaw in Sooke Climate Action Plan (agenda)
- April 2022: Sooke Lions and John Phillips Memorial Park (agenda) 
​- Feb. 2022: Tree management + building permit backlog and wait-times (agenda)
- Dec. 2021: Zoning bylaw updates (agenda) 
​- Nov. 2021: Bill 26 - Municipal Affairs Statue Act (agenda) 
- Oct. 2021: Draft Official Community Plan discussion (agenda)
- Sept. 2021: SRCHN Food Security Report (agenda)
- June 2021: DCC bylaw update + further discussion on secondary suites (agenda) 
​- May 2021: Secondary suites (agenda) 
- April 2021: Additional dwellings on ALR land + Low Carbon Resilience policy (agenda) 
- March 2021: OCP Engagement Draft Growth Scenarios (agenda) 
- February 2021: Inaugural meeting (agenda) 

~ Previous to this, the District organized a Development & Engagement Workshop in September, 2017 and it identified issues (many related to the notorious need to alleviate developer wait times for permits) that spurred the creation of a new Development & Land Use Committee in early 2018. It was chaired by Cllr. Berger and featured local building stalwarts Randy Clarkson and Herb Haldane along with former Sooke Region Food CHI treasurer Lynn Saur. 
 
At the first of a half-dozen meetings during its one-year term, the discussion covered much ground starting with the need for a new Transportation Masterplan. Four areas of focus were determined for future meetings: A new Sooke Building Code based on the Municipal Insurance Association of BC's model bylaw and aligned with the then-newly updated BC Building Act; the delegation of Development Permit approvals to staff (as opposed to council) to speed the process; the District's need to cover the costs of staff time by charging applicants for consultation meetings; and the integration of the BC Energy Step Code into a new building bylaw. 


~ The first Sooke Land Use & Environment Committee was established during Mayor Milne's term (2011-2014). A standing committee (like the Finance & Administration Committee of the time), it featured at least three council representatives (builder Herb Haldane included) and such appointees from the development community as Adrian Cownden and Geoff Steele. (I'm unable to find, at a first attempt, its Terms of Reference within the District's electronic archives, aka the Civic Portal. Easy access to the committee's minutes from 2012, 2013 and 2014, however.) '

The committee did cover a huge amount of ground, from ALR exclusions and cel phone tower applications to rezoning applications, strata title conversions, the community amenity contribution policy, social housing, development variance permits, etc.  Did all the groundwork before sending recommendations to council. Most councillors were involved in meetings. 

Priorities: 
"Need to provide clear timelines for applicants"
"Streamline planning process." 
"Reduce lead time for development starts" 
"Committee to vet preliminary development applications instead of pre-application meetings"
"Committee needs to be informed to make decisions; staff to provide legislative and technical advice"
"Committee to encourage development, rapid use of the process, but respect the process." 
"Need to determine how we can work together: committee, staff and applicant." 

"48-hour building permit process for registered builders" first raised as topic for discussion at meeting of March 19, 2012. "Two week turnaround is the norm in other municipalities." 

John Brohman, Bev Berger, Laurie Wallace (representing the Sooke Community Development Association) and Randy Clarkston were among the minuted speakers in early meetings -- all of which were given full staff support from Gerard LeBlanc (Municipal Planner), Elizabeth Nelson (Municipal Engineer) and Bonnie Sprinkling (CO). 

Main emphasis of committee was the new Subdivision & Standards Bylaw #404, a dramatic upgrade from Bylaw #65 (created following Sooke's first OCP in 2001). A promised staff report on the 48 Hour Building Permit process was seemingly not released prior to the Committee's final meeting in April 2014, and may never have been, but process is addressed repeatedly (and often by regular meeting attendee Clarkston). 


Extras
Current Sooke Committees 
* Standing Committee on Community Health Care established in Nov. 2023 and featuring three members of the Sooke Region Communities Health Network (SRCHN) + Council appointees Beddows, McMath and Pearson. 
* Board of Variance (re-established early 2025) 
* Capital West Accessibility Advisory Committee  

Previous Sooke Committees & Commissions 
* Official Community Plan Committee (2019-22)
* Climate Action Committee (2020-2022) 
* Land Use and Development Committee (2020-22)
* Community Economic Development Committee (2020-22) 
* Sooke Program of the Arts Committee (launched in 200?-2022) 
* Affordable Housing Committee
* Climate Change Action Committee
* Protective Services Committee
* Parks and Trails Committee
* Community Spaces Committee
* Te'Mexw Treaty Committee 
* Sooke Health and Wellness Planning Steering Committee 
* Community Grants Committee 
* Burning Regulation Review Committee (2012) 
* Emergency Planning Committee (2012) 
* Land Use and Environment Committee (2012-14)
* Liquid Waste Management Plan (Stormwater) Stage 2 and 3 Advisory Committee (2010) 
* Official Community Plan Review Committee (2008-10) 
* Tourism Alliance/Foundation Advisory Committee (2008-09) 
* Spirit of BC Community Committee (2007-10) under the Province's 2010 Legacies Now initiative 
* Sooke Economic Development Commission (2007-12) 
* Climate Action Change Committee (2008-2022) 
* Sign Bylaw Review Committee (2009) 
* Finance and Administration Committee (200?-2014)
* Measuring Up Advisory Committee (2008, accessibility issues)  
* Downtown Revitalization Committee (2006-08) 
* Focus Group Capital Plan Committee (2008, evolved into Community Grants Committee) 
* Spirit Bear Committee (2007)
* 2010 Winter Games Committee (2007) 
* Sooke Revitalization Committee (2003) 
* Boundary Restructure Study Committee (2002/03) 
* Liquid Waste Management Plan Advisory Committee (2003) 
* Bed and Breakfast Committee (2000, Councillor Ron Dumont, creation of Bylaw 22) 
* Emergency Planning Committee (2000) 
* Economic Development Commission (2000, Councillor Lorna Barry) 
* Traffic Study Steering Committee (2000, Councillor Evans & Marcus Farmer) 
* Sewerage Study Steering Committee (2000, Councillor Dumont & John Farmer)
* Land Acquisition/Harbour Access Committee (2000, Councillor Evans) 
* Logo and Signage Committee (2000)  

Task Forces 
* Lot A Northeast Quadrant re: The Gathering Place (established July 2019) 
* "Promote Sooke" Task Force (established March, 2013) 
* Mayor's Advisory Committee on Economic Development (2013/14, chaired by Steve Grundy)
* Mayor's Advisory Committee on Arts & Beautification (2013/14, chaired by Brenda Parkinson) 
* Mayor & Council compensation

Committees recommended by Mayor Tait in November 2016 
1. Protective Services & Community Safety Committee 
2. Community Development Committee
3. Arts & Culture Committee 

Committees as recommended in the current 2010 Sooke OCP ~ pg. 111 
1. Green Advisory or Community Sustainability (i.e., Climate Change Action Committee)
2. OCP Implementation and Monitoring
3. Sooke Agricultural Land Reserve Advisory
4. Sooke Housing Committee or Corporation (i.e., Housing Committee) 
5. DOS Economic Development Corp. (with staff ED officer)
6. Youth Council
7. Arts & Culture Committee (i.e, SPA Committee) 
8. Liquid Waste Water Plan Implementation Committee
 
If staffing resources were no object ... examples of committees formed in other BC local governments 
* Youth Council (or Youth Advisory Committee) 
* Seniors Council
* Health & Social Development
* Farmland Advisory Board
* Governance and Finance
* Liquid Waste Management Plan Implementation
* Advisory Planning Committee
* Advisory Design Panel
* Communities In Bloom
* Harbour Improvement Committee

​Update: April 6, 2025
Council is poised to adopt the Five-Year Financial Plan at tomorrow night's regular council meeting, well ahead of the Province's May 15 deadline.  

The agenda includes an updated staff report (pp. 143-147), the five-year consolidated budget and capital plan (pp. 153-166), the four-page Budget 2025 explainer (pp. 167-170) and the best-ever storyboards displayed at last Wednesday's annual budget open house at the Municipal Hall (pp. 171-191).

Scan to pp. 197-208 for a report on feedback heard from the 32 residents who attended the open house to meet with a full complement of staff and Cllr. Beddows, Pearson and myself. Those pages also include a handful of earlier emails received by the District. All budget materials to date are filed at the District's Let's Talk Budget website archive. 

At the open house, I spent a good half hour talking with two residents deeply upset about the tax increase. Others I spoke with accepted the necessity of the increase to bolster 24/7 police and fire coverage, build the District's asset management fund and keep pace with fairly negotiated union contracts. Several, in fact, congratulated us on having the wherewithal to approve such a potentially unpopular but clearly needed hike. I was advised to scan the fiery comments on the SookeTown Facebook page, but I don't believe any of those several dozen folks attended. 

Chief among the lessons learned this budget cycle is that real-dollar figures are needed for context alongside percentages.  To that end, the Finance Department has been clear this year that while a +1% tax increase in Sooke generates $123k, that same percentage point delivers $1.75m in Saanich, $450k in Langford and $212k in Colwood.

This year, Saanich's 7.8% increase equates to $297 per average assessed ($1.15m) Saanich homeowner. Our 15.29% translates as $236.22 for a $770k average Sooke home, about $60 less.

PS We're not alone in seeing our increases rise year over year ~ BC's Fastest Growing Cities Hammered By Rapidly Rising Tax Rates (Douglas Todd, Vancouver Sun, April 3, 2025).  

Elsewhere:
- Langford: 9.77% increase in 2025
- Sidney: 10.67% ($191 per average assessed home
- North Saanich: 8.74% ($161 per average assessed home) 
​- View Royal: 9 to 11% (still TBD) 
- Esquimalt: 9.68% 
- City of Victoria: TBD
- Oak Bay: 11.4% (
- Whistler: 8.25% 
- Prince George: 6.21% ($169 per average assessed $453k home) 
- Richmond - 5.86% ($128 per average assessed $1.3m home) 

- Sooke Report Highlights Tax Comparisons of Greater Victoria Communities (Black Press, Dec. 2, 2024) 

The District's mission: Diversify a tax base that is currently 82.7% residential and just 15.5% business + 1.33% light industry.  Launching Sooke's Employment Lands Strategy (likely in 2026 following OCP adoption) and, through it,  activating Sooke's vacant or under-utilized industrial and commercial land is a top Strategic Plan priority. This will be a subject addressed by the new Land Use and Community Economic Development committees. If you're curious, begin with the 2019 Sooke Economic Analysis. 

Update: March 23, 2025
Regrettably but with demonstrated necessity, council has given the District approval to move ahead with a 2025 tax increase of $236 on the average assessed ($770k) Sooke household.  After RCMP, fire service, parks, operations and other staff presentations at the March 10 council meeting, we unanimously (all six of us present) asked staff to bring forward the 2025-29 Five Year Plan with an increase of that significant amount (15.29%). 

​Council is posed to adopt the Five-Year Plan at tomorrow night's regular council meeting. The agenda includes an updated staff report (pp. 143-147), 

​- March 10 agenda (see pp. 41-134; slide deck begins on pg. 63)
- March 24 agenda (see pp. 207-230) 

Council recognizes this is very much a needs-not-wants increase rooted largely in community safety and asset management cost increases. We are asked to give first, second and third readings to the plan tomorrow night. A budget open house will follow on Wed. April 2 at the municipal hall. 

The District's March 13 press release provides full details, but in brief the hike is required to pay for the following: 

- 5.55% ($684k) increase for policing costs, largely salaries under the new union contract, as we lock in 24/7 service from Sooke RCMP
 
- 2.35% ($290k) for nine months of first-time E-Comm 9-1-1 emergency dispatch charges (to be augmented by a potential $100k UBCM grant that the District is seeking.)

- 2% ($246k) increase for Asset Management to ensure the District can maintain and replace infrastructure over the long term -- this will the second year of building Sooke's first dedicated asset management reserve fund to cover future municipal costs. (See the District's 2023 Asset Management Policy and the staff reports in the Dec. 11, 2023 agenda, pp. 49-182) 
 
- 3.65% ($450k) for non-discretionary (i.e., unavoidable) increases, namely CUPE, IAFF and management staff contract increases, the highway maintenance contract, already committed new positions (Executive Office Coordinator, Firefighter, Part-time Bylaw Officer), municipal by-election(s), licensing fees, group benefits and insurance.  
 
- 1.73% ($213k) discretionary increases, namely new staffing (an additional firefighter as Sooke Fire builds its full-time team, parks labourer, front-desk clerk, and auxiliary accountant) + fire and parks operating expenses.

Staff at council's request had provided options that would have taken the increase as low as 9.9%, however this would have required deep cuts to the District's policing and other reserve funds. As Director of Finance Rose Liu noted at the March 10 council meeting: "When more reserve funds are used today, the long-term financial risks for tomorrow increase because reserves serve as a financial safety net for unexpected costs, economic downturns or future capital projects." 

Rather than running reserves down, council took a measured, long-game, "common sense" I dare say, approach in collecting $1.8m in new revenue for an overall municipal budget of $14.2m. We're playing catch-up and we believe these costs are necessary to meet community growth and expectations for good governance. 

Sooke currently has the third lowest general municipal taxes on Vancouver Island according to staff calculations. With this increase, Sooke will retain that status should other municipalities increase their own taxes by 7% this year (which is a fair guesstimate.)  As Sooke and its basic municipal service needs expand, council recognizes that it is now time to pay our past tax savings forward. 

An important new metric discussed this year is the distance a 1% tax increase will go in covering anticipated local government costs. In Sooke it equates to $123k. In Saanich, 1% nets $1.75m.  Costs of services and labour are effectively the same in each municipality. As the District notes: "This highlights the challenges smaller communities like Sooke face in maintaining and expanding services. While percentages can make interesting headlines, they don’t always effectively communicate the impact." 

Looking ahead, the 5-Year Plan calls for increases of 9.7% (2026), 7.71% (2027), 10.72% (2028) and 7.34% (2029). As ever, these are best estimates by the finance team that are subject to change. The lion's share of these increases are as follows: 

- 2% asset management reserve fund contribution per year 

- additional firefighters as we build towards a team of 20 IAFF members (currently 12), allowing Chief Kennedy to assemble four rotating squads delivering 24/7 emergency response service with volunteer firefighter back-up. 

- five more Sooke RCMP officers -- two in 2026, one in 2027 and two more in 2028 -- so as to continue ensuring 24/7 service and, significantly, allowing the establishment of a General Investigative Services unit to focus on major crimes in Sooke -- attempted murder, aggravated assault, sexual assault, fraud, child pornography, robbery, arson, break and enter, and prolific offender management.  As Staff Sgt. Willcocks demonstrated, Sooke is a rare municipality with a population over 10k that to date has lacked a specialized GIS section, leaving this specialized work in the hands of already overstretched general duty officers. 

- anticipated costs for Sooke inclusion in the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Investigation Unit, another insurance policy of sorts that will cover costs of murder investigations in Sooke. 

- a $20m placeholder in 2029 in anticipation of costs for future expansion of the sewer system east to Kaltasin Rd. 

​- Frequently Asked Questions (pg. 210 of the March 24 agenda) 
i) What has been the District’s average tax increase over the past decade? Since 2012, the District of Sooke’s average annual municipal tax increase has been 4.3%. While individual years may see higher or lower adjustments depending on economic conditions, infrastructure investments, and service demands, this long-term average reflects the District’s efforts to balance financial sustainability with the needs of a growing community.

ii) What does a 1% tax increase in Sooke generate in revenue? How does this compare to other communities? Currently, a 1% increase generates approximately $123,000 in revenue for the District. In comparison, a 1% increase in Saanich raises $1.75 million. This highlights the challenges smaller communities like Sooke face in maintaining and expanding services. While percentages can make interesting headlines, they don’t always effectively communicate the impact. For example, while a 1% tax increase in different communities may seem comparable, the absolute revenue generated varies greatly depending on the size of the community’s tax base. Smaller municipalities, like Sooke, have a much smaller base, which means that even small increases can fall short in addressing the growing demand for services." 


Original Post - Jan. 19, 2025
Initial budget proposal to be presented at today's Committee of the Whole meeting by the District's Financial Services department. See the agenda, pp. 3 to 15

Jan. 20 update: Council has asked staff to work towards no more than a 10% tax hike this year. Appreciation was expressed for a solid, realistic, needs-not-wants initial proposal while also recognizing that reserve funds can be creatively used to lower the first ask (16.04%). This increase will still keep Sooke's tax burden among the very lowest in BC (hooray! Remarkable, really, how the District has done more with less over the years. The reality now is that our past tax savings are going to have to be paid forward as we strive to build-out and maintain a complete community).

As i noted yesterday, a lesser amount must be considered in light of the potential taxpayer costs of a major borrowing should we move forward with a referendum on connector route construction and possibly other uses (land acquisition, for instance); as the District's Ben Currie showed in one of his slides, a $30m Municipal Finance Authority borrowing at its current 4.56% long-term interest rate will cost taxpayers $229 per year -- a number that drops notably along with the interest rate, of course. [Inflation in Canada slowed to 1.8% in December (see today's CPI report), and the Bank of Canada's latest 3.25% policy rate may decline as a result. The tariff threat is the wild card shading all else.]


Starting Points 
District of Sooke: Let's Talk Budget 2025 
Website home page with links to all relevant materials, including: 

- Budget 2025: What We Heard citizen survey (input collected from June-September, 2024)
- Survey slide-deck presentation to council (Nov. 12, 2024) 

- Five-Year Financial Plan 2024-2028 adopted in April, 2024. 


Pocketbook Top Notes


​- Proposed 16.04% increase on 2025 property tax bills to cover an increase of $2.13m in new District operational expenses. If approved, this amounts to a 14.04% increase in the Operating Budget and a 2% increase for Asset Management, totalling $2,134,323 in general municipal taxes collected for 2025 District operations.

- This equates to an additional $247.84 per year or $20.66 per month for the average Sooke residential taxpayer (i.e., owner of a home assessed at $770,284, the Sooke average as determined by BC Assessment.)  

- This breaks down to $9.94 per month for RCMP, $2.57 per month for Asset Management, and $8.14 per month for District operations.”
 
- As ever, this is a first bullseye targeted increase. Council has and will again inevitably reduce this number (ideally into single digits if at all possible) while also recognizing the importance of continued investment in Sooke by homeowners (83.4% of tax revenue last year) and businesses who call for a functional, safe, connected community. 
 
- In 2024, we started at 13.3% and settled on 10.56% 
- In 2023, we started at  9.34% and settled on 6.99%. 

- A +1% increase in taxes equates to $109k approx. in new revenue (2024 figure)
- A +1% increase this year in Sooke will generate $123k 

- A +1% increase in Saanich generates $1.75m 
- A +1% increase in Langford generates $450k 
- A +1% increase in Colwood generates $212k 


- Yes, this proposed increase is high, yet it is presented in the context that Sooke has historically been, and remains to this day, one of the least taxed communities in BC. See the finance department’s latest set of graphics (pp. 19-36). These charts were first introduced last year and have been a perspective game-changer.

[Example: Qualicum Beach council is looking at a 5.7% increase this year. A QB homeowner's total taxes (all sources) last year were $6,440 (vs. $4,242 in Sooke); its general municipal taxes were $2,598 (vs. $1,758 here). As our Mr. Currie tell us, these comparisons are apple/orange since every community is unique re: size, geography and the various services and responsibilities each muni undertakes within a regional district context. Yet how critical to recognize our respective starting points created through tax rate decisions made over time. Fact: We in Sooke have been undertaxed historically for the services we demand and expect. I'm told by those in the seeming know that we were underfunded by the Province upon municipal  incorporation and hence were challenged from the get-go.]

- The question asked of council by staff: “Do we have the resources to succeed with our strategic focus areas?” (as identified in the District’s 2024-2027 Strategic Plan approved in late October).  

- Community safety is again the leading factor as the District continues assembling 24/7 fire and police teams to meet the demands of a rapidly growing community (now close to 17k residents). Policing costs are resulting in a 7.72% increase this year. 
 
- A nearly 3% chunk of that policing increase stems from the fact that Sooke is one of ten south island communities that must pay 100% of the costs for E-Comm 9-1-1 and its modernized Next Gen 9-1-1 emergency response system
effective April 1 this year. Pro-rated over a full year, that’s nearly $330k in fresh spending. (Mayor Tait and all other south island mayors protested this increase in 2021. The download was subsequently pushed back from the originally planned April, 2022 as per this notice shared on Sooke’s website. The three-year reprieve is now over. )  

- Sooke launched its first Asset Management Plan and Strategy in 2022 and the new budget calls for a second 2% increase ($246k) this year to build the dedicated reserve fund for future TBD use. These annual 2% increases for this purpose are to expected over the next 20 years minimum if Sooke is to have sufficient funds (end-of-life replacements and climate catastrophes like Charters Rd. included).  This is a best practice for municipalities that want to ensure all the civic fundamentals (roads, sidewalks, sewers, stormwater systems, vehicles, etc.) can be repaired and replaced as required. Many do not to their regret when it comes time to pay for system breakdowns. [See the extensive Sooke report from Urban Systems (pp. 49-182). The Federation of Canadian Municipalities provides this video explainer to inspire good-parent communities like our own.]

- Like last year, there is little wriggle room in the budget beyond these expenses given that most other costs fall into the “non-discretionary” category of items (4.16% of the total increase) that we’re contracted to cover, i.e. CUPE and IAFF and exempt (management) employee wage increases (each representing 1% of the lift); group employee benefits; the highway maintenance contract with Victoria Contracting ($200k more per year over length of a three-year contract approved last fall); and costs associated with the one municipal by-election now on the books (when there could be more than one plus a referendum).

Budget 2025 Timeline 
* COW for initial council direction and public input: Jan. 19 
* First reading of the Five-Year Plan: Feb. 
* Second and third reading: Feb. 
* Community Budget Open House: March 
* Adoption: March/April 
* Provincial deadline: May 15 
 
Input from the Community 
Solid north star-guidance based on the top community priorities for service-level increases was captured in the Budget 2024 survey last year  It drew formal responses from 330 residents and is augmented by the opinions of 900 others who shared thoughts at the various market booths hosted by the District. See pp. 25-88 for a small but statistically accurate slice of hugely diverse #Sooke thinking about departmental spending, borrowing referendums, fiscal support of community groups (nearly $1m per year, of which 80% of survey respondents either approved and/or felt merited further investment) and much else.

Four top priorities
• Local streets and roadways;
• Community safety, planning and development;
• Business attraction, retention, and commercial development;
• Parks, outdoor spaces, sidewalks, and trails.

High satisfaction 
- fire rescue
- parks
- communications
- community engagement
- policing 
 
Areas of concern 
- local streets
- community planning
- business attraction and retention 
- commercial development
- bylaw education
 
“However, most respondents expressed overall satisfaction across all services.” 

Proposed 2025 Increases 
<clipped from the agenda>
 - $951,681 or 7.72% increase for policing, including E-Comm – new costs for emergency dispatch services, prorated for 3 quarters (April to December) … E-Comm accounts for $254,927 (2.5% tax increase) 
 
- $250,000 or 2% increase for asset management to ensure the District can maintain and replace infrastructure over the long term 
 
- $512,286 or 4.16% non-discretionary increases which include items such as municipal by-election, staffing obligations (contract and committed net new positions – Executive Office Coordinator, Firefighter, Part-time Bylaw Officer previously funded by COVID Reserves), licensing fees, insurance, etc., and 
 
- $266,947 or 2.17% discretionary increases which includes staffing considerations (Firefighter, Parks Labourer, Auxiliary Senior Financial Accountant hours, Auxiliary Clerk hours), fire operating expenses, and parks operating expenses."

Granular Details 
Sooke RCMP - Police
- under new nation-wide RCMP union contract, officer per-member costs rise from $227k to $254k in 2025 and beyond. This number is salary plus all associated costs per officer (including vehicle and pro-rated share of support staff, the Church Road HQ, etc.)

- current force size due to vacancies, stress leave, etc: 14 municipal officers + five provincial officers
- 16 approved and budgeted Sooke RCMP positions in 2025
- Sooke council, in 2023, approved expansion of the local force to 19 officers to enable 24/7 service (scroll through this post to find details)
 
- Anticipating Sooke population growth – 17,311 in 2025; 19,865 by 2029; 22,796 by 2033 (based on a 3.5% increase per year in figures presented by Sooke RCMP.)  With 19 officers – the Pop to Cop ratio will be 1 officer per 1,082 residents in 2029.  The ultimate goal is to reach and then maintain over time the provincial average of 1:800.  
 
- Future cost: Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit (VIIMCU). Implementation date TBD with Sooke responsible for the costs (though Mayor Tait and council have repeatedly lobbied the Solicitor General for relief or a break of some kind.)  Initial estimate is $350k per year, i.e. a 3% tax hike likely to start in 2026.   Joining VIIMCU is an insurance policy of sorts that protects Sooke from one-time, usually six-figure investigation costs associated with murders and other major crimes. 

Fire Rescue and Emergency Program Services
- 24-hour coverage achieved in 2023 
- one new firefighter to be hired in 2025 
- this will be Sooke's' eighth IAFF member. The goal over time is to build towards 24/7 4x4 shift rotation (i.e., 16 firefighters) backed by volunteers.  
- purchase of EV car for use by fire inspector and emergency program manager (green corporate fleet policy) 
- confined space training 
- critical equipment replacement + new PPE gear locker 
 
Facilities, Parks and Environmental Services
- park labourer - 1 FTE 
- mid-term Parks and Trails Master Plan review
- trail construction 
- park signage and wayfinding 

Other proposed staff hires heard during the November, 2024 Service Review  
​- Chief Building Official (already built into the budget last year) 
- increasing capacity for Bylaw Enforcement to ensure adequate coverage and response times. 
- increasing capacity for Legislative Services to meet new legislative requirements related to privacy management. 

Several other positions were requested in the service review but have not made the cut when all financial factors were considered and will likely be in the mix again next year:  
- Senior Financial Accountant (reduced to a continuing part-time contract position)
- Planner 2 
- Facility Labourer within the parks department 
- Second IAFF firefighter hire 

 
Breakdown of our total tax bill  
District of Sooke – 44.1%
SD 62 – 28.1% 
CRD – 15.8%
BC Transit – 4.4%
Library – 3.4%
CRD Hospital District – 3.2%
BC Assessment – 1%

2025 Projections ... 
Capital Regional District 
See September’s Capital Regional District budget presentation. The numbers translate to a 6.74% increase for the average assessed Sooke property -- i.e., $38.47. For details of what the CRD delivers to Sooke, see our budget scorecard amidst summaries for all municipalities and electoral areas in Item 4.2 Appendix D of the agenda.  

(Background on, and respect to, our regional mother corp in this blog post. Top perennial bite is for the operation, maintenance and strategic expansion of our recreation centre SEAPARC, to which nearly half of the requisition is dedicated. Our share of funding for regional parks, CRD legislative staff, emergency services (including fire dispatch and the CREST telecommunications system), animal bylaw services and the Sooke Region Museum are the other bigger-ticket needs that we, as a municipality, are grateful is handled by our parent district with its staff capacity and multi-jurisdictional delivery ... The first block of services at the top of the statement is financed by all households in the CRD. The second block lists "Sub-Regional" services that Sooke has opted into. We share costs for the museum with the JDF in a 70/30 split. Everyone in the region chips into the Capital Regional Hospital District and the long-term debt on various regional undertakings.)

Vancouver Island Regional Library 
VIRL’s provisional $32.5m budget to operate the 39-branch system in 2025 is resulting in a 6% lift (roughly) on the $1.09 million it collected from Sooke this year.

(others to follow as available)
 
Taxation in Sooke since 2012 
Municipal tax hikes since 2012 total 44.93% ... nonetheless, to dive into the stats cited above, Sooke has the third lowest residential taxes on Vancouver Island. Sooke at $1,594 in municipal residential property taxes (for the average assessed property) is second only to Lake Cowichan ($1,540) in having the lowest bills on Vancouver Island amongst communities south of Campbell River. The median tax among the 25 jurisdictions cited in the draft plan is $2,381 (i.e., what folks in Port Alberni, Colwood, Qualicum Beach approximately pay). Oak Bay tops the list at $5,063 per tweed-curtain household. Not that this alone justifies major local increases, of course. 

2024 ~ 10.53%
2023 ~ 6.99%
2022 ~ 6.09%
2021 ~ 3.31%
2020 ~ 0.00%
2019 ~ 7.18%
2018 ~ 2.79%
2017 ~ 5.58%
2016 ~ 0.85%
2015 ~ 0.00%
2014 ~ 0.02%
2013 ~ 1.59%
2012 ~ 0.00%
 
2019-2024 ~ 34.1% 
2012-2024 ~ 44.93% 
 
Working five-year projections in the 2024-2028 plan approved last spring ... 
2025 – 8.98%
2026 – 6.51% 
2027 – 6.14% 
2028 – 5.68% 

Big Picture Context 
 - Inflation - British Columbia 2024: "As of November 2024 (see infographic), the 12-month average price index for all-items in British Columbia was 154.8, a 2.7% increase when compared to the previous 12-month average. Energy had an average price index of 210.5 (-2.1%) while the average food price index climbed to 182.3 (+3.4%)." 
 
- Consumer Price Index Portal (Statistics Canada) 
- Consumer Price Index Annual Review (2023)
- Consumer Price Inflation: Recent Trends and Analysis
- Personal Inflation Calculator

- Need for more local government support from other orders of government 
 
- Municipal governments today receive approx. 9 cents of every tax dollar collected in Canada vs. double that amount 50 years ago (source: FCM)  

- "Municipal Funding Model Needs A New Approach" - South Island Prosperity Project's Dallas Gislason writing in the Times Colonist, June 15, 2024
 
- Union of BC Municipalities campaign: See its "Stretched to the Limit" report released in September, 2024 
 
<clip> "Local governments are providing more and more public services in areas of provincial responsibility without a corresponding growth in revenue. They are increasingly stepping up to meet the needs of a growing population by filling gaps in provincial services while implementing costly new legislative requirements in such areas as housing, community safety, infrastructure, and emergency management ... While local governments are doing significantly more, they are doing so with fiscal tools that have been in place for generations. Local governments are being asked to solve 21st century problems with 20th century revenue tools." # upload the download
 
-  UBCM Local Government Financial Review Working Group – Sept. 2024 Annual Report 
 
- Sustainable, long-term, predictable Province of BC funding for local governments paired with policy support in three priority areas: attainable housing, climate change and community safety. See Ensuring Local Government Financial Resiliency (2021), which presents recommendations that reiterate and expand on those found in UBCM's Strong Fiscal Futures report (2013).

- This work is coordinated by UBCM and provincial staff within the Local Government Financial Review Working Group (see its August, 2024 report). Top of mind always is this consensus "problem statement" - "Property tax is useful and important as an own-source revenue tool, but local governments report difficulty raising enough revenue from property taxes, particularly regarding infrastructure capital costs and select service delivery costs driven by senior government regulations and environmental factors." 

- Federation of Canadian Municipalities' Municipal Growth Framework campaign at the federal level. Its key point: "Local governments’ scope of responsibilities continues to expand—including driving action on-the-ground in new areas like homelessness, housing, mental health and addiction, as well as sustainability, climate adaptation and mitigation—outstripping funding provided by an outdated funding framework. Who pays for it all, through what means, and how do we keep municipal budgets balanced?"]  
 
 ~ Infrastructure funding renewal. UBCM represents local governments re: the Canada-Community Building Fund (formerly Gas Tax Fund). A new 10-year agreement with Ottawa was signed on April 1 last year and will deliver $3.5 billion to BC over the next decade; half of it is dedicated to Greater Vancouver, and funds are also hived off for BC Transit, Trans-Link and non-profits. The amount is indexed to rise incrementally each year. See UBCM page + 2018 UBCM outcomes report. 

Sooke received approx. $630k in 2023 + the new agreement will deliver (over the next five years) approx. $750,000 per year through 2027 and $780,000 per year for 2028 and 2029.  Funding to Sooke over the years has gone towards multiple road, trail and other infrastructure improvements, master-planning documents, the Fred Milne turf field, the SEAPARC weight room/fitness studio and more. [A permanent doubling of the $293 million transferred to BC as happened in 2019 and 2021 would be much appreciated, of course.]

- Investing In Canada Infrastructure Program (now in its final year)
- Community transition support via the BC Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program 

Budget 2025 Feedback on my Facebook page from Ellen Lewers

"What about the rest of the taxes??? Want or need? What about the $30,000 for a rainbow crosswalk when a highly visible white crosswalk costs $1200-$1500? Strategic plan states fiscal responsibility. 
What about a $4.4 million parks budget?. How about sandbags for playing ball and bring your own soccer ball to kick around instead of expensive jungle gyms and water parks? Playgrounds are where children learn to be creative. If we do it for them they don’t enhance their own creative play and skills." 

My reply: "Hi Ellen, here's my full-scale take on the 2025 budget in progress - arguably another budget of needs, not wants (i.e. police, fire, asset management reserve fund, union contracts) https://www.jeffbateman.ca/blog/budget-2025

The $4.4m parks number you mention is the capital budget, and it includes the $2.7m Little River bridge/trail (federal and provincial funds) and the Ravens Ridge Park development ($750k from the Province's one-time 2023 Growing Communities Fund grant to Sooke). The actual budget for Parks & Environmental Services is approx. $1.3m to cover staffing and "the planning, design, construction and maintenance of municipal facilities, parks, trails, green spaces and environmental planning and stewardship." (The $1.3m number is on pg. 47 of last year's Five-Year Plan, we've yet to see this kind of detailed breakdown yet for this year.)

Crosswalks: As per Cllr. McMath's motion on Monday night based on some numbers I found re: a CHEK report that City of Victoria spent $18k repainting three Pandora Street rainbow crosswalks in June 2023, District staff are tasked with preparing a report on a possible rainbow crosswalk on Church Rd. using a $6k benchmark. As the Mayor said, one message she's heard from the hundreds of youngsters she's interacted with over the last decade and more is that they want Sooke to have its own roadside rainbow message of inclusivity as is now increasingly common in municipalities across Canada. The staff report clearly recommended "up to $30k" for this purpose. Several of us questioned the timing of this kind of expense in light of the proposed tax increase (which council has asked be reduced to 10%) and the fact we'd just voted that night (4-2) to delay the council by-election in part due to how much these voting days cost (likely $50k or more apiece) and the fact we may need two or three voting windows this year. I noted that inclusivity is baked into section 4.11 of the pending OCP ("Equitable Community") with the goal of "create a safe and resilient community for all" (pg. 147). I also noted that some BC communities are finding other, less costly, ways to celebrate diversity -- i.e., rainbow benches, street banners, even rainbow sidewalks that experience less wear and tear than road surfaces. We'll discuss more when the report comes back. 

I agree with you about the upsides of free-range children (as i was back in the distant day, living in a safe suburban setting, roaming with a pack of friends and staying entertained with yes, a soccer ball or a tennis ball that I'd slam hundreds of times against the garage door to my dad's understandable annoyance as I developed what remains pretty good hand-eye coordination). Times have changed, however, and parents do want modern playgrounds and spray parks for their youngsters ... wants in the eyes of some, yet needs for others. (There's no spray park in the current five-year budget; instead there are line items for repairs and maintenance, playground equipment safety replacements, maintenance of the pier and boardwalk, new fencing at Ed Macgregor Park, improvements to the frankly pretty shabby parks office at the works yard, and other essentials. The memorial wall might qualify as a 'want,' I suppose, but a rather significant and meaningful one, we and many believe.) 
​
Bottom line: Sincere thank you, Ellen, for almost always showing up at meetings and sharing your views and opinions in continuing your multi-decade tradition of engagement and necessarily tough questions."


Archive of my earlier budget posts 
- Budget 2023 Starter
​- Budget 2022
- 2020/21
- CRD (2019)
- Budget 2019

In the council appointments shuffle, I find myself in 2025 assigned to two arts organizations as successor to Dana Lajeunesse. I'm now Sooke's appointee to the CRD Arts Commission and the Westshore Arts Centre Intermunicipal Committee. This page is where I’m filing links, clips and random notes for future reference. Welcome to it!

(this post is a work in progress)

i) CRD Arts Commission

The District first committed to this arts-funding and support service in 2018 thanks to the passionate advocacy of the late Brenda Parkinson. The annual investment (now $45k) allows our arts non-profits to tap into the service's $2.5m annual budget. Seven other CRD municipalities -- Saanich, Victoria, Oak Bay, Esquimalt, View Royal, Highlands, Metchosin -- and the Southern Gulf Islands electoral area also invest and participate. Its hoped Langford will join the fold in the near-term. Arts groups in non-participating jurisdictions -- i.e., Colwood, Central Saanich, Sidney, North Saanich and the JDF electoral area -- are not eligible for funding.  

In 2024, Project grants totalling $18k went to Sooke Harbour Players, the Sooke Community Choir, the Sooke Festival Society and Choral Evolution. IDEA (Innovate, Develop, Experiment, Access) Grants, which are distributed to non-profit groups not specifically dedicated to the arts but who weave art in their public outreach, were awarded to the EMCS Society Programs, Harmony Project Sooke and the Friends of Sooke Parks ($8.5k total). The service has also supported SEAPARC in an analysis of its programming for youth and vulnerable populations.

Of course, we in Sooke can also enjoy arts of all kinds from 95 other regional groups that received $2.5m in CRD funding this year – the Belfry, Ballet Victoria, the Art Gallery of Victoria, Victoria Symphony, multiple festivals (jazz, film and ska included) and much else. (Stats in today’s agenda show that Sooke residents purchased 2,055 tickets to events at the Royal Theatre last year and 802 at the McPherson Playhouse – about a 2% share of all sales, which aligns with our share of the CRD population).

Why should a regional government support the arts? Answer: “CRD municipalities invest in the arts for the economic impact and employment they provide, for the provincial and national visibility arts organizations provide to the region, and to provide a wide range of educational, participatory and audience opportunities for citizens and visitors, improving quality of life.”

The Commission's Erin Sterling, a Sooke resident herself, recommends anyone with an interest in the regional arts scene subscribe to the CRD arts newsletter here. 

CRD Arts & Culture Support Service 
- Strategic Plan 2024-2027

- Archive of Arts Commission Agendas and Minutes
- CRD Establishing Bylaw No. 4173 (2017) 

CRD Arts Commission 2025
* Marian Alto (Chair, Mayor of Victoria) 
* Carey Smart (Vice Chair, Oak Bay)
* Andrea Boardman (Oak Bay) 
* Sherry Epp (Metchosin)
* Colin Plant (Saanich)
* Paul Brent (Southern Gulf Islands)
* Jeff Bateman (Sooke)
* Gerry Lemon (View Royal) 
* Karel Roessingh (Highlands) 

CRD Manager, Arts & Culture Support Services - Chris Gilprin 
Former executive director of the Community Arts Council of Vancouver. 

- CRD Arts & Culture website homepage 
- Impact Reports – 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020 
 
- Statistics Canada and other third-party reports (health, economic, social impacts of the arts) 
- Arts-based survey of CRD residents (2016) 
 
- Public Art in the Capital Region (data base of 180 public art works) 
- Directory of Non-Profit Arts Organizations in Greater Victoria 
 
- CRD Arts Service Strategic Plan 2015-18 (approved March 2015) 

Grants 
Adjudication by the CRD Arts Advisory Council 
-Comprised of a dozen arts professionals and chaired in 2025 by multi-disciplinary Victoria-based artist Sarah Reid. The council's recommendations are forwarded for approval to the CRD Arts Commission. 

CRD Bylaw 2973 established the Arts Advisory Council (AAC) “as an independent community-based body to provide advice to the CRD” on matters relating to the Arts Service.

The AAC’s mandate is to act as an arm’s length adjudication body for the Arts Development funding programs and to advise the Arts Committee on policies that foster and promote:
 
• Support of the arts in the community,
• Public awareness of and involvement in the arts,
• The creation, exhibition and performance of artistic works, and
• The development of artistic and other requisite skills, and shall advise the CRD Arts
Committee of measures which the Council considers to be conducive to these ends.
• Other appropriate duties as assigned by the Arts Committee from time to time." 
 
Grant Opportunities 
- Arts Funding home page
- Video overview (YouTube)
- Arts & Culture Grant Recipients 2017-Present 
- Greater Victoria Grant Writing Handbook (Victoria Foundation, 2018) 

Operating Grants ($2.4m annual budget) 
Stable, reliable funding open to arts group of “regional significance” who have been in operation for at least two years with annual budgets of at least $90k and guided by a Board of Directors. Available as either annual or multi-year grants. 
2025 recipients:   Notice of Significant Concern (NOSC) 

Project Grants ($280k) 
“Projects, Series & Extended Programming Grants (Project Grants) provide support for emerging or
established arts organizations to produce or present one-time projects, a short series of events, or
extended programming, taking place over a period of time leading up to the next year’s project grant
deadlines. Project Grants are not available to organizations receiving assistance through the CRD
Operating Grant program.” (guidelines) 

Equity Grants ($50k) 
“Funding arts programing by and for communities that face significant collective barriers to accessing funding. They may be marginalized based on race, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or something else.” Up to $10k per approved applicant as per these 2025 guidelines. Independent groups not registered as a society are encouraged to find and work with a sponsor organization. 
 
IDEA Grants ($33k) 
“IDEA (Innovate, Develop, Experiment, Access) Grants is a flexible, small-awards program designed to respond to one-time opportunities and to encourage new, innovative, or developmental arts projects and events. IDEA Grants are intended to encourage and support arts participation by organizations that are not eligible for other CRD Arts & Culture Support Service programs.” See IDEA Grant guidelines. 
 
Grow Forward Grants ($30k) 
New in 2025: Grow Forward Grants provide up to $5k to not-for-profit arts organizations seeking to grow and evolve. Funds are to be used for: “Capacity-building; Planning; Mentorships; Sectoral initiatives; and Significant and strategic adaptations to operations.” (Replaces the former Incubator Grant program.) + guidelines. 

Six applicants will be accepted for a pilot version to launch in spring 2025. If successful, the program would expand to 30 groups in 2026.

"• Developing mentorships for arts leaders internally or between organizations.
• Making shifts to business models and organizational structures.
• Forming strategic partnerships with other organizations, including resource sharing.
• Sectoral initiatives that benefit multiple arts organizations in the Capital Region.
• Cross-sectoral initiatives that create collaborations between arts and other sectors or industries.
• Planning for leadership succession from founding and longstanding leaders.
• Addressing organizational life cycle questions, including potential mergers and closures."

2025 Grant Results 
* Project Grant - January uptake (second uptake in April) 
​- See March 26 agenda, pp. 14-51 (includes analysis of each application) 

"At the January 2025 deadline of Project Grants, 34 applications were received, higher than the 4-year average. No applications were ruled ineligible by staff. The total request from eligible applications of $316,020 was significantly higher than the 4-year average. 17 grants were awarded with a higher-than-average award amount and four applications are funded at the full amount of their request. The applicant success rate of 50% was lower than average, in part due to the high number of applications."  (One Sooke-based grant application by Choral Evolution was declined.)  

​Sooke grant recipients since joining the service in 2019: 
- Sooke Fine Arts ($11k, 2020/21/22)
- Sooke Region Museum ($3k, 2021)
- Sooke Arts Council ($4k, 2020) 

CRD Project Grant recipients from Sooke in the first two years (2019/20) of our participation in the service: 
Sooke Fine Arts Society ($10k) 
Harmony Project Sooke ($2k) 
Sooke Community Choir ($2k)
Sooke Folks Music Society ($2k) 
Sooke Festival Society ($1.5k) 
Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra ($5k) 


 
 From the CRD Arts FAQ page: "Where else can I get funding?" 

• BC Arts Council
• BC Cultural Services Branch
• BC Gaming
• Canada Council for the Arts
• City of Vancouver, Office of Cultural Affairs
• City of Victoria, Arts & Culture
• Department of Canadian Heritage
• First Peoples' Cultural Council
• Indigenous Curatorial Collective
• Koerner Foundation
• Hamber Foundation
• McLean Foundation
• Vancouver Foundation
• Victoria Foundation 

Related: CRD Performing Arts Facility Service 
Establishing Bylaw No. 4445 

Performing Arts Facilities Select Committee
- Terms of Reference 

- Stage One: A Public Conversation about Performing Arts Facilities in the CRD (2020, PDF file attached below) 

Core beliefs: 
- Performing Arts in the CRD are regional in nature and our regional facilities attract audiences, volunteers and artists from all over the CRD, regardless which municipality or electoral area they live in. 
- The arts are a valued aspect of our region’s cultural health and need support to ensure their ongoing sustainability. 
- Like our municipal and regional parks systems, there can be government support for both municipal and regional facilities for performing arts. 
- As this will be a new regional service, it is understood there will be an evolution to the service as new facilities are developed and older facilities are renovated/replaced. Some proposed components of the new service to be considered: 

1. The new Arts Facilities Service is intended to consolidate and replace the two current CRD services (Royal and McPherson) into one new service: The Regional Performing Arts Facilities Service. 

2. The new service is intended to have a broader scope than just the two facilities referenced in Item #1 above. It will also support the Charlie White Theatre (located in the Mary Winspear Centre on the Saanich Peninsula) as well as future theatres that are regional in nature being considered in the Westshore. As additional spaces are developed, they can also be considered. 

3. The service will support both regionally/municipally owned and not-for-profit society-owned theatres. For-profit theatres, school-based and church-based performing arts facilities will not be supported by this service. 
​


ii) Westshore Arts Centre Intermunicipal Committee 

Committee of west shore councillors in support of the JDF Performing Arts Centre Society
Karel Roessingh, Gery Lemon, David Grove, Colby Harder, Sharie Epp, Jeff Bateman, Chris Fraser, Judith Cullington

Juan de Fuca Performing Arts Centre Society 
"Our mission is to build a regional theatre and associated arts infrastructure in a community consisting of the rapidly growing British Columbia municipalities of Colwood and Langford, together with the Districts of Metchosin, Highlands and Sooke, the Town of View Royal and the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area, representing a population of approximately 79,000 people." 

President: Judith Cullington
Vice-President: Chris Fraser 
Directors: Duc Le (Treasurer), David Stocks, Dorothy York 

- West Shore Community Arts Centre: Preliminary Feasibility Study (Oct. 2022) 
- Development Study (City of Colwood, 2013) 

Proposed Space

• a theatre of about 350 seats (smaller than was previously recommended) with lobby
• a variety of smaller rooms that can be used for recording, teaching, classes, workshops, meetings
• a space with a sprung floor (suitable for dance)
• classroom spaces
• space for exhibiting
• a dedicated art room and pottery studio
• a small space for recording/podcasting
• space for gathering
• storage – by user groups, those who may teach/instruct etc., and regular users
• a café or similar
• accessible and inclusive spaces and programs – physically accessible for all; inclusive of all with any interest level and ability in the arts; every age and cultural background; welcoming

- Artists' Workshop with Alex Sarian and Cascadia Architects - Sat. April 26, 2025, Elements Casino 
- Purpose: To ground-truth spaces identified above with performing arts organizations in the region 
- Sarian is CAO of The Arts Commons in Calgary and the author of The Audacity of Relevance 
- Former senior executive at the Lincoln Centre for the Performing Arts in NYC  
- Cascadia Architects is a Victoria-based architectural firm that will develop a working sketch of the facility 

​
iii) Sooke Arts Scene

District of Sooke support 
* Line-item annual funding ($7k each) ...
- Sooke Fine Arts Society
- Sooke Philharmonic Society
- Sooke Community Arts Council 

* Community Grants Program ($65k, annual application deadline is March 15)​

SPA Committee - proposed revision of the Sooke Region Cultural Plan (June 2022) 
"The Sooke Program of the Arts committee first discussed a revision of the 2011 Taking it to the Streets Sooke Region Cultural Plan at the July 8, 2021, meeting. It was recognized that the content of the plan was relevant but needed updating the reflect the needs of Sooke's current population. Since then, members have discussed the ways in which the plan might be revitalized and how to proceed, resulting in the writing of a discussion paper for Council's receipt and action."  (see attached file below, pp. 5-37) 

Sooke Region Cultural Plan (2011)  
​"The Sooke Region Cultural Plan was initiated to serve as the starting point for discussions around developing a healthy arts community for the Sooke Region. A funding collaboration between the District of Sooke, Juan de Fuca Economic Development, Sooke Community Arts Council, Sooke Region Tourism and the Sooke Fine Arts Society enabled the Sooke Region to become one of a number of municipalities in BC to undertake a Cultural Plan as guided by 2010 Legacies Now and Creative City Network of Canada." 

​Preliminary: ArtsWave Cultural Mapping Project (2010) 
Follow-Up: Sooke Region Cultural Planning Advisory Committee Business Plan (2012) 
First task: Hire a Sooke Region Cultural Planning Coordinator (fail) 

From the priorities identified in ArtsWave, the Cultural Plan focused on five Strategic Directions: 

1. Strengthen arts, cultural and heritage organizations; 
2. Encourage community celebrations and festivals; 
3. Expand youth opportunities in the arts; 
4. Strengthen cultural infrastructure; 
5. Secure greater connection with and visibility for First Nations artists and local regional artists. 

 
Strategic Actions and Directions
HIGH Priority 
* Create a Cultural Planning Advisory Committee
 
* Amalgamate with the existing Sooke Program of the Arts Committee and explore additional partnerships (appoint membership and establish funding through DOS and JDF)
 
* Annual Cultural Summit to foster partnerships and enact the Plan
 
* Seek grant opportunities to provide funding for collaborative regional approach 
 
* Sooke Region Volunteer Centre 
 
* Coordinate pro-active marketing and promotion campaigns for the arts, cultural and heritage sector, including regular interaction with local print, radio, TV and online media. 

* Collaborate to improve upon existing calendars of arts, cultural and heritage activities and events. 

* Encourage event organizers to partner with community arts, cultural and heritage organizations in the planning process. 
 
* Seek joint marketing opportunities for celebrations and festivals to be promoted and champion celebrations and festivals regionally, provincially and nationally. 

* Continue to build the Sooke Region’s brand as a cultural hub on Vancouver Island through hosting high caliber and unique cultural events. 

* Create opportunities for youth to exhibit and perform at events within the Region. 

* Develop mutually beneficial and inclusive relationships with First Nations Bands in the coordination of arts, cultural and heritage festivals and events. 
 
MEDIUM Priority 
* Review possibility of shared administrative space for arts and heritage organizations, and festival groups
 
* Work with SRTA to coordinate cultural tourism 
 
* Coordinate pro-active marketing and promotion campaigns for the arts, cultural and heritage sector, including regular interaction with local print, radio, TV and online media. 

* Advocate for youth-friendly spaces to be incorporated in to cultural infrastructure planning. 

* Review the possibility of working with local businesses for creating a shared storage facility. 

* Seek expertise and leadership to identify a well-defined process for cultural facility development in the Sooke Region. 

* Advocate for incentive grants to build or convert spaces for commercial/cultural use. 


Sooke Arts Facilities 
* Sooke Community Theatre at EMCS (with 350 newly replaced seats) 
* Edward Milne Community School (rentals of space in it and all Sooke school facilities through the EMCS Society) 
* Sooke Community Hall 
* Royal Canadian Legion 
* Holy Trinity Anglican Church 

Proposed ... 
~ Sooke Gathering Place (multi-use seniors space with intergenerational programming at the ground floor and below-grade levels + 77 units of affordable BC Housing seniors rental apartments above)

~ Sooke Arts Council at the Gathering Space (TBD gallery and studio spaces should the project move ahead) 

- Arts groups in the past have expressed keen interest in a black-box theatre in the town centre (Kelowna example) as a flexible space for rehearsals and smaller-scale events. 

- An arts gallery/studio space in the spirit of the celebrated Old School House Arts Centre in Qualicum was explored by the Mayor's Advisory Council on Arts & Beautification circa 2012/13 at the former Mulligans property when it was on the market. 

From This Blog: 
* Some Thoughts on the Arts (Oct. 2018) 


<clip from 2019> The SPA Committee is returning a year after the sad passing of its former chairperson, the irreplaceable Cllr. Brenda Parkinson. In keeping with tradition, it will feature a mix of public members (hopefully a number of fine returnees among them) and one representative each from the Sooke Arts Council and the Sooke Region Historical Society.  Other organizations will be considered. The new committee will, I imagine, be asked to initiate action on the previous group's top recommendations -- the painting of the town centre's three crosswalks (featuring, in turn, a rainbow, musical notes and the combo of whale's tail and leaping salmon) and a makeover of the tourism kiosk at Evergreen Mall. The new committee will also have license to conjure fresh ideas that will (to quote the existing terms of reference) "foster public awareness, recognition, education, support and celebration of the community arts in Sooke." (The Whiffin Spit memorial wall is also a legacy of Brenda's SPA committee; the staff recommendation for a display space for memorial plaques in Quimper Park near the Spit parking lot is being brought back by Mayor Tait for reconsideration Monday night; this is to ensure staff will work with the new committee and in consultation with the T'Sou-ke on a dignified, effective, respectful and yet also unique and artistic memorial facing the harbour.) 

Council and CAO Gray are set for Sooke's fourth Memorandum of Understanding meeting with the trustees of School District #62 this evening. Preparing myself by gathering this homework, diving deep into the SD62 website in learning more about its remarkable range of programs and services, and following up on my March, 2021 State of Sooke's Youth Nation blog post. 

BC Education Legislation 
- School Act (1996)
- Teachers Act (2024 updated) 
​- Independent School Act (1996) 
- First Nations Education Act (2007) 
- Glossary 

BC Ministry of Education and Child Care 
"The purpose of the British Columbia school system is to enable the more than 570,000 public school students, 89,000 independent school students, and more than 4,500 home-schooled children enrolled each school year, to develop their individual potential and to acquire the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to contribute to a healthy society and a prosperous and sustainable economy."  + January, 2025 mandate letter to Hon. Lisa Beare, Minister of Education and Child Care 

​- home page 
- BC Course Curriculum
​- References for curriculum transformation in BC 
- Learning Pathways (literacy and numeracy skills) 

- Core Competencies K-12 curriculum
"The Core Competencies are sets of intellectual, personal, and social and emotional proficiencies that all students need in order to engage in deep, lifelong learning. Along with literacy and numeracy foundations, they are central to British Columbia’s K-12 curriculum and assessment system and directly support students in their growth as educated citizens." 
1. Communicating and Collaborating 
2. Thinking (Creative, Critical, Reflective) 
3. Personal and Social (Awareness, Responsibility, and Positive Personal and Cultural Identity) 

BC School Trustees Association
- BCSTA advocacy focus areas cited on its website: i) Recruitment and Retention of Staff; ii) 
Capital and Deferred Maintenance Funding; and iii) Inclusive Education and Student Success.
- 2022-2025 Strategic Plan  

- Excerpt from Election 2024 advocacy template: "Capital and Deferred Maintenance Funding: Schools are more than mere buildings; they are the environments where future generations embark on their educational journeys. Many of BC’s schools are in urgent need of repairs, updates and seismic upgrades. To ensure that our learning environments are safe and reflect the needs of 21st century learning, adequate capital and deferred maintenance funding is needed. There is a need for recognition of these challenges and adjustments to budgeting for school districts." 


Memorandum of Understanding between SD62 and District of Sooke signed in early 2022 
Subsequent meetings held on Feb. 15, 2022; Jan. 30, 2023; and June 29, 2023 

* Collaborative advocacy with the Province on shared priorities
* Sooke's population increases and need for new schools
* Explosive population growth in Langford and Colwood requiring new schools 
* Traffic and safety issues at schools on Hwy #14
* Sooke Elementary's future
* Future for school land purchased in Sunriver 
* Expansion of Edward Milne Community School 
* Safety and parking issues at John Muir in particular 
* Impacts of planned MOTT roadwork on Hwy #14, including Idlemore and Church
* Saseenos Elementary's future  
* Promise and potential of The Village Initiative and The Foundry 
* Playground expansion - new facility at John Muir in 2024
* Sport court box utilization at Sunriver
* School crossing guard program 
* Safe Routes to Schools and the walking school-bus initiative
* Finite funding available from Ministry of Education & Child Care given its province-wide mandate  


Sooke School District #62
(website homepage) 
School Stats
Enrolment (as of Sept. 2024)
Approx. 4.3% annual growth, or 400 new students annually (enough for a new elementary school)  

- Elementary: 6,083
- Middle: 2,974
- Secondary: 4,241
- Special needs students: 1,387
- International students: 260

- Teachers: 670
- Principles & Vice-Principles: 71
- Educational Assistants: 449 in 2023
- Support staff: 273 

Executive Team
- Superintendent: Paul Block 
- Secretary Treasurer: Brian Jonker
- Deputy Superintendent: Monica Braniff 
- Associate Superintendents: Dave Strange & D'Arcy Deacon 
- Executive Director, Human Resources: Fred Hibbs 

Board of Education 2022-2026
Cendra Beaton (Chair) 
Allison Watson (Vice Chair)
Amanda Dowhy (Past Chair) 
Russ Chips
Christine Lervold
Ebony Logins 
Trudy Spiller 

​Archive of board meeting agendas and minutes 

Strategic Plan 2021-2025
* Draft Strategic Plan for 2025-2029 included in the Feb. 25 agenda pp. 100-113. Quarterly reports are tabled at meetings in November (Quarter 1: July- September), February (Quarter 2: October-December), May (Quarter 3: January - March) and September (Annual Report including Quarter 4: April to June).

Operational Plan 2024-2025 
- Includes Engagement, Learning and Growth priority areas. 
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is a leading cross-category priority 
- Implementation of the K-12 Literacy Framework in middle and secondary schools 
- Student participation and voice 
- Collaborate with Sc’ianew, T’Sou-ke and Pacheedaht Nations and with Na’tsa’maht Indigenous Education to establish a new Indigenous Education Council (re: Bill 40, School Amendment Act, 2023) 
- Develop an asset management plan 
- Make progress towards CleanBC 2030 targets 
- Introduce SD62 Ethical Framework to board decision-making 
​- BC Digital Literacy Framework 

Budget Planning 
See amended annual budget in the Feb. 25 agenda pp. 79-96 
​- Current and past budgets 
- 2025 Financial Plan 

2024/25 Budget
- Total Expenses: $231,779,556 
- Total Revenue:  $257,308,544 
- Ministry of Education funding: $227,630,702 
- MOE funding based on a per-student allocation of $8,915

Capital Funding 2024/25
"The Capital Fund includes capital expenditures for land, buildings, buses and other tangible capital assets. The 2024/25 budget includes $29.6 million in anticipated total capital additions. Significant capital projects include:
~ Expansion Program (EXP) – $22.3 million for the prefabricated classrooms at David Cameron Elementary and Ruth King Elementary
~ School Enhancement Program (SEP) – $0.85 million for a HVAC upgrade at Willway Elementary and $0.45 million for roofing upgrades at Crystal View Elementary
~ Carbon Neutral Capital Program (CNCP) – $0.5 million for energy upgrades at John Muir Elementary
~ Playground Equipment Program (PEP) – $0.195 million for a new playground at John Muir Elementary
~ Childcare Centre - $5.1 million for a new childcare centre at Colwood Elementary. 

School Inventory 
- 26 schools
- 20 in Langford and Colwood
- All mapped on the School Locator 

Schools in Milnes Landing (Sooke Region) Zone 
- Edward Milne Community School + staff (Principal Mike Bullock) 
- Journey Middle School + staff (Principal Darren Russell) 
- Sooke Elementary School + staff (Principal Krista Leakey) 
- John Muir Elementary School + staff (Principal Tamara Deleenheer) 
- Ecole Poirier Elementary + staff (Principal Tess Vally) 
​- Saseenos Elementary + staff (Principal Gordon Johnson) 
- future Port Renfrew Elementary ($12m funding announced in March, 2024) 

- SD #62 Healthy Schools, Healthy People program + sample newsletter 
- SD #62 Mental Health resources 
- Sooke Schools International Students Program 

Long-Range Facilities Plan 2023 
Executive summary: "SD62 is at a tipping point: The School District encompasses the municipalities: District of Sooke, City of Colwood, City of Langford, District of Metchosin, District of Highlands, Township of View Royal and the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area. In BC, in the last two census cycles, Langford has been the fastest growing mid-size municipality. As a result, for the past several years SD62 has been one of the fastest growing school districts in the Province, and the construction of new seats in the District has not been able to keep up with the enrolment growth.

With an average utilization rate across the District of 112%, the District is now at a point where either new capital construction or temporary accommodation is the only remaining tool to alleviate pressure on its schools. Currently, SD62 has one of the highest numbers of portables, when compared to enrolment, in the Province, and approximately 11% of its students are being taught in portables, many of which are past their expected useful life, instead of in permanent facilities.

If no additional capital projects are approved over the next 5 years, the overall District utilization rate is projected to grow to over 120% by 2027, and to over 130% by 2032, and SD62 will have to add over 50 additional portables to alleviate the seat shortfall. This is estimated to cost the District a present day value of approximately $20 million. 
Recently, the District has been awarded pilot projects at two schools for prefabricated additions of 8 classrooms each. These two projects are scheduled to open in the fall of 2024, and will present significant cost savings to the District, as the additions will replace portables.

SD62 is in desperate need of more, immediate, enrolling space in permanent facilities, and is committed to prioritizing simplified repeat designs and prefabricated solutions to reduce the time line for the delivery of major capital projects." 

Replaces the 2018 Long Range Facilities Plan 

Future Priorities
Milnes Landing (Sooke) 

In Development
- Sooke Elementary seismic upgrade/replacement with an additional 150-200 seats 
- Seismic replacement for Port Renfrew Elementary (50 students) 

Short Term (up to 5 years) 
- Addition to EMCS of new modular section for 300 more students 

Mid-Term (up to 10 years) 
- Seismic upgrades at John Muir Elementary and Saseenos Elementary 

Long-Term (10 years+) 
- "New elementary school: based on projected community growth, Sooke will require a new elementary school. It can be investigated whether the existing land holding is the best location for a new school site, or if this land can be used in a sale or land swap, for a location on the west side of Sooke."


North Langford & North Colwood
- Recent: Centre Mountain Lellum Middle School (700 seats; opened in Nov. 2022) 
- Recent: PEXSISEN Elementary (500 seats; opened Sept. 2022) 
- Expansion of Ruth King and David Cameron elementary schools (+190 seats each) 
- Short-term: New North Langford elementary (480 students) and secondary (1200 students) schools  
- Mid-Term: Seismic replacements at various schools 

South Langford & South Colwood 
- Recent: Royal Bay Secondary expansion (+600 seats; opened in Sept. 2020)
- In Development: New South Langford elementary school (480 students)
- Short-term: New South Colwood elementary school (480 students) 
- Mid-Term: Sangster Elementary replacement (300 students) 

Future School Sites 
"The District owns all of its school sites, the Board office site, as well as five additional vacant sites for future new schools. With development progressing on the south of the island, limited properties remain that can be acquired by the District to meet future needs. Vacant sites that the District owns for future development, are:

~ Skirt Mountain Site 1380 Flint Ave, Langford - 6 acres
~ City Gate High School Site 2382 City Gate Blvd, Langford - 12 acres
~ Latoria Road Site 678 Latoria Rd, Colwood - 11 acres
~ South Colwood Site Royal Bay - 7 acres
~ Sooke River Site 2438 Phillips Rd. - 5 acres

Seismic Upgrade Priorities
~ Sooke Elementary (Medium priority, latest upgrades in 1967 to BC's oldest, still operating elementary school - 1911) 
~ Port Renfrew Elementary (Medium, built in 1970)
~ John Muir Elementary (Medium, 1970)
~ Saseenos Elementary (Medium, 1959)
~ Willway Elementary (H3, 1977)
~ Millstream Elementary (Medium, 1959)
~ Savory Elementary (Medium, 1965)

Sooke Analysis within the Facilities Plan
"Looking at the census data, we can see that the population of Sooke has grown from 8,238 in 2011 to 15,583 in 2021. Even though the population has grown, we also see that the average age is going up, as is the % of the population over 65 years of age. The population of Sooke is aging: where the median age in 2016 was around 40, in 2021 it has gone up to 42.6, and the % of people over 65 in that time increased from 15 to over 19%. The overall population growth therefore does not translate equally into more school aged children: the population between 2016 and 2021 grew by 2,314, or 25%, however the population of children between the ages of 5-19 only grew by 175, or 10%."

Colwood Analysis
"Colwood has a younger population than the regional average, however the overall population is slowly aging. In 2016, the median age in Colwood was 40.9 years, and in 2021 this had gone up to 42.3. The population of school-age kids, however grew by 10.10% in those years, compared to the overall population growth of 12.5%. Colwood 2038 projects a 35% population increase by 2028 and an additional 16% increase by 2038 where it is anticipated the majority of growth will be in the Seaside, Royal Bay, Colwood Corners and Latoria neighbourhoods. It is expected that the number of apartments will grow and by 2038 will account for 39% of the housing mix." + 2018 Jack Knox article on Royal Bay Secondary. <clip> "The West Shore continues to boom. The Sooke district’s enrolment, which was 8,272 a decade ago, hit 10,800 this year and is projected to increase by a further 1,800 over five years." 

Langford Analysis 
"One of the fastest growing communities in BC and the largest of the municipalities that SD62 operates in. It has seen explosive growth over the past 10 years: With its 2021 census population of 46,584, it was the fastest growing municipality in BC over 5000 residents, and the third fastest in Canada, with a 31.8% growth compared to 2016. 
Of the communities that SD62 operates in, Langford has the youngest population, with an average age of 39.1 (2021 census). The pace of both residential and commercial development and the relative affordability of housing compared to surrounding communities, will continue to attract a younger population. Approximately 12% of the population is older than 65. The Central and North Langford areas are where the School District will see the most explosive growth over the next 10-20 years: with the population of Langford projected to grow by over 60,000 people over the next 30 years, and its relative affordability, the area is an attractive location for young families and newcomers."


District of Sooke Advocacy 
- Meeting with Minister of Education and Child Care Rachna Singh at the Sept. 2024 UBCM Conference
i) Request information on the plan for schools in the Sooke School District's Milnes Landing (aka Sooke) region; and 
ii) Advocate for efforts to secure fair funding and new school developments for Sooke, such as the new Sooke Elementary and Sunriver Elementary, in response to the area's fast-growing population and given the current focus on Langford and Colwood in SD #62’s five-year capital plan. 

- UBCM meetings with former Education Ministers Whiteside and Fleming, 2018-2023 


Miscellaneous 
- SD #62 Safe Schools 
- resources for mental and sexual health, traumatic events, online safety, substance use. 

- ERASE Reporting Tool ~ "The ERASE Report It tool is an online, anonymous reporting tool where students can report anything they find worrisome or concerning directly to their school/school district’s safe school coordinators. Examples of behaviours or incidents to report include: Bullying/Cyberbullying; Harassment; Social Media; Sexting; Inappropriate Sexual Behaviour; Concerns about Adults; Concerns about a school; Racism/Discrimination; Drugs or Alcohol; Weapons or Gang Activity; Threats; Violence or Fighting; Mental Health Concern; Suicide; Vandalism or Property Damage; School Attack/Shooting; Or anything else that is worrisome or concerning." 

- Student behaviour patterns:  2019 infographic produced by SD62's Healthy Schools, Healthy People program 

- McCreary Centre Society - 2023 BC Adolescent Heath Survey + South Island results 

- The Youth Engagement Project: A Youth Perspective on Developing a Youth-Friendly Sooke (2014, see file attached to this 2021 blog entry) 

- Statistics Canada reports in the 2016 census that there are 3,085 residents under the age of 19 in Sooke ~ 775 of them aged 10-14 and 760 aged 15-19.  Boys outnumber girls marginally (as is the case nationally and internationally for sound evolutionary reasons.)  (update) 

-  Human Early Learning Partnership EDI Wave 7 Sooke School District #62 Report - "an overview of patterns and trends in early child development for Wave 7 (2016-2019) and explores change over time from Wave 2 (2004-2007)" + PDF
- Early Development Instrument (EDI) report - 2023/24 
- questionnaire issued to kindergarten students since 2001 (i.e., Wave 1) 
- focuses on physical health & wellbeing, social competence, emotional maturity, language & cognitive development, communications skills and general knowledge 
- critical for early intervention strategies 

- UBC researcher Bill Warburton’s report (2023) on the importance of upstream intervention in keeping youth out of the justice system (shared on from the Victoria Family Court and Youth Justice Committee) 

– Youth Justice Services: Strengthening Abilities and Journeys of Empowerment ~ presentation by the Hon. Grace Lore, Minister of Children and Family Development (June 2024) 

- Parent Advisory Council (PAC) is the official recognized voice of parents at the school level.  Every parent of a child registered in a school has a right, under the School Act, to belong to the PAC. The PAC meets monthly to consider school and community issues of interest and concerns of parents and our kids.  Parents who are informed and are committed to their children’s education can and do enhance the quality of learning.

- Edward Milne Community School Society + archive of annual reports, 2010 to present 

​- Safe Paths to Schools: Sooke Report (2016) 

- Sooke Soccer Youth Programs + other local sports leagues 

* SEAPARC
* Sooke Family Resource Society
* T'Sou-ke Nation Youth Centre
* Rotary Club of Sooke
* Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program
* Westshore Centre for Learning and Training
* Sooke Transition House Society

Youth Engagement 
- UBCM Best Practices + Youth Engagement Toolkit Guide (2012) 
- FCM Municipal Youth Engagement Handbook
- UVic/Province of BC Toolkit 
- Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Heath - Youth Engagement 
- Pan-Canadian Joint Symposium for School Health - Youth Engagement Toolkit 
- 100 To Zero: Age-Friendly Planning (Plassurban, Victoria) 
- Maple Ridge Youth Development Wheel 
- BC Chamber of Commerce: A Focus On Youth Entrepreneurship (2020) 
- A Seat At The Table: A Review of Youth Engagement in Vancouver (McCreay Centre Society, 2009) ​
​- National League of Cities (US): Promoting Youth Participation 

​- Local Government Awareness Week (third week of May annually) 
- City of Calgary Mayor's Youth Council 
- City of Victoria Youth Council
- City of Duncan Junior Council + Terms of Reference + Article + sample minutes 
- Squamish Youth Strategy 

Miscellaneous
- Screen Time and Activity Among Canadian Youth (Stats Can, 2017) 
​- Exercise and Screen Time During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Stats Can, 2020) 

- ParticipACTION Impact Report (2024) 
- Children and Youth Report Card (2024) 

- Family Influence: The ParticipACTION Report Card For Children and Youth (2020) 
- Better With Age: The ParticipACTION Report Card for Adults (2019) 

- Canada's Youth Policy (2020) + Young Canadians resource page
- UN International Youth Day (annually on Aug. 12 since 2000) 
- UN Youth 2030: Youth Strategy 

- A Pathway To Hope: A Roadmap For Mental Health and Addictions Care (Province of BC) 
- Mental Health Commission of Canada: Mental Health Strategy for Youth (2016) 
- BC Children's Hospital Kelty Mental Health Centre: Youth and Young Adults 
​- CMHA BC: Youth Helping Youth (Peer Support) 

The Village Initiative: Sooke/Westshore 
The Village Initiative (TVI) "is an inter-disciplinary network of more than 60 organizations sharing a commitment to the vision of healthy and thriving children, youth, and families across the Sooke and West Shore communities ... TVI took root when the Sooke School District and Island Health started a conversation with community partners, recognizing that the health and wellbeing of children, youth, and families are best supported through an all-hands-on-deck approach – a Village. The urgency of our mission has only been underscored by the global pandemic and its impact on children, youth, and families." 

- Project Plan for Sooke-Westshore Shared Space Network and System (March, 2022)
- Space survey results (2021)
​- Sooke/Westshore Community Health Profile (2022) 

The Village Initiative member organizations
(stewardship committee organizations in green) 

Beacon Community Services
BGC South Vancouver Island
Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division
Capital Region Food & Agriculture Initiatives Roundtable
Children’s Health Foundation
Citizen’s Environment Network in Colwood
City of Colwood
City of Langford
Community Social Planning Council of Greater Victoria
District of Sooke
Family Services of Greater Victoria
First Nations Health Authority
Food Share Network
Goldstream Food Bank
Greater Victoria Local Immigration Partnership
Greater Victoria Public Library
Hulitan Family and Community Services Society
Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria
Island Health – Mental Health and Substance Use, Children, Youth and Families, Public Health, Priority Populations
Island Health – Public Health
Island Métis Family & Community Services Society
John Howard Society of Victoria
Juan de Fuca Performing Arts Centre Society
KidSport Greater Victoria
Langford Residents Association Society
Learning through Loss
MCFD Child & Youth Mental Health
Mennonite Central Committee
Military Family Resource Centre
Mustard Seed Food Bank
OneAbility
Pacific Centre Family Services
PISE (Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence)
RCMP
ReImagine West Shore Community Society
Rotary Club of Sooke
Royal Roads University
Salvation Army
Saunders Family Foundation
SEAPARC Leisure Complex
Sea To Tree Health & Wellness
Society of Saint Vincent de Paul Vancouver Island
Sooke Family Resource Society
Sooke Food Bank
Sooke Region Communities Health Network
Sooke School District
Sooke Shelter Society
Story Studio
Threshold Housing
Thrive Social Services
United Way of Greater Victoria
United Way Southern Vancouver Island
​University of Victoria Centre for Youth & Society
Vancouver Island Regional Library
Vancouver Island Counselling Centre for Immigrants and Refugees
Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society
West Shore Arts Council
West Shore Chamber of Commerce
West Shore Parks & Recreation
Westshore Town Centre
WorkLink Employment Society
YMCA-YWCA of Vancouver Island
Youth Hope Haven Foundation

Who you gonna call when emergency strikes? 9-1-1 of course. And who's going to pay for this essential service? Effective April 1, we in Sooke must pay our share to the tune of what amounts to a 3.5% tax increase once a full year of billings kick in next year. Ouch, especially given that this is a first-time cost for the municipality. Previously and traditionally, 9-1-1 costs have been covered by Ottawa (30%) and the Province (70%).  

Seemingly another classic download of senior government costs onto local taxpayers. The Province, however, argues that, under the Provincial Municipal Police Unit Agreements and the Provincial Policing Service Agreement, local governments are wholly responsible for 9-1-1 services.  

Impacted South Island mayors are riled. As much as they appreciate the critical work, unquestioned professionalism and essential nature of the emergency call service, they reached a breaking point yesterday and sent a letter to Premier Eby stating that "we will not sign the E-Comm agreements or make any payments to E-Comm." This because of their "profound frustration and disappointment with the Province's refusal to delay the implementation of police dispatch costs to our communities' taxpayers."  

This letter follows at least five years of lobbying, advocacy meetings and a welcomed but finite three-year deferral on costs (aka "transitional funding") that ends on April 1. Most recently the Mayors wrote Eby in late January this year seeking the following commitments, all replicated in their March 7 correspondence: 

1. Maintain 100% transitional funding until the E-Comm review is complete and actionable solutions are implemented.

2. Address the funding inequity between South Island municipalities and other jurisdictions, ensuring consistent and fair treatment across B.C.

3. Introduce a telecommunications levy to offset 9-1-1 dispatch costs and align with funding models in other provinces.

4. Engage in meaningful consultation with our 10 South Island municipalities on this issue.

Solicitor General Gary Begg replied on Feb . 20 with a firm no.  He notes that under the Provincial Municipal Police Unit Agreements and the Provincial Policing Service Agreement, local governments are responsible for 9-1-1 services and hence this is not another download.  

.<clip> "In accordance with the terms of your Municipal Policing Unit Agreements, your communities must assume responsibility for all police dispatch costs. I also encourage you to finalize and sign your service agreements with E-Comm as soon as possible."  In the meantime, "an independent review and investigation into the governance, financial and operational effectiveness of E-Comm and 9-11 service provision in the province" began in December. When complete it will include future funding recommendations that may deliver relief. 

The 10 local governments are Colwood, Duncan, Ladysmith, Langford, Metchosin, North Cowichan, North Saanich, Sidney, Sooke and View Royal. All face significant tax hikes this year in paying for area 9-1-1 service based out of the South Island 9-1-1 Police Dispatch Centre that opened in Saanich in March, 2019.  In Sooke's draft 2025 budget, E-Comm is pencilled in at $254,927 -- or a 2.5% tax increase. That's to cover the nine-month period after charges begin on April 1. A full year next year takes the price tag to near $325k.  

A 2021 UBCM resolution asking the Province to introduce a levy on cell phone bills so as to underwrite 9-1-1 service. In response, the Solicitor General of the day wrote: "Ministry staff will undertake further work to explore funding mechanisms to support 9-1-1 services, such as the establishment of a call answer levy on wireless phones and, in recognition that this is a cross-ministry issue, will work with colleagues at the Ministry of Municipal Affairs ... 9-1-1 is an optional service and is delegated to municipalities. The communities have an option to use E-Comm or provide an alternate service."

E-Comm 9-1-1 President and CEO Oliver Grüter-Andrew is an invited guest of Sooke council on Monday night, and so I'm preparing this explainer as necessary homework. Cllr. McMath, a 9-1-1 employee herself, asked that this invite be sent and so we're counting on her to be present in leading the questions with her unique perspective. I'm confident we'll treat the messenger kindly and not shoot him given that the costing decisions are entirely down to decisions made the Province through the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General. 

Starter
This definitive Jan. 30 Capital Daily story by Sidney Coles. 

E-Comm 9-1-1
Website 
"E-Comm is the dispatch partner of more than 70 police and fire agencies. It owns and operates the largest multi-jurisdictional radio network of its kind in British Columbia, allowing first responders to communicate their essential messages effectively and securely. It provides a variety of secure, mission-critical technology services that support its own operations and those of its public safety partners."t + Public Education FAQ 

​Public Safety Answering Point 
"A call centre responsible for answering calls to 9-1-1 for police, firefighting, and ambulance services. The PSAP has trained 9-1-1 operators that are responsible for dispatching the appropriate emergency services or transferring calls to the appropriate emergency response agency for the dispatch of services." (CRTC)

Statistics 
​E-Comm is responsible for 99 per cent of the province’s 9-1-1 call volume. In 2024, E-Comm’s provincial 9-1-1 call volume was 2,049,856 calls. Of the 9-1-1 calls E-Comm directs to emergency services:

• 58 per cent of calls were for police
• 35 per cent of calls were for ambulance
• 7 per cent of calls were for fire

- Leadership Team (includes bios of the CEO and other management). Mr. Gruter-Andrew was hired in 2017 following positions with the Provincial Health Services Authority and the University of British Columbia. 

Legislation - E-Comm was established in 1997 through the BC Emergency Communications Corporations Act 

Strategic Plan (2025) + PDF 
"As an organization built literally from the ground up, E-Comm has achieved many milestones in the course of our 20 years of service. We have shown we can save lives and protect property through helping 9-1-1 callers and supporting our first responder partners. We have become leaders in emergency communications through our new digital radio system and other technical innovations. This leadership is grounded in our smart, capable people and their ongoing collaboration with our many partners, whom we respect and value. The dedication of those who work in emergency services cannot be overstated." 

Transformation Plan + 2024 update (released Feb. 28, 2025)
Highlights 
* 98% of 9-1-1 calls in 2024 were answered in 5 seconds or less,  the best service level since 2016.
* On behalf of the police agencies it serves, E-Comm exceeded service level targets for police emergency calls in the Lower Mainland, answering 90% of police emergency calls within 10 seconds and 91% on Vancouver Island.
* E-Comm also exceeded its service level for fire emergency, answering 94% of fire emergency calls within 15 seconds. 
* 80% of police non-emergency calls for Lower Mainland police agencies E-Comm serves were answered within 3 minutes or less (up from 63% in 2023 and 44% in 2022).

Short-Term Priorities
* Open and develop the Vancouver Island Operating Centre. Establish a second operating centre in the Lower Mainland to enhance overall operational resilience, including during a disaster." 

* Next Generation 9-1-1 Implementation: Deploy the technology upgrades associated with Next Generation 9-1-1. Review call-taking and dispatch practices at E-Comm. Provide province-wide thought leadership and change management to ensure a smooth transition to Next Generation 9-1-1."

NG911 
The new system – called Next Generation 9-1-1 – replaces decades-old analog technology in emergency communication centres with a digital network, allowing dispatchers to get to urgent calls faster and laying the groundwork for receiving texts, photos, and videos from callers in the future. (Global News) 

- About NextGen 911 
- CRTC role and oversight 
- NextGen 911 Backgrounder (Association of Public-Safety Communicators of Canada) 

- Updated timeline to March 2027 for NG911 implementation (CRTC decision, Feb. 28, 2025) 
"Telecommunications Service Providers have made the necessary upgrades and are prepared to move to NG9-1-1. However, the Commission has heard that most provincial, territorial, and municipal emergency service organizations will not be able to make the necessary upgrades in time.Accordingly, a majority of interveners in this proceeding have asked the Commission to extend the deadline to transition to NG9-1-1. These interveners include key 9-1-1 stakeholders, such as the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs, and the Paramedic Chiefs of Canada. These interveners noted that unless the deadline is extended, Canadians in areas that have not transitioned to NG9-1-1 could lose access to 9-1-1 when existing networks are decommissioned. This would cause an unacceptable risk to public safety." 

Province of BC Investment
- Investment in 911 Network Supports Safer Communities (BC funding announcement, March 1, 2023)
"E-Comm, which handles 99% of B.C.’s 911 call volume, is leading Next Generation 911’s implementation in most B.C. municipalities. Pending approval by the legislative assembly, the Province’s $150-million investment will help offset local governments’ costs for transitioning to Next Generation 911 and be divided into two parts: $90 million will be provided to E-Comm for technological upgrades; and $60 million will be provided to the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) to defray costs, such as staffing, training and quality assurance. 

South Island Call Centres 
E-Comm 9-1-1 South Island Call Centre
- opened on March 5, 2019 
- serves the Victoria, Saanich, Central Saanich and Oak Bay police departments as well as 11 RCMP detachments in CentralSouthern Vancouver Island, namely: Integrated Roadside Safety Unit, Ladysmith, Lake Cowichan, North Cowichan/Duncan, Outer Gulf Islands (includes Pender, Galiano and Mayne), Salt Spring Island, Shawnigan Lake, Sidney/North Saanich, Sooke, South Island Traffic Services, West Shore (includes City of Langford, City of Colwood, Town of View Royal, District of Metchosin, District of Highlands, Songhees First Nation and Esquimalt First Nation).
- calls for fire and ambulance are re-routed 

- At Saanich's BC 9-1-1 Centre, 'first-first responders' ready for anything (Times Colonist, Jan. 6, 2025) 
"The South Island 911 Police Dispatch Centre has 110 staff who handled about 100,000 police emergency calls and 160,000 non-emergency calls in 2024 alone. Since the $13.1-million facility was built by the Capital Regional District in October 2017 — and local police agencies consolidated their dispatching and emergency calls there — more than 1.4 million calls have come through" “We are often referred to as the first, first-responders,” operator Kuzi Mujakachi said. “Every second counts so we are trained thoroughly to navigate every situation and every call, whether it is de-escalating someone on the phone who is screaming to listening into the background noises and seeing what we can determine from this call, the nature of it, just from the audio that we’re hearing.” It is about being firm and compassionate at the same time, and getting the reason for the call and an address as quickly as possible to send help, she said. 

Vancouver Island Emergency Dispatch Centre, Langford 
BC Emergency Health Services oversight ... BC Ambulance Dispatch Centre 
Serving all of Vancouver Island, Powell River and the surrounding Gulf Islands, the Vancouver Island Dispatch Operations Centre in Langford receives on average 250-300 emergency calls per day.
​- Clinical Response Model 

Miscellaneous 
- Future Sooke taxpayer cost: Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit (VIIMCU). Implementation date TBD with Sooke responsible for the costs (though Mayor Tait and council have repeatedly lobbied the Solicitor General for relief or a break of some kind.)  Initial estimate is $350k per year, i.e. a 3% tax hike likely to start in 2026.   Joining VIIMCU is an insurance policy of sorts that protects Sooke from one-time, usually six-figure investigation costs associated with murders and other major crimes.
 
- Emergency Communications Service Public Emergency Delivery (Ministry of Justice, 2015) 
Funding Questions 
- How does local government in your community currently fund 911 PSAP?
- Will local governments be able to fund these and enhanced services such as NG911 in the future?
- What funding model options exist and would be successful? Why or why not?
- With respect to existing funding for emergency communications, what works well, needs improvement, or could be done differently?

- 911 Central Island: Study of Call Taking Alternatives (2015) 

- North Island 9-1-1 
The Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) answers all 9-1-1 calls. PSAP is handled by E-Comm in Vancouver. The North Island 9-1-1 Corporation has an agreement with E-Comm to perform this function. E-Comm provides PSAP 9-1-1 call answering for the North Island 9-1-1 Corporation, the Metro Vancouver region and 25 other regional districts in B.C. E-Comm also provides dispatch services for 36 police and fire departments." 

​Images
- E-Comm 911 Strategic Plan Priorities 
- Ministry of Health Standardized Hospital Colour Codes policy (2011) 

Update: April 7, 2025 
Council gave its support to the District's application for the Municipal & Regional District Tax Program (MRDT) and directed staff to submit the completed paperwork to Destination BC and the BC Ministry of Finance for approval at the 3% tax rate (on accommodation bills).

"Budget/Financial Impacts: Potential to create a new revenue source for the District of Sooke by approximately $450,000 annually. Estimate is based on best available data and is subject to change. Revenue collected from MRDT can only be used to promote tourism and support community development projects."

See agenda starting on pg. 57.  It includes signed support forms from the District's major providers, namely the Sooke Harbour House (28 rooms), Sooke Harbour Resort & Marina (11), Sooke Point Ocean Cottage Resort (42) and the Prestige Oceanfront Resort (121). These represent 95% of the District's available rooms. Arbutus Cove Guesthouse declined, while no reply was received from Markham House Bed & Breakfast. 

Also included are two reports prepared by the District's consultants at 4VI (formerly Tourism Vancouver Island) - The First-Year (2026) Tactical Plan and a Five-Year Strategic Business Plan. 

Five-Year Plan
"The 5-year Strategic Business Plan outlines long-term tourism development priorities, marketing strategies, and potential affordable housing initiatives based directly on stakeholder-identified opportunities.

Key visitor trends include:
​○ Strong day-trip market from the Greater Victoria region 
○ Growing interest in Indigenous tourism experiences
○ Increasing demand for outdoor recreation activities 
○ Rising VFR (Visiting Friends & Relatives) tourism that helps sustain year-round visitation
○ Emerging arts and cultural tourism potential 

Overall Goals, Objectives and Targets 

1. Strengthen Organizational Capacity and Governance ~ "Establish a robust operational framework through the District of Sooke's management of MRDT funds, ensuring effective program delivery, sustainable funding administration, and strategic oversight of tourism development initiatives." 

2. Develop Sooke’s Brand Position and Year Round Engagement Strategy ~ "Clearly define Sooke’s unique market position as the premier gateway to rugged West Coast adventure, while elevating its profile as a leading coastal community for immersive nature and cultural experiences." 

3. Visitor Services and Visitor Experience Development ~ "Strengthen Sooke's visitor services infrastructure and develop compelling tourism experiences that showcase the destination's unique offerings, supported by Destination BC resources and industry partnerships."

4. Strengthen Regional Partnerships and Collaboration ~ "Foster strategic partnerships and meaningful community engagement to create a unified, resilient tourism ecosystem that enhances Sooke's destination value proposition." 

5. Advance Sustainable Tourism Initiatives ~ "Implement comprehensive environmental stewardship and emergency preparedness measures that ensure Sooke's tourism sector operates sustainably while protecting its natural assets and community safety." 

SWOT exercise on Sooke tourism ...  
Weaknesses 
- Lack of signage 
- Limited peak-season accommodation (lack of short-term rentals) 
- Car-centric 
 
Tourism Opportunities
- MICE – Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions 
- Sports 
- Weddings
- Culinary
- Indigenous 
 
Goals and Objectives 
- DOS year-one staff hiring and training 
- Tourism advisory committee structure TBD 
 
Sooke Brand 
Clearly define Sooke’s unique market position as the premier gateway to rugged West Coast adventure, while elevating its profile as a leading coastal community for immersive nature and cultural experiences

Brand Positioning
"Sooke is where rugged coastal beauty meets vibrant community spirit, offering a year-round haven for those seeking connections to nature, culture and adventure. As the gateway to the wild Juan de Fuca coast and the historic charm of Victoria, Sooke invites travelers to explore its rainforest, beaches and world-class outdoor experiences, from hiking and kayaking to simply soaking in the tranquility of its breathtaking landscapes. 

Deeply rooted in Indigenous heritage and a commitment to sustainability, Sooke blends respect for its natural surroundings with a thriving creative arts and authentic culinary scene. Visitors can enjoy artisan galleries, farm-to-table dining and the warm hospitality of a community that welcomes them as one of their own. Whether you’re chasing adventure, indulging your creative side or seeking a peaceful escape, Sooke is the perfect starting point for your West Coast journey." 

Organizational Structure and Governance 
● District of Sooke manages MRDT funds and program implementation ● District staffoversee operations with contractor support as needed 
● An Advisory Committee to be established that provides strategic input 
* Sub-committees will be established:
○ Finance 
○ Marketing 
○ Industry Development 
○ Emergency Preparedness 
● Members receive training and participate in annual planning 
● Formal agreements establish contractor deliverables 
● Regular program review ensures accountability 
● Clear protocols between staff, contractors, and advisory committee 


2026 Tactical Plan

 1. Marketing/Consumer Asset Development – photo libraries, written content, T’Sou-ke, Sooke Region Museum, local artists and tourism operators … $40k 
 
2. Marketing/Website (different to SRTA site?) - MRDT and Destination BC co-op marketing funds … $20k 
 
3. Marketing/Brand Development – Sooke lacks a cohesive brand identity/narrative (Wild By Nature?) ... $25k 
 
4. Marketing/Collateral Production & Distribution – SRTA guides, maps and itineraries in partnership with Sooke News Mirror … $20k 
 
5. Marketing/Media Advertising and Production – diverse advertising channels and paid social media - $10k 
 
6. Marketing/Social Media Management – content development and strategy; organic social media; email marketing platform and campaigns … $15k

7. Marketing/Consumer Events & Shows – Vancouver Outdoor Adventure Show and other tourism events … $7k 
 
8. Marketing/Partnership Marketing – with other groups, Destination BC, Pacific Marine Circle Route, South Island Spirit Loop … $10k 
 
9. Industry Development and Training – bi-annual tourism networking events, industry conferences, stakeholder meetings, etc. … $15k 
 
10. Product Experience Enhancement – Events and Festivals Fund akin to a Community Grant fund for community members and tourism businesses to create special events and festivals that will attract visitors … $40k 
 
11. Market Research and Destination Canada Visitor Personas – Clear visitor personas of multiple kinds of tourists  … $20k 
 
12. Advance Climate Action and Destination Certification – Climate Action Plan and our commitment to be a sustainable tourism destination … $25k 
- Biosphere Destination Certification (currently 68 world-wide, including Greater Victoria, Vancouver Island as a whole, Vancouver Island North, Cowichan Valley and Tofino 
- Pre-certification Gaps Analysis Report 
- Background and Assessment Report 

13. Product Experience Enhancement – Collaborate with Sooke Fine Arts Show … on a Cultural Enhancement Program – highlight local artists and indigenous heritage … $20k 
 
14. Board Governance and Training – Establish a diverse Tourism Advisory Committee … $14k 
 
15. Visitor Centre Operations – Mobile visitor kiosks to increase visitor engagement by 20% - $45k 
 
$326k TOTAL spending in 2026 drawn from MRDT revenue 


ORIGINAL POST - March 2, 2025

The present moment is fraught with white noise, tariff threats and seismic uncertainty, but no question whatsoever that our glorious slice of one the world's favourite islands (certified yet again for at least the 15th straight year by readers of Conde Naste Traveller) will continue to annually attract thousands of deep-pocketed visitors over the long term. The kind of unplugged silence and scenic beauty this accessible region offers in such plentitude is rare and precious. It is what the rest/recharge set desires most no matter where they come from -- elsewhere in BC, Alberta, Cascadia and internationally. (Or right here for that matter; Carolyn and I are due for another restorative staycation at Point No Point.) 

Given the short-term challenges of optimizing Sooke's modest amount of industrially zoned lands, tourism is recognized in the District's Community Economic Development Strategic Plan as a leading driver of future economic growth in the Sooke region. The math is simple enough: Visitors stay in the region for an average of three nights, spending $652 each in the summer and $888 in the winter months. Accommodation accounts for a third of this amount, and other considerable sums are spent in our shops and restaurants and on local services. 

Over the decades, tourism businesses locally have marketed themselves and the region, either acting independently or in conjunction with the Sooke Region Tourism Association (SRTA). Yet this marketing is set to move into overdrive with the long-anticipated introduction of the Municipal Regional District Tax (aka the "hotel tax"). Commonplace in populated areas across BC, it quietly adds 3% to accommodation bills that the vast majority of us accept without a second thought at check-out. This stipend is then funnelled by the Province to a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) to cover its staffing and operational costs. 

The District in partnership with 4VI (formerly Tourism Vancouver Island) is filing an MRDT application with Destination BC and the Ministry of Finance in the months ahead. This follows a number of preparatory steps taken  by Sooke's CED Officer Gail Scott in collaboration with multiple local and provincial stakeholders.
 
i) Creation of the Juan de Fuca Community First Regenerative Tourism Plan (see agenda, pp. 101-183)
ii) Addition of the JDF to Destination Canada's Tourism Corridor Strategy 
iii) Consultation now underway with Washington state and Olympic Peninsula tourism reps to create the first Canada/US cross-border tourism campaign (an idea that preceded the latest madness of King Donald and will surely long outlive him.) 

The District is likely to add a destination marketing staff function in the early years of the MRDT as other organizations (SRTA most logically) develop the staff and capacity to take on this work.

​Tourism is central to the mandate of Sooke's new Community Economic Development Standing Committee. Its meetings begin next month, and so I'm preparing this compendium of links and direct-quote highlights as a handy reference for the work ahead. 


Overview 
- Tourism In BC: Value of Tourism (PDF, Destination British Columbia, Fall 2024).
-  Province of BC: Tourism Research 
- A Snapshot of Tourism In BC (infographic, Feb. 2025) 

Stats from these sources: 
* $22b in tourism revenue (money received by businesses, individuals, and governments due to tourism) in 2023.
* Tourism businesses employed 125k people in 2023, 7.9% higher than a year earlier
* Tourism contributed $9.7b to the provincial gross domestic product, 9.6% higher than 2022. This compares with mining ($5.4b), oil and gas ($4.5), agriculture and fishing ($3.4b) and forestry & logging ($1.7b) 
* There are 16,860 tourism businesses in BC; 16% of them are on Vancouver Island  
* More than 100,000 new tourism job openings are expected in BC by 2028
* International visitation is expected to return to pre-pandemic volumes by 2026.
* 72% of British Columbians feel that tourism contributes positively to the quality of life in their community
* In 2023, community Visitor Centres served 2 million visitors face-to-face at their physical locations

- Tourism Industry Dashboard (Destination BC). Data base from 2015 to present tracking international arrivals, tourism-oriented revenue, modes of transportation, hotel occupancy rates, etc. 

- Industry Performance: Various Performance Indicators (Destination BC) 

​- Monthly BC Visitor Statistics: Jan-May, 2024 Update (British Columbia Tourism Secretariat) 
- Q1 2024, 3,045,300 Domestic Visitors

- Statistics Canada: Travel and Tourism + The Daily
- BC Stats: Tourism  


Destination BC
​Visitor Centre at the Sooke Region Museum
Since 1981, Sooke Region Museum has hosted the region’s official Visitor Centre. It is one of 134 community-owned Visitor Centres spread across BC's six tourism regions administered through Destination British Columbia's Visitor Services Network Program. 

​- Destination BC 2023-2025 Global Marketing Strategy 
- DBC Corporate Strategy 2023-2025
- Learning Centre and Resources 

Canadian, US and International Visitor (to BC) Statistics 
- Market Profile: Washington and California (Destination BC, Dec. 2024) 
- 38% of Washington state travellers have visited Canada in last five years
- 27% of California travellers have visited Canada in last five years 

- Market Profile: Alberta, Ontario and British Columbia (Destination BC, Dec. 2024) 
- 72% of Alberta travellers have visited BC in last five years
- 90% of British Columbians have visited other parts of the province in last five years 
​
- Market Profile: International (Australia, China, Germany, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, UK) (Dec. 2024) 

- BC Destination Marketing Organization Association 
"Established in 2008, BCDMOA is a non-profit society advocating for over 50 community-based destination marketing and management organizations. A respected industry leader, its diverse membership represents a range of communities in terms of size and scope, with over $100 million in spending on strategic tourism marketing and management projects."

The Vancouver Island region membership includes Sooke and the following: 
* Langford
* Campbell River 
* Victoria
* Parksville/Qualicum Beach (Oceanside) 
* Southern Gulf Islands 
* Cowichan Valley 
* Nanaimo 
* Tofino
* Ucluelet ​


​Juan de Fuca Corridor Community First Regenerative Tourism Plan 

- Draft presented to Council, May 27, 2024 - see agenda, pp. 101-183.

- "What the plan does: This plan identifies how the economic, social, and cultural development of the Juan de Fuca corridor can be progressed through tourism without compromising the integrity of its very special natural attributes and profound cultural heritage. It provides a common vision, strategic objectives, and a series of actions to deliver on those objectives and suggests how a holistic approach to destination management might be taken forward."

<clips from the final document>

~ "Through Destination BC’s Community Tourism Planning program and supported by Pacific Economic Development Canada (PacifiCan), the partners – the District of Sooke, the District of Metchosin and WorkLink Employment Society - enlisted the support of 4VI, Destination Greater Victoria and the Indigenous Prosperity Centre - an initiative of the South Island Prosperity Partnership - as it embarked on a highly participative process to develop the Juan de Fuca corridor tourism plan." 

~ "The plan area not only includes the hub communities of Metchosin, Sooke, and Port Renfrew, but given its regional focus, also embraces the communities of East Sooke, Otter Point, Shirley, and Jordan River. Importantly, it holds space in readiness to work with the Pacheedaht, T’Sou-ke and Sci-anew First Nations if and when they feel the time is right to engage." 

~ "Based on performance from 2019, half of all overnight visitors to the Sooke region are from within Canada (primarily B.C., Alberta, or Ontario), almost one-third are from the USA (mainly Washington, California, or Oregon), and one in five are from international locations (mostly the United Kingdom, Australia, or Germany).  On average, during each season except fall, overnight visitors stay three nights, while in fall the average is two nights. During their visit only
approximately one in three visitors travel to areas of Vancouver Island beyond the region." 

~ "Two-thirds of visitor spending is allocated to accommodation (42%) and food and beverage (25%), with a further 13% spent on shopping. Whereas allocation of spending to accommodation or shopping varies considerably each season, spending on food and beverage and local transportation is highly consistent. Expenditure per overnight visitor averages CAD$710 over the year and ranges from $652 in summer to $888 in winter. Expenditure per visitor per night averages $237 over the year, from $232 during summer to $326 in fall." 


Juan de Fuca Corridor 
Destination Canada Tourism Corridor Strategy Program 
- District of Sooke announcement press release - Sept. 26, 2024 
- Program Homepage
​- FAQ 
- Program Overview
- Destination Canada Tourism 2030 Strategy (PDF) + video 

"What is a corridor? A corridor connects a concentration of similar businesses or institutions together, creating synergies that drive regional economies by leveraging each other’s resources and customers. Collectively they create greater overall demand for their product and give even more reasons for visitors to travel through an area."

- JDF Corridor is one of seven corridor routes across Canada
* UNESCO Atlantic Canada Corridor
* Susrtainable Journeys from Prairies to Pacific
* Northern Indigenous Lodge Network
* Cycle Ontario and Quebec
* Field to Fork: Saskatchewan Manitoba Agritourism 
* Northern Sky Corridor (Alberta, Northwest Territories)  

JDF Corridor ~ "Embracing both sides of the Juan de Fuca Strait, and crossing the international border between Canada and the United States, this coastal corridor project will build upon efforts to date to facilitate timely dialogue, participative collaboration, and a joined-up approach to the planning, development, and management of a visitor economy that is focused on enhancing the well-being of this region’s distinctive communities, safeguarding the integrity of its abundant yet fragile natural ecosystems, and raising awareness of the historical and contemporary relevance of a territorial and cultural coherence that dates back many thousands of years." 

JDF Corridor is the first to involve cross-border Canada/US cooperation ...
"The corridor program will invigorate the tourism landscape in the Capital Region District (CRD), Juan de Fuca Electoral areas, and First Nations communities between Beecher Bay and Port Renfrew on South Vancouver Island, as well as those between Port Angeles to Neah Bay, including Olympic National Park with connections to Seattle." 

​"Destination Canada will fund the development of a strategy, implementation plan, and investment plan up to a
maximum of $250,000 CAD by contracting industry experts/consultants for each corridor project. Destination Canada cannot fund project lead(s) participating in the program nor can it fund infrastructure or guarantee marketing support upon completion of the program."

Consultants hired by Destination Canada ... 
Rebecca Godfrey, Elke Dens and Frank Cuypers
Senior Vice President | Destination & Tourism
CBRE Limited | Development Strategy & Consulting


Washington State  
- Washington State Tourism - visitor home page 
- Peninsulas Region (Olympic and Kitsap peninsulas) 
​- Seattle and Puget Sound Region 
- Tourism Industry Portal 

- Olympic Peninsula Tourism Commission + About Us 
The Olympic Peninsula Tourism Commission (OPTC) is a collaborative partnership of tourism marketing entities, joining together for purposes of promoting the Olympic Peninsula as a desirable visitor destination. It is primarily funded through lodging tax contributions of eight municipalities or associations in Clallam, Jefferson, Mason and Grays Harbor Counties. Funding partners include:

• Clallam County (represented by Olympic Peninsula Visitor Bureau)
• Forks Chamber of Commerce
• City of Sequim
• City of Port Angeles
• City of Port Townsend
• Jefferson County (represented by Jefferson County Tourism Coordinating Council)
• Mason County
• Grays Harbor County Tourism

- Neah Bay Tourism (Makah Tribe + history) 
- Forks, WA. Visitor Information (facing reality with a smile as the "rainiest town in the contiguous US.") 

- Port Townsend Visitor Information
Port Townsend was officially "twinned" with Sooke 33 years ago, as per this Elida Peers article.  "Port Townsend in Washington, with its wonderful harbour, is an impressive centre for wooden boat building, and it was Port Townsend’s mayor, John Clise, who came up with the idea of twinning our two towns. He came to Sooke to proclaim the honours here in 1992."

​- Black Ball Ferry Line + overnight packages in Victoria and Port Angeles 
​- Victoria Clipper + overnight packages in Victoria and Seattle 


Municipal Regional District Tax (MRDT) 
- District staff report and slide deck - Oct. 28, 2024 (agenda, pp. 35-44)
- District press release - Nov. 6, 2024

"The 3% tax is typically collected from fixed roof accommodation providers, including hotels, motels, resorts, and short-term rentals (e.g., Airbnb, VRBO). The funds collected are remitted to the Ministry of Finance, which provides them to the designated recipient organization responsible for their management. 

A five-year Strategic Business Plan and a one-year Tactical Plan will be drafted, outlining how MRDT funds will be used for tourism marketing, destination development, and potentially affordable housing. Once feedback has been integrated and the business and tactical plans are finalized, the MRDT application will be submitted to Destination BC and the Ministry of Finance for review and approval."

- Destination BC MRDT homepage + FAQ 
- Province of BC: Program Requirements
- MRDT Location Map (i.e., almost all populated regions of BC, Sooke currently excepted) 

<clip> "The Municipal and Regional District Tax (MRDT) was introduced in 1987, by the Provincial Government, to provide funding for local tourism marketing, programs, and projects. The tax is intended to help grow BC revenues, visitation, and jobs, and amplify BC’s tourism marketing efforts in an increasingly competitive marketplace. The MRDT is an up-to three percent tax applied to sales of short-term accommodation provided in participating areas of British Columbia on behalf of municipalities, regional districts and eligible entities. It is jointly administered by Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, and Destination BC.

To promote a coordinated and efficient use of funds, the following MRDT program principles have been adopted:

• Effective tourism marketing, programs, and projects
• Effective local-level stakeholder support and inter-community collaboration
• Coordinated and complementary marketing efforts to broader provincial marketing strategies and tactics
• Fiscal prudence and accountability

Affordable housing was added as a permissible use of funds in the 2018 Provincial Budget, to help address local housing needs. Designated recipients have the flexibility to define, identify, and fund affordable housing initiatives that they deem appropriate to meet local needs. Affordable housing funding must be consistent with fiscal prudence and accountability, and will be subject to additional reporting requirements. Further details, including stakeholder consultation and support requirements, can be found in Section 8 of the MRDT Program Requirements." 

Key Success Factors 
● Clearly defined MRDT boundaries and supportive industry
● A well resourced organization to manage MRDT locally
● Strong Local Governance
● Transparency
● Local oversight of MRDT spend and strategy with a diversity of stakeholders and partners

MRDT Benefits
* A reliable and consistent performance-based funding to communities;
* Demonstrated to support tourism businesses grow revenues and create more-year round employment opportunities;
* Funds can be used to manage tourism in a community with a focus on maximizing benefits and mitigating challenges resulting from the industry;
* Affordable housing program enables communities to invest in affordable housing initiatives with the opportunity to leverage funds

Elsewhere in BC  
- 3% MRDT tax is charged on accommodation bills in City of Victoria, Port Hardy, Mount Waddington, Central Coast, Abbotsford, Surrey, Burnaby, Vancouver, North Vancouver, Chilliwack, New West, Squamish, Kelowna, Kamloops, Fernie, Cranbrook, Prince George, Penticton. 
 - 2% MRDT tax is charged in Saanich, Oak Bay, Langford, Cowichan Valley, Southern Gulf Islands, Nanaimo, Parksville, Qualicum Beach, Powell River, Port Alberni, Langley, Hope, Prince Rupert, Kitimat, Terrace, Salmon Arm. 

Prelude to a Sooke Hotel Tax
- Mayor Milne's "Promote Sooke" Task Force, chaired by then-Councillor Tait, first prioritized what was then known as the Additional Hotel Room Tax (AHRT) as a top wish when it began meeting in April, 2013.
- Sooke Region Tourism Association given responsibility for progressing the tax under its service agreement (2014)  
- The 2021/22 Community Economic Development Committee was mandated to, among other objectives, "complete Municipal and Regional Destination Tax (MRDT) application" and "develop a tourism strategy for Sooke."
- These objectives were rolled into the Sooke Community Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan (2021). 
- Sooke Accommodation Tax Sparks Controversy from Mike Hicks (News Mirror, Sept. 25, 2023) 
- Sooke Advances Plans for Tourist Tax (News MIrror, June 14, 2024) 
 

Sooke Partnership With 4VI  
Formerly Tourism Vancouver Island
* Visitor (tourist) website
* 4TVI Stewardship
* 4Good Social Impact Fund 

"Formed more than six decades ago, the Tourism Association of Vancouver Island is the official non-profit society of the 4VI Group, which operates as a social enterprise. A social enterprise is a revenue-generating business that identifies a social good and directs its revenues towards that good. 4VI will support four pillars of social responsibility, including: communities, businesses, culture and environment. 

To contribute to a more sustainable tourism sector, 4VI is a signatory to the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, a global commitment led by the UNWTO to halve emissions by 2030 and reach Net Zero before 2050. It has also received the Responsible Tourism Institute’s Biosphere certification." 

The 4VI contract for services includes delivering works through the following phases:
* Phase 1 will be momentum building and scope that will include a tourism system planning meeting, one on one interviews, and a recommended report.
* Phase 2 will include background research, a stakeholder workshop, a working group session, preparation of an up-to-date accommodation directory, a communication framework document and a website notice.
* Phase 3 will include a draft Five-year strategic plan and a draft one-year tactical plan, targeted distribution of the plan, and another stakeholder information session.
* Phase 4 will include review and approval of a final Five-Year Strategic Business Plan and One-Year Tactical Plan and finally the delivery of all required MRDT documents.


Community Economic Development Standing Committee 
- Terms of Reference (approved Dec. 9, 2024; see agenda pg. 83) 
- Monthly meetings starting in April, 2025

- 4 councillors (Al Beddows, Jeff Bateman, Kevin Pearson, Tony St-Pierre) 
- 3 public appointees: 
* Gwen Fisher, The Artisans Garden
* Katherine Strongwind, Strongwind Solutions
* Scot Taylor, West Coast Adventure College and Stickleback Eatery 

Non-Voting Advisory Members
* Sooke Region Tourism Association
* Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce
* Worklink Employment Society BC – Westshore
* Sooke Arts Council

Mandate cited in the TOR includes ... 
* Implementation of the Municipal & Regional District Tax Program.
* Development of long-term regenerative and community-led destination tourism planning.

Action Points in the CED Strategic Plan 
​<direct quotes>
* Develop a Request for Proposals (RFP) for an Employment Lands Strategy
* Promote Sooke to investors/entrepreneurs/tourists.
* Develop a Marketing Strategy to promote Sooke and undertake a community branding initiative to develop a
new community brand.
* Develop Sooke business/investment attraction promotions materials

* To promote Sooke as a destination for tourists and a great place to live and work, actively pursue a world-class event (examples: sporting, arts and culture, engineering or scientific or skills competition) to be held in Sooke in 2023 or later.

* Explore a District grant program for new green, LCR entrepreneurs to set up businesses in Sooke.

* Complete the application to the Municipal and Regional Destination Tax (MRDT) program.

* Look into the possibility of a pilot project with Canada Border Services Agency to have a customs officer in Sooke at the government dock.

* Commission a hotel and tourism study to identify the viability of attracting a major recreation-oriented land use which can serve as a catalyst for expanded hospitality, tourism, hotel and conference facility investment by the private sector. The Study will review the natural and environmental impacts of increased tourism, and how Sooke can encourage tourism development that is low carbon resilient and of minimal impact to the environment and climate. The Study will include “culture and the arts” within the definition of “recreation-oriented”.

* The CED Strategy will be revisited, and may be revised based on the success of actions, and emerging needs and opportunities. The District invites community members and groups to be involved in the implementation and co-creation of this CED Strategy.


Miscellaneous  
Tourism Vancouver Island dedicated web pages 
- South Island 
- Pacific Marine Circle Route 
- Sooke
- Port Renfrew 

- Destination BC Regional Tourism Profile: Vancouver Island (2017) 

Rave Reviews
-  CNN Travel ~ Top 20 Best Places to Visit in 2025 ["Wild, untamed landscapes and explosions of manicured blossoms are just some of Vancouver Island’s natural draws."]
- Big 7 Travel ~ Top 50 Beaches In The World  ["Canada might not be synonymous with sandy shores, but with 15,000 miles of coastline hiding breathtaking treasures like Mystic Beach, it should be. Tucked away along the Juan de Fuca Trail, Mystic Beach offers an enchanting escape with postcard-perfect white sands set alongside the verdant forest. A pretty waterfall cascades gracefully into the brilliant blue sea to complete the picture."]
- Conde Naste Traveller - Victoria, BC: Best Small City and Friendliest City in the World (2023 and 2024) 


- Sooke Data Portal (updated 2024, based on the 2021 Canadian Census) 

- Sooke Region Tourism Association Wild By Nature newsletter - Jan. 2025 + Feb. 2025 
- SRTA call for photos (2024, ongoing) 
​- What Makes The Sooke Region Wild By Nature? - SRTA advertorial 

- Activity Research - Destination BC reports on how visitors spend their time in BC, including outdoor adventure, indigenous tourism, sports, road trips, etc. 

- Royal Roads University's Tourism & Hospitality Management students have repeatedly used Sooke as a case study for tourism development as directed by faculty members Brian White and Britt Santwoski. Recommendations in the Nov. 2018 report, titled "The Preconditions for Development of a Successful Tourism Destination," included: 1. Name the downtown! Build a Sooke brand; 2. Downtown investment strategy; 3. Develop tourism economic development strategy; 4. Promote retirement living in Sooke; 5. Build a "coalition of the willing." See related RRU resource listings. 

- January 2023: Royal Roads University graduate student Ekaterina Moiseeva presentation to Committee of the Whole. 

*  Mountain Bike Tourism Symposium at the Prestige Hotel  in 2014 - an event the town hosted thanks to the groundwork of Steve Grundy (a keen biker, then chair of the Mayor's Advisory Panel on Economic Development and a VP at Royal Roads University) along with Councillor Maja Tait and Sooke Mountain Cycle's Lorien Arnold. 

* Among the 30 action items in the District's Community Economic Development Strategy (2022) are the following tourism-related points (read in full on pp. 8-16 of the Strategy) 

x) secure six-figure annual destination marketing funding through the Municipal and Regional Destination Tax program; 
xi) attract more tourists through edu-tourism, eco-tourism, agri-tourism, and arts, sports and marine tourism; 
xii) explore Sooke harbour pilot project with Canada Border Services Agency;  
xiii) attract a major arts, culture, and/or recreation-oriented land use to Sooke; 
xiv) pursue a world-class event to be held annually in spirit of the former Sooke triathalon;
xv) strategies for consistent special event production in Sooke.

- District of Sooke: Sooke to Port Renfrew Tourism Plan (2008) 
* Primary target markets: 
1. Residents of Greater Victoria, particularly couples travelling without children (start promoting to this group in the short term, with particular emphasis on the spring and fall shoulder seasons).
2. Visitors to Greater Victoria after they arrive in Victoria. This group would include couples and families (start promoting to this group in the short to longer term, with day trips in the short term and overnight visits in the medium to long term).
3. Residents of Metro Vancouver. This group would also include couples and families, but given the relatively high cost of reaching this market, the focus should be on cooperative marketing efforts targeting those who may be planning a visit to Vancouver Island.
4. Outdoor adventure enthusiasts, particularly in the Greater Victoria and Metro Vancouver markets.
5. Local residents. While residents of Sooke to Port Renfrew are not strictly a tourism target group, they represent potential ambassadors for the communities who can encourage their friends and family to visit and provide information on what to do in the area. Through local residents, potential visitors from other parts of Canada and the world could be reached efficiently.

* Secondary and niche markets:
1. Other BC residents (if budget permits).
2. Washington State residents (longer term and would include cooperative marketing efforts).
3. Meeting and incentive travel planners for Victoria businesses (appropriate for a limited number of accommodation providers and adventure tour operators)
4. Greater Victoria families with children, primarily for day trips (included in secondary markets as day trips have lower revenue potential than overnight stays).
5. Those with direct air access to Victoria, including Calgary, Edmonton, San Francisco.

​- Sooke 2010 Olympics Website (Way Back Machine) 
"Sooke’s moderate, ocean climate delivers warm, dry summers and above freezing winters, which allows for eco-tourism and outdoor activities in each of the four seasons. The list of breathtaking adventures includes year-round freshwater fishing, cycling, scuba diving, hiking, windsurfing, kayaking, whale watching and beachcombing. In addition to the thrilling experiences, Sooke’s astonishing natural beauty and Native American history has bred a large community of artists, artisans and craftspeople. With accommodations ranging from bed and breakfasts to upscale resorts, Sooke offers hospitality services that cater to all visitors.

The quiet community may be close to Vancouver Island’s largest population centre, but it is a world away from the commotion of urban life. Sooke’s adventurous spirit, exquisite culture, and awe-inspiring beauty create an unrivalled experience for visitors, and these attributes are the main reasons why so many are proud to call Sooke home!" 

First draft start on what promises to be the local headline yes/no debate for the foreseeable future.

Starting Points 
- District's TMP Implementation page.  

- Navigating Sooke: Transforming Traffic Challenges Into Solutions (updated Jan. 2025; burning questions answered in the FAQ section, including "Why can't Sooke stop growing?" and "Who pays for road, sidewalk and trail improvements?"). 

- A policy rationale for the connector route is presented in the Feb. 24 agenda pp. 41-44 as part of the grant submission package to the federal Active Transportation Fund. It includes reference to Strategic Plan priorities, community wellbeing, climate impacts and community economic development as per fund guidelines.  

- District Council's 2024-2027 Strategic Plan .... Strategic Areas of Focus under Infrastructure Investments and Multi-Modal Transportation: "We make significant investments in infrastructure to support our community’s growth for future generations. This involves upgrading existing infrastructure, building new infrastructure, and seeking funding that supports our growing community’s needs. By enhancing our connectivity and livability, we can reduce our carbon footprint."
 
Feb. 24: Council moved that a borrowing referendum be scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026 as part of the next municipal general election. By then, the District's share of the costs will be better known following the early 2026 outcome of the federal grant application. It will also allow due public debate based on a full-scale information package to be produced by the District and set to include line-item cost breakdown, traffic impact studies, amortized costs of the borrowing over its 30-year lifespan and other critical details. This also gives time for the Ministry of Transportation and Transit (MOTT) to fund its complimentary updates to Sooke Road. Unanimous vote in favour by the four of us present (Beddows, St-Pierre, Tait and myself. Pearson on holiday, McMath a short-notice absentee due to work obligations.)  There were six members of the public (one a babe in arms) present for this decision. 

Feb. 23: Tomorrow evening Council will review the latest iterative approach to building out critical sections of Sooke’s internal transportation network. It is contingent on both a successful borrowing referendum and approved grants through Ottawa’s Active Transportation Fund (which, if successful, would reduce the now $49m price tag for the Throup/Phillips section to $28m). See the agenda pp. 21-44 for the staff report from Operations Director Jeff Carter and his team.

A referendum update follows on agenda pp. 45-60. It includes a variety of taxpayer impacts based on interest rates, term length and whether or not grant applications succeed. Council is asked to vote on whether to schedule this "assent borrowing opportunity" with the near-term (TBD) by-election(s), as a standalone or in tandem with the Oct. 2026 municipal general election. Grant results will be known late this year/early next, and so we're being nudged towards a 2026 option.

Holding back while clearly signalling we're ready to move ahead with a referendum will motivate, I trust, the BC Ministry of Transportation and Transit to announce and fund its share of complimentary Hwy 14 improvements (i.e., Idlemore and the right-turn lanes at Phillips, Church and the signalized Charters intersection). Letters of support have been requested by the District from multiple local and provincial stakeholders, and those will need to be collected and compiled.

Time must also be given for full public input to inform the referendum. I picture extraordinarily lively town halls and the formation of "Vote Yes" and "No" lobby groups as was the case when the 2006 connector route referendum was (sadly, frustratingly) defeated. Viva the democratic process.

What's missing to date is the hard data, traffic projections and detailed cost spreadsheets that must inform the referendum debate. As I wrote in my Bill 44 blog post last week: "In the months ahead, District staff will need present a comprehensive and persuasive cost/benefit analysis of why this bypass is a game changer -- one with full reference to the existing traffic impact studies -- if indeed this referendum is to pass the smell test and succeed in a 50% + one vote. Approx. $200 (?) per residential household annually over as long as 30 years is no small ask, especially in such uncertain economic times and given all the other best practices we're asking residents to fund, i.e. the asset management reserve fund, 24/7 policing, a fully unionized fire department and substantial overall District staffing levels, no matter that we're currently one of BC's lowest-taxed communities.”

Implementation of the 2020 Sooke Transportation Master Plan  
Proposed construction dates pending multiple factors, notably potential borrowing referendum vote and successful federal grant application. See map below for remaining phases as currently envisioned.

The TMP and Parks & Trails Master Plans were endorsed by council on Oct. 13, 2020 
See the agenda pp. 21-44 for the Feb. 24, 2025 staff report. 

Complete 
Preliminary (i.e., completed prior to the 2020 TMP) 
- Wadams Way: District paid for road, adjacent multi-use trail ($450k) was 60% funded by the Province
- Press release: Pre-Election Grand Opening (Sept. 27, 2014) 

- Sooke Road roundabout at Evergreen Mall: Completed November, 2015
- Project costs: $9.1m ($6m from Province; $3.1m from District)
- Town centre sidewalk from Church to Otter Point Rd. constructed by MOTI in conjunction with roundabout 

Phase 1: Otter Point Road Active Transportation Corridor Project
- Sooke Road to Wadams Way - 430m of sidewalks, 720m of bike lane, crosswalk at Grant Rd.
- Total project cost: $2.1m (with $1.9m from the federal/provincial Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program)  
- Contract awarded to Hazelwood Construction Services, Nanaimo (which had recently completed a MOTI contract for shoulder widening on the West Coast Rd. between Otter Point and Woodhaven).  

Phase 2: Church Road Corridor 
- Total project cost: $1.84m
- Tender awarded to Hazelwood (July 12, 2021 - agenda pp. 193-94) ... second lowest of six bids received 
- Sidewalks, bike lanes, road resurfacing, utilities upgrades
- $500k grant from the BC Active Transportation Infrastructure Grant Program  

Phase 3: Church Road Roundabout 
- Total project cost: $2.9m 
- Church Road Roundabout and Intersection design - Nov. 23, 2020 council meeting (agenda pp. 151-52) 
- Tender awarded to Hazelwood Construction Services at council meeting of July 24, 2023 (see agenda, pg. 183)
- Hazlewood's was the only proposal received from the tender process. 
- Substantial completion in May, 2024
 
Phase 4: Charters Corridor 
- Total project cost: $6.9m 
* $3,579,041 from the one-time BC Growing Communities Fund
* $2,220,000 from Road Development Cost Charges
* $111,711 from the Communities Building Fund
* $1,039,247 from additional grants/funds
* $487,962 from CRD Infrastructure and Water Services 
- Tender awarded to Hazelwood at council meeting of July 24, 2023 (see agenda, pp. 181-82) 
- Note: Phases three and four tendered to Hazelwood given construction efficiencies and its successful execution of earlier phases. Higher bids were received from Vimex Contracting ($7.4m) and Don Mann Excavating ($7.9m) 

Upcoming
Phase 5: Charters & Sooke Road Intersection
- Four-legged signalized intersection
- Total project cost: $3.5m
- MOTT anticipated to pay 50% of costs 
- Grant application pending for $500k 
- Planned construction in 2026  
- BC Active Transportation Infrastructure Grants application #1 - Nov. 27, 2023 (see agenda pp. 35-38). Denied. 
- BC Active Transportation Infrastructure Grants Program application #2 - Oct. 28, 2024 (see agenda pp. 23-33), includes engineering blueprint of intersection on pg. 29. 

Phase 6: Throup and Phillips Road Connector 
- Total project cost: $49,791,985 (includes 20% contingency) 
- Grant application amount: $16,901,991
- District contribution: $32,889,209 
- less Development Cost Charge contributions: ~ $5m 
 
- From Church Rd. roundabout to Phillips exit onto Sooke Road 
- Proposed construction: 2026-2029 
- Now recontexualized as a single project (as opposed to phases in previous strategies) 
- Project at 75% functional design 
- Land acquisition required 

- Extensive contingencies built into the $49m price tag to account for potential inflation & cost factors (therefore final costs may be significantly lower)   
* 20% best-practice overall contingency ($10m) 
* 10% inflation for contracted services at time tender is awarded ($5m) 
* 2% costs for potential remediation of contaminated soil ($2m) 
* 12% allowance for contracted management services ($6m) 

Phase 7: Otter Point Active Transportation Corridor Continuation 
- Total project cost: $2,096,602 (includes 30% contingency) 
- Grant application amount: $884,930 
- District contribution: $1,211,672

- Continuing the sidewalk and bike lane from The Park View north past the Municipal Hall to Rhodonite. 
- "Completes the missing active transportation link connecting the Broom Hill area to John Phillips Park and the Stickleback Trail" 
- 50% conceptual design
- Proposed construction: 2027

Phase 8: Hwy 14 Active Transportation Continuation
- Total project cost: $9,669,615 (includes 30% contingency) 
- Grant application amount: $5,801,769 
- District contribution: $4,987,248

- West Coast Rd. sidewalks and shoulder bike lanes from Ed Macgregor Park to Whiffin Spit Rd. 
- "MOTT will not fund sidewalks along highways" but a successful grant will "incentivize the Ministry to complete a road resurfacing project." 
- Proposed construction: 2028

Phase 9: Wadams/Otter Point/Grant Road West Continuation 
- Project cost estimate: $12m 
- Proposed construction: 2030 

Trail Connection to Sunriver  
Context: Active Routes to Schools 

Phase 1: Ponds Corridor
Cost: $2.1m 
Completed in 2021 

Phase 2: Little River Trail & Bridge 
- District's Little River Multi-Use Trail home page
- Cost: $2,869,000
- BC Active Transportation Infrastructure Grants Program application - Nov. 27, 2023 (see agenda pp. 35-57; engineering drawings begin on pg. 39) 
- Environmental Development Permit - Sept. 23, 2024 (see agenda pp. 125-200; Environmental Management Plan begins on pg. 133) 
- Little River Pedestrian Crossing contract to Regehr Contracting Ltd. - $1,943,749.30 - Jan. 13, 2025 (agenda pp. 21-65)
- Site preparation underway, trail and boardwalk construction begins in spring, completion date this fall  

Upcoming
Phase 3: Little River Active Transportation Trail - Sunriver Way Access 
- Total project cost: $2,763,411 (includes 30% contingency) 
- Grant application amount: $$1,658,064
- District contribution: $1,105,377
- Proposed construction: 2027
- Remediating the very steep access point to the future Little River (Demamiel Creek) Trail from its Sunriver Way northern access point. Construction of two retaining walls over 150m to reduce grade according to standards set in BC's Active Transportation Design Guide.


Grant Funding Possibilities 
Federal Active Transportation Fund 
- federal government website landing page via the Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada 

"Up to $500M will be available for active transportation capital projects across Canada. This includes a minimum of 10% of total funds set aside for Indigenous recipients ... Projects that are determined to be eligible will be further evaluated against the program's merit criteria. Final project selection is undertaken with a view to balancing funding support by taking into consideration such factors as regional distribution, the type of project, and equitable access."

- Application deadline: February 26, 2025
- Projects must be complete by March 30, 2030 
- Unlimited number of project requests up to a maximum of $50m 
- Grants will cover up to 60% of costs per project 
- Grants can be stacked with other funding sources 
- Active Transportation Fund grant windows will open again in coming years as part of a "Targeted Funding" approach
- The fund is a component of the federal government's $3b Canada Public Transit Fund 

Sooke's grant request = $25,246,754 (i.e., 5% of total available national grant funding in the current funding window; other opportunities will follow if we receive partial funding) 
1. Throup and Phillips Road Connector Active Transportation Corridor ($16,901,991)
2. Little River Active Transportation Trail - Sunriver Way Access ($1,658,064)
3. Otter Point Active Transportation Corridor Continuation (John Phillips Park lot to Rhodonite - $884,930)  
4. Highway 14 Active Transportation Continuation (Ed Macgregor Park to Whiffin Spit Road - $5,801,769) 

Frequently Asked Questions 
<clip> "Capital projects involve new infrastructure construction, enhancement of existing infrastructure, and/or improvements to design and safety features that encourage increased active transportation.Eligible capital projects may include:

• Building or enhancing infrastructure for active transportation, such as multi-use paths, sidewalks, footbridges, separated bicycle lanes, and connections to other roadways (recreational trails are only eligible provided they can also be used for transportation, i.e., connecting to destinations, services or amenities);
• Enhancing active transportation infrastructure, including design considerations in which there may be no net gain in kilometres of infrastructure, but include quality improvements that support greater usage;
• Building or enhancing design features and facilities that promote active transportation, such as storage facilities, lighting, greenery, shade, and benches; and
• Building or enhancing safety features which promote active transportation, such as crosswalks, medians, speed bumps, and wayfinding signage.

"Is a municipal attestation or endorsement from Council required for a municipal applicant? "Municipal applicants do not require a municipal Council endorsement, resolution or other form of attestation at the time of application. Should the project funding be approved, such an attestation may be required as a condition of the funding agreement."


Long-Term Borrowing Referendum Update 
Feb. 24, 2025. See the agenda pp. 45 to 60 

"The District of Sooke has key capital Transportation Master Plan projects that need debt financing, as outlined in its 2025-2029 Five-Year Financial Plan, at a total budget of $49.79 million (Appendix 1). With $5 million of DCC and other funding available, the maximum amount of funds the District needs to borrow to finance these projects is up to $44.79 million ($49.79 million - $5 million and including contingency). With a successful federal Active Transportation grant of $16.90 million, this borrowing amount will be reduced to $27.89 million." (from the staff report, pg. 46)

- Council options 
i) Tag the referendum onto a near-term by-election for one councillor and possibly Mayor
ii) Hold a borrowing referendum on a standaloneTBD voting day after the by-election
iii) Tag it onto the municipal general election ballot on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026 

Staff recommendation: "If Council's preference is to receive confirmation on grant funding prior to a referendum then it is recommended that the District conduct the assent voting (referendum) in October 2026. By this time, the District will have the necessary information to inform the public and meet the grant funder’s required timeline. Additionally, combining the referendum with the general local election is a cost-effective option." 

Draft Referendum Question "Are you in favour of the District of Sooke adopting the Loan Authorization Bylaw No. XXX to authorize the borrowing of up to $XXXXX for the purpose of building roads with an active transportation path located at XXXXXX, Sooke, BC?" 


Cost implication scenarios for taxpayers
The Municipal Finance Authority of BC's current long-term (30-year) borrowing rate is 4.36%  See MFA long-term borrowing rates backgrounder. A long-term loan is locked in for its first ten years at a set interest rate, then renegotiated based on current interest rates at time of renewal. Interest rate trends have been declining since a peak of 4.97% in fall 2023. 

1. Without Active Transportation Grant (at 4.36% interest rate)
- $45m principal
- annual principal payment = $876k 
- annual interest payment = $1,972,426
- annual debt repayment = $2,848,768 
- Cost per average assessed Sooke household (2024 figure) = $272 per year
- If interest rate was 3.5% = $169 per year 

2. With Active Transportation Grant (at 4.36% interest rate) 
- $28m principal 
- annual principal payment = $545,654
- annual interest payment = $1,228,130
- annual debt repayment = $1,773,784 
- Cost per average assessed Sooke household (2024 figure) = $169 per year 
- If interest rate was 3.5% = $146 per year 

"This annual payment could be further reduced if the District increases its contribution and reduces the loan principal. Staff will be exploring any non-property tax funding sources to reduce the overall taxpayer costs." 

​Total cost of MFA loan with interest over its lifespan: ? 

Related: Why Construction Costs On Public Infrastructure Projects Are Skyrocketing - Dan Baxter, Progressive Contractors Association of BC (Vancouver Sun, Oct. 1, 2024)


Budget 2025 Public Survey 
- Slide deck
- What We Heard Report 
<clip> pg. 16 "The timing of the budget survey, coinciding with the Charters Road closure, gave the District a valuable opportunity to check in with the community on its transportation needs—especially for Highway 14 and the local road network. This feedback is important as the District considers ways to accelerate the implementation of its Transportation Master Plan, which outlines a strategic 10-year vision for enhancing transportation.

Residents were also asked to prioritize up to three solutions for reducing congestion on Highway 14. Results included:
1. Alternate Routes: 225 votes; 68.4%
2. Improve local roads and how we travel around Sooke: 171 votes; 52%
3. Road Widening and expansion: 148 votes; 45%
4. Improve public transportation: 138; 41.9%
5. Local employment: 125; 38%


Business Case Study (2014) for Phillips/Charters Section 
Mayor Milne and his council directed staff to produce the Business Case: Grant Road Connector Project - Phillips to Charter Roads (Nov. 2014). Total estimated cost for this section of the route was $3,808,439. The line-item budget presented in the report included "site works, removals, road works, drainage, wetland crossing, miscellaneous expenses and a 25% contingency ... The District’s share of $1,269,480 ($3,808,439 less possible (federal) Building Canada - Small Communities grant funding of $2,538,959) will be financed by $774,383 in Development Cost Charges, $305,569 from capital reserves and $189,528 from taxes." 

Other highlights and rationales as identified in this report:
 
- "The District engaged a consulting firm to develop traffic simulation models and estimate total trip distances in base case and in a project case scenarios. Travel projections for the project are based on a PM Peak of 640 vph = 6,400 vehicles per day. The model estimated that 18.6 million kms would be driven in a base case scenario and 14.6 million kms annually under the project scenario, resulting in a savings of 4 million kms annually. Operating costs savings from this reduced trip distance are estimated at $1 million annually based on $0.25 per kilometre.

- "Time savings due to the improved network and reduced idling are estimated at 147,000 hours per year, which results in a savings of $1.47 million annually based on a time value of $10/hr." 

- "Taking an estimated 6,400 vehicles per day off the busy Highway 14 (Sooke Road) may result in reduced accidents. Highway 14 (Sooke Road) has a high accident frequency resulting partly from having many access points. The project will alternatively provide a safe parallel route through the town core and reducing the need to use many of the current access points. Typical calculations value one fatality at $1,000,000 and an injury at $250,000. Annual savings are estimated at $290,000 per year taking into account estimated property damage costs and personal injury costs." 

- Under social benefits: "Pedestrians and cyclists are forced to use the highway to complete the connection to several schools, the recreation centre, and the town core. Local transit service is not possible within this disconnected network ... Not having a parallel road network in the District forces all local and through traffic onto the highway. Turning volumes are high and put a strain on the road capacity. Travel distances are also significantly longer for local trips as residents must drive to the highway and then re-enter the community at another cross street. The high level of access points along the highway contributes to the high accident frequency in Sooke." 

- "Only one small portion of road right-of-way remains to be formally secured. This portion is owned by the Capital Regional District and subject to stewardship by the SEAPARC Commission (governing body of the SEAPARC recreation centre). Approval for the dedication has been received by the SEAPARC Commission Board. The District and the Capital Regional District have an agreement in principle to facilitate the transfer of the subject lands in return for the District providing access and additional parking at the SEAPARC leisure centre from the connector. This has already been incorporated into preliminary design work."

- "Preliminary design work and stakeholder consultations have already taken place for what was previously going to be one large project. The District decided instead to break the project into more manageable phases and has recently completed Phase 1 (Wadams Way) on time and under budget. Support letters have been received by the District for the entire Grant Road Connector Project and also for this particular project, Phase 2 (Phillips Road to Charters Road). Community support for the project is clearly evidenced by the project’s inclusion in the District’s Official Community Plan and Transportation Master Plan documents." 


Miscellaneous 
From This Blog
* Hwy 14: Condensed & Updated (June 13, 2024) 
* Hwy 14 Revisited: Congestion & Safety Edition (March-June, 2024) 
* CRD’s Proposed Transportation Authority (May 23, 2024) 
* Highway 14 Revisited: Four-Lane Opening Edition (July 22, 2022)
* What's Next For Sooke's Evolving Road, Sidewalk and Roundabout Network (Jan. 20, 2021) 
* Highway 14 Revisited: Spring 2019 Edition (March 29, 2019)
* Fresh Paint, Familiar Refrain for Sooke Road (Nov. 17, 2018)


Previous Sooke Referendums
May 1, 2016 ”Residents of Sooke and Juan de Fuca have voted to buy a 23-acre golf course for future recreational use. The owners of DeMamiel Creek Golf Course accepted a $1-million offer from SEAPARC, subject to the referendum. SEAPARC will transfer $250,000 for the purchase and the remaining $750,000 will be financed over 15 years at a fixed rate of about 3 per cent.”   Results:  978 YES … 209 NO.  (Times Colonist)  (Referendum conducted by the CRD.)

Nov. 2014   Two "plebiscites" that the CivicInfo BC database files with other referendums 
i)  "Would you support the District of Sooke working with the community to develop multi-use community centre facilities? YES or NO"  Result:  3072 YES ... 631 NO. 

ii) "Should the District of Sooke join other municipalities in renewing and restating its opposition to the expansion of oil tanker traffic through Coastal BC waters? YES or NO"  Result:  2618 YES ... 1137 NO. 

Nov. 15, 2008 “Are you in favour of the Capital Regional District Board adopting Bylaw No. 3525, “Sooke Region Museum Service Establishment Bylaw No. 1, 2008” to establish a service for the District of Sooke and a portion of the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area for the purpose of contributing $25,000 annually to an endowment fund and $50,000 annually to an operating fund for the Sooke Region Museum YES or NO?”   Result: 2857 YES ... 398 NO. 

November 19, 2005 - Boundary extension into portions of East Sooke (including Grouse Nest and Silver Spray/Sooke Point). Result: Successful. (votes unknown). Two preliminary stories on the subject from the News Mirror's Dan Ross re: preliminary open house and council's vote for a referendum. 

January 22, 2005 - Connector road borrowing referendum. 2900 votes cast, according to the Times Colonist, with the "No" side winning by 300 votes. The question sought approval for a $2.6m borrowing to pair with $4m in federal and provincial infrastructure grants. An initial attempt to move this foward via the Alternate Approval Process failed when more than 10% of eligible Sooke voters filed counter petitions.

At this point, Sooke had no engineered sidewalks whatsoever having been built out to rural standards while part of the Capital Regional District.  Background: See Sooke Borrowing Referendum report just prior to voting day from the Sooke News Mirror's Robin Wark. <clip> "The connector project includes a new two-lane road complete with sidewalk, curb and gutter, from the gazetted Gatewood Road (located halfway between Pyrite and Otter Point Roads) to Church Road, near Throup Road. The Highway 14 project will upgrade two km of the road from just west of Atherley Close to Charters Road. It includes sidewalks on both sides, widening to allow for left turn lanes, curb and gutter, a median, 75 more streetlights and a traffic light at Sooke and Charters Road ... the projects would cause a maximum tax increase of $56.62, based on the average home assessment of $187,000."


Urban Systems' Highway 14 Corridor Study (Dec. 2008)
Prepared for MOTI, not available online; I have a single page from it with the following conclusions:
"* The capacity of the existing two-lane Highway 14 corridor is being reached and will continue to degrade with increased traffic volume associated with continued growth and development in the District of Sooke. 
* Difficult road-way geometry, limited access control, and increasing traffic volumes contribute to safety performance concerns along the corridor. 
* It is unlikely that four laning of Highway 14, either in the form of the proposed '5-lane concept' through Sooke's urban core or the proposed #14 realignment in the rural areas, will be considered viable improvement options. 
* A combination of other improvement measures will be required to address the identified performance deficiencies over the long term in both the urban and rual areas of Sooke and the Highway 14 corridor." 

The Summer of Sooke's Driving Discontent (2024)
The Charters closure and the resultant discontent from our commuter population ended more or less in lockstep with the improved road's reopening in September. Always worth a read as a reminder of local sentiment back then are Britt Santowski's traffic impact surveys. (see the Sept. 9, 2024 agenda, pp. 649-718) 
  
Federal Grants to Sooke Since 2002 
- Search results from the Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada database 
- Infrastructure Canada total funding to Sooke: $47.1m 
- Gas tax revenue: $7.7m 
- Highway 14 corridor grants: $30m 
- Little River Crossing: $1,307,610  
- T'Sou-ke Community Complex and Health Care Centre: $3,893,335 

Adoption of Current TMP in Oct. 2020
From the somewhat wayback file, here's how the District was planning to move forward on the road network following approval of the 2020 Transportation Master Plan. Remarkable progress to date yet so much still to accomplish (including the future connection of Wadams Way to Grant Road West via an Otter Point Rd. roundabout as planners eventually progress to the western half of the bypass).

The TMP states that "Highway 14 experiences traffic volumes up to 20,000 vehicles per day. Otter Point Road is the busiest Collector Road with volumes up to 9,500 per day." The projected Average Daily Traffic entering Sooke in 2038 will be 25,000 vehicles. See the map on page 41.

Directions Within Sooke's Pending Official Community Plan 
Sooke’s pending OCP includes 14 action items related to transportation in its Implementation Plan (see pp. 161-162). Our  OCP, like all others in BC, is to be renewed by Dec. 31, 2025. The transportation priorities (all either ongoing or short-term) include: 

* "Update the existing MOU with MOTI in order to realize shared multi-modal objectives for Highway 14, the Grant Road Connector and associated municipal streets" 

* "Ensure that school site design provides safe access in relation to Highway 14" 

* "Support work-from-home, teleworking and co-work spaces in the town centre, carpooling, car share operators and other initiatives to reduce commuter travel" 

* "Continue to work with BC Transit and MOTI to identify, plan and construct transit priority measures" as well as expanded regional and local service. 

* "Town Centre parking management study" and review of on-and-off street parking management practices. 

Behind the Eight Ball: Trumpian Context
All the above is logical in blessedly normal times. Yet these clearly are not that given looming trade wars, retaliatory tariffs, resultant recessions and who knows what next fresh hell/madness from King Donad. Our privileges, even more than is already happening in this age of polycrisis, are being severely tested. There's likely an argument to be made that the District’s best practices and next-generational thinking/spending be paused until sanity prevails.  Then again, costs will only rise and this is a project intended for both this and multiple next-generation Sooke residents. 

​

Tomorrow at a Special Council Meeting (1 PM), we six on council will determine how to respond to the Province of BC’s second and final ultimatum requiring the District to incorporate Bill 44 and its Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH, pronounced "sssh-moo" according to one consultant) provisions into Sooke's Zoning Bylaw No. 600. 

See the agenda pp. 55-675.  [The staff reports dated Feb. 18, 2025 (pp. 55-59), Nov. 25, 2024 (pp. 667-671) and June 24 (pp. 651-666) are good overviews if you care to delve in. Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 910 captures all changes in one legal document (pp. 367-405). These changes are incorporated into and easy to find in the redlined version of the bylaw (pp. 407-650). That the same bylaw has accidentally been included twice explains the agenda's length.]
 
In rather brutal brief: If we don’t adopt Bill 44: Housing Statues (Residential Development) Amendment Act, 2023 in its entirety, the Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs has told us (in a letter dated Jan. 16, 2025, see pp. 673-675) that the Province will do so for us under section 457.1 of the Local Government Act. That clause states that municipal power “must not be exercised in a manner that unreasonably prohibits or restricts the use or density of use required to be permitted under section 481.3 [zoning bylaws and small-scale multi-family housing].” 
 
Sooke council’s request early last summer (June 24) for a five-year time-out on adopting Bill 44  was deemed an “unreasonable prohibition” on Sooke's contributions to the Ministry’s 2023 Homes For People Action Plan.   (Council had already approved two of Bill 44's three main components: First by grudgingly removing  public hearing requirements for rezonings that are consistent with the OCP; second by approving staff's interim update of Sooke’s Housing Needs Report, which indicates we must plan for 4,737 new housing units by 2044 to meet anticipated demand - Nov. 12, see pp. 113-126). 

Council's argument that we needed time to to get our transportation infrastructure house in order while the Province did likewise with segments of Highway 14 held no weight with the Ministry, which sent the rejection slip on Sept. 16. "The extension requested is refused," wrote Minister Kahlon, "as it lacks sufficient evidence to support the extension. You have not demonstrated that immediate infrastructure upgrades to Highway 14 would have a direct impact on mitigating risk to public health, safety, or the environment."

In last month's final notice, Sooke was given 30 days to implement Bill 44 with the troublesome (for us and other municipalities) SSMUH portion included, i.e., the upzoning designed to speed construction of more affordable "missing middle" housing types in communities across BC. It allows up to four units in previously "restricted zones" (i.e.,  single-family and duplex units) that, crucially, have sewer and water connections. That amounts to approx. 2,100 or 30% of Sooke's 6,264 housing lots. All are in our town centre sewer-specified area.  

Minister Kahlon’s mid-January letter arrived a few days late at the District office, so we have until tomorrow to meet his deadline and make an independent decision regarding what the Province emphatically states is the inevitable.  
 
Starting Points
* Sooke website: 2024 Legislation Changes
* Provincial Policy Manual and Site Standards 
* Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing – BC Ministry of Housing 

Recent Media Coverage 
* We Need More Density But Bullying Doesn't Help - Times Colonist Op Ed, Feb. 10, 2025
* Sooke has two more weeks to make bylaw changes, or province will do it – Times Colonist, Feb. 1
* Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon On His New Mandate and the Year Ahead - Storeys, Jan. 31 
​* Sooke MLA Pledges to Mediate Bill 44 Impasse – Sooke News Mirror, Dec. 12, 2024
* Bill 44 Overlooks Local Realities In Sooke – Sooke News Mirror editorial, Dec. 5
* Province Expected to Step In – CFAX, Dec. 2 
* Sooke Residents Urge Sooke Council and BC Government to Collaborate – Change.org petition, anonymous
* Province Denies View Royal and Sooke Extensions On New Density Regulations - The Westshore, Sept. 25

Council Decisions to Date
March 25, 2024: Following the latest in a series of Urban Systems workshop presentations, council asked staff to draft zoning bylaw amendments to incorporate Bill 44 and include a complete range of housing typologies for application in permissible SSMHU lots. 

June 24, 2024:  Tait, Beddows, McMath and I voted in favour of requesting a five-year deferral through Dec. 31, 2029 for reasons detailed below. Lajeunesse and St-Pierre opposed; Pearson absent.  The full motion submitted by Cllr. McMath is reproduced towards the end of this post.

In truncated form, the motion's rationale was that i) Critical infrastructure upgrades identified in the Transportation Master Plan are underway but far from complete; ii) Infrastructure in the town centre is inadequate and poses a risk to public health and safety if compliance is rushed; iii) Sooke is a rare municipality with limited two-lane in/out access, and this qualifies as an “extraordinary circumstance”; iv) That the District would advance its Transportation Master Plan objectives in the interim period so as to be better prepared for the implementation of SSMHU in 2030; and v) That Sooke would “collaborate with relevant provincial authorities and stakeholders to ensure a coordinated approach to achieving compliance while addressing local and Provincial infrastructure challenges." 

At this time, as you'll recall, we were in the heat of a traffic crisis with Charters closed. (Blog reference ~ Highway 14: Condensed and Updated.) The long line of stalled westbound vehicles and the hue/cry of those affected (captured so thoroughly in Britt Santowski's surveys) both reaffirmed and provided fresh evidence that traffic out/in and throughout Sooke is our community’s top issue now ... and likely for the indefinite future unless we can pivot from bedroom to complete community with, as intended, local job growth and economic development.  
 
Among points I made that night is that Sooke is already well ahead of our housing targets with nearly 1,000 units recently complete or approved for construction (half of them rentals) and another 1,000 in the pipeline pending rezoning. In no conceivably just and fair universe, in other words, would Sooke qualify for the Province’s infamous “naughty list” of slow-growth municipalities. (Unlike Oak Bay, for recent instance.) Quite the contrary, we arguably must slow down while catching up on the long-recognized infrastructure shortfall. (Identified fully a quarter century ago in Sooke's first Transportation Plan.) 
 
Adding the SSMU wildcard, I believe I said, would potentially add many more new residents at the exact time when our road issues had never been worse.

​District staff have stated all along that they don't anticipate a gold-rush frenzy of redevelopment from eligible homeowners. SSMHU uptake, they believe, will happen slowly over the long term as our town centre densifies according to the smart-growth vision identified in our current and draft Official Community Plans. As noted in a FAQ on the District’s website: "Some refer to these changes as the greatest planning change in local government history. The changes are significant. What they mean and how they impact Sooke will shift our landscape. However, we are hopeful to apply numerous best practices and work within the legislation and with the community, including builders and developers, to retain our small-town, big heart feel while increasing the vibrancy of our community." 

Nonetheless, the four of us felt a deferral request was the best, most prudent and considered way forward given the other factors.  

Nov. 25, 2024: By this point, Charters had re-opened and traffic was flowing more reliably. The referendum conversation was beginning in earnest given public feedback during the Budget 2025 process. And, as stated above, Sooke’s request had been flatly dismissed by the Province (on the grounds that we hadn't fully demonstrated “an extraordinary circumstance” for a deferral).

I argued that we'd made our point, been slam-dunked in return and it was now time for diplomacy and cooperation as both the District and the Ministry stay focused on addressing the issue at hand via collaborative common sense and joint planning under the Memorandum of Understanding.  

​A 3-3 vote rendered a staff-recommended motion for adoption null and void. Pearson, St-Pierre and myself in favour. Tait, Beddows, McMath opposed. All deadlocks spell defeat for any motion. 
 
Jan. 27, 2025: Council received the Jan. 16 letter from Minister Kahlon in a public meeting. Staff were directed "to prepare a report for Council's consideration, and include the bylaw for adoption. Further, that Council direct staff to write to the minister advising receipt of the letter."  

(Encouragingly, also in the agenda that night was a letter from new Minister of Transportation and Transit Mike Farnworth: <clip> “Ensuring people have options to travel safely, efficiently and cleanly on this major corridor for the long term is a goal we share, and I look forward to working with you on projects that will make a difference in the lives of residents and travellers who rely on this route.” He's referring to Hwy 14, of course, and I choose to take him at his word.)

February 18, 2025: Staff recommend, as they’ve done consistently, that we adopt the legislation. Tomorrow's agenda motion largely duplicates that of the earlier meetings: 

THAT Council give first, second, and third reading to Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 910 (600-104), 2024 (amendments to implement Small-Scale, Multi Unit Housing legislation as prescribed by Bill 44); 
THAT Council adopt Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 910 (600-104), 2024; and 
THAT Council direct staff to provide written notice to the Minister of Housing that the Zoning Bylaw amendment required for compliance with Small-Scale, Multi-Unit  Housing (SSMUH) requirements have been adopted. 


Tomorrow afternoon I plan to say much of what I said on Nov. 25. To wit: 
* I think we have made some smart strategic moves so far in making it clear to the Ministry that Sooke wants immediate provincial action on road congestion while at the same time stating that we're ready to do our part (via referendum) in attempting to pay for the biggest, costliest Transportation Master Plan priorities.  Acceding now is not a defeat but an opportunity to urge the Province to work with Sooke in addressing this generational issue before it worsens. 
 
* The Province flatly denied Sooke's request in September on the grounds that the District did not submit a formal engineering report to accompany the deferral request. No mercy shown whatsoever. (Deferrals were granted to 21 BC municipalities last fall for a variety of case-specific reasons, but we lacked the needed business case study proving, at this time and until road improvements are made, that “Sooke Is Full," to quote the bumper stickers I see increasingly around town.)  
 
* Now that we’re on the far side of the Charters nightmare while knowing more such traffic jams are ahead given future construction work, it is absolutely crunch time for staff from the District and the new-look Ministry of Transportation and Transit as they continue work under a 2013 Memorandum of Understanding that we were told is in robust and effective good health when Ministry and District staff addressed council on April 8, 2024. 
 
* For Sooke’s part, Mr. Carter and his team must be enabled to continue their already remarkable work in fast-tracking the Transportation Master Plan to build out key sectors of our internal road network. This will need be accomplished through a major borrowing (if approved through referendum) and the aggressive pursuit of provincial and federal infrastructure grants. (Example: Ottawa's Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund and the Active Transportation Fund, both of which offer up to 60% funding for elements of big-budget projects like the Throup-Phillips bypass.)  

[Note: In the months ahead, District staff will need to present a comprehensive and persuasive cost/benefit analysis of why this bypass is a game changer -- one with full reference to the existing traffic impact studies -- if indeed this referendum is to pass the smell test and succeed in a 50% + one vote. Approximately $200 (?) per residential household over as long as 30 years is no small ask, especially in such uncertain economic times and given all the other best practices we're asking residents to fund, i.e. the asset management reserve fund, 24/7 policing, a fully unionized fire department and substantial overall District staffing levels, no matter that we're currently one of BC's lowest-taxed communities.]
 
* Simultaneously, the Ministry must get its own act together by revealing details of and funding amounts for the next phase of the Highway 14 Corridor Improvement Plan. (I’ve asked several times this last year for details of the Ministry's planned 10-Year Capital Plan expenditures for Sooke Road -- first at the April 8 council appearance by MOTI senior staff and, most recently, in council’s first formal meeting at the legislature with MLA Lajeunesse last month. No answer to date, however.)  

* The good news we've heard to date is that MOTT, working closely with District Operations staff, has short and mid-term (by 2030) plans for ... 

i)  Signalization of the Idlemore and Charters intersections. 
ii) Three westbound right-turn lanes from the bridge to Church Road – at Phillips, Charters and Church.
iii) West Coast Road sidewalks (both sides) from Ed Macgregor Park to Whiffin Spit Rd.
iv) Improvements to the undersized, frankly dangerous drop-off zone at John Muir Elementary School.  
 
* I am encouraged by Minister Kahlon's statement in his October letter to the District: “We understand the need to enhance transportation infrastructure to reduce congestion. This is why (MOTI) will be making several improvements over the coming years to Highway 14. While these are significant upgrades, their success will largely depend on the District of Sooke completing its crucial work of connection Throup Road with Phillips Road.” (I griped, I confess, about the use of “several improvements” in this paragraph when rather more than a couple of fixes are required.) 
 
*************************

I rambled a little/lot at the end of a long night on Nov. 25 about this process being akin to a “chess game." I argued it was wise for the District to move its pieces patiently over time. Our strategic decisions (i.e., continuing work on the TMP and funding its ambitions) will inspire/require MOTT to reveal and fund its next phase of the long-game Hwy 14 Corridor Improvement program. Both parties must seek solutions to a shared dilemma and responsibility.  (Chess involves two players over a single board, but it was a poor metaphor, I now acknowledge. One player wins. Road improvements that facilitate flow and feature full sidewalk/bike lane active-transportation elements is win-win for us all.)  
 
Yes, the Province’s one-size-fits-all approach to easing the housing crunch is not the least subtle given that every municipality faces unique issues and challenges.  The News Mirror editorial of Dec. 5 says it well: “The government must recognize that housing affordability cannot be achieved by ignoring infrastructure realities or dismissing the voices of local governments. British Columbia needs a housing strategy that empowers municipalities to be partners in the solution, not adversaries … This standoff is not just about Sooke; it reflects a larger issue with the provincial government’s approach to governance. Heavy-handed mandates will not solve complex problems. Collaboration, fairness, and respect for local expertise are the only sustainable paths forward.” 

And yet I have a friend who often speaks about picking the right hill to fight and perhaps die upon.  (How grateful that I’m part of the blessed generation that never was asked or conscripted to do so literally.)  There are so many hills to choose from in these new dark ages. I chose to believe Bill 44 is absolutely well-intentioned. It will evolve with time and that the necessary nuances will be incorporated into it. Paradise will not be lost in the process, and we just may wind up with the affordable and relatively dense town centre that so many have envisioned for so long.  


Original June 24, 2024 Council motion seeking deferral
MOVED by Councillor Megan McMath, seconded by Councillor Al Beddows: 
 
WHEREAS, the District of Sooke is currently in the process of upgrading critical infrastructure such as but not limited to Charters Roads, Throup Road, which is necessary to support the implementation of the SSMUH; 
 
WHEREAS, the infrastructure serving the area where SSMUH compliance is required by June 30, 2024, is presently inadequate and poses a significant risk to public health and safety if compliance is rushed; 
 
WHEREAS, the District of Sooke qualifies under the definition of "Extraordinary Circumstances" due to its geographical constraints, being one of the few municipalities with limited access being primarily through Provincial Highway 14; 
 
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: THAT Council direct staff to submit an application to the Province of British Columbia requesting an extension to the SSMUH compliance deadline beyond June 30, 2024 to December 31, 2030. 
 
This extension is crucial to ensure that necessary infrastructure upgrades are completed to meet the requirements of the SSMUH without compromising public health and safety; 
 
THAT Mayor and Council of the District of Sooke advocate for this extension based on the extraordinary circumstances related to the municipality's unique geographic challenges; 
 
THAT The District of Sooke commits to expedite the necessary infrastructure improvements to achieve compliance with the SSMUH as soon as practicable under the extended deadline; 
 
AND THAT The District of Sooke collaborates with relevant provincial authorities and stakeholders to ensure a coordinated approach to achieving compliance while addressing local and Provincial infrastructure challenges.
 
This motion is proposed to safeguard public health and safety while allowing the District of Sooke adequate time to upgrade its infrastructure in accordance with the SSMUH requirements. CARRIED.  Opposed: Councillor Dana Lajeunesse and Councillor Tony St-Pierre


SSMUH in Sooke 
“Small-Scale Multi-Unit Residential Dwelling means a residential building comprised of up to four dwelling units which may consist of a duplex, townhouse, or stacked townhouse, but excludes an apartment building, a cluster dwelling, a
manufactured home, a row house, or a single family dwelling.”

By The Numbers
If I have done my math correctly, there are 6,164 housing lots in the District 
- 2,890 in the sewer-specified zone meet SSMUH regulations and can add 3 or 4 units dependent on lot size 
- 650 sewered homes in Sunriver do not qualify due to the development's CD zone limitations 
- 3,274 (or 55%) of Sooke lots do not meet the requirements (i.e., lack sewers)  
 
- THEREFORE, a total of 2,241 lots in Sooke can be redeveloped to include up to 4 units
i.e., about 30 percent of lots, all in Sooke’s sewer-connected town centre. 

See the June 24 staff report pp. 135-138 for full details on applicable lots within "restricted zones" (i.e., formerly reserved for single-family dwellings and duplexes) in Sooke.  

<clip> "When amending the zones to allow for suites and to allow for 3 to 4 units, property owners have the same zoning rights in the amended bylaw as they do now. This means that lots in the "restricted zones" can still have a principal residential unit and a secondary suite (i.e., two units.) If a property owner elects to add more units to their lot, then they will follow the SSMUH regulations, which are laid out in the applicable zones (of the updated zoning bylaw.)" 

Providing exemptions don't disqualify a lot from SSMUH eligibility, parcels within “Restricted Zones”  are eligible for the following housing unit minimums:
- a minimum of 1 secondary suite and/or 1 Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) on each parcel (already long included in our zoning bylaw for all zones) 
- a minimum of 3 units must be permitted on each parcel of land less than 280 m2 
- a minimum of 4 units must be permitted on each parcel of land greater than 280 m2. 

Exemptions/Disqualifications 
- Hazardous conditions when a report is provided by a qualified professional certifying that increasing the density would significantly increase the threat or risk from the hazardous condition, and the threat or risk from the hazardous condition cannot be practically mitigated, 
- Land subject to a heritage revitalization agreement in place prior to the legislation coming into force,
- Land that is inside the Agricultural Land Reserve, 
- Land that is outside of an urban containment boundary established by an OCP and/or regional growth strategy, 
- Land that is not connected to a community water system and community sewer system (parcels must be connected to both) provided as a service by a municipality or regional district, 
- Land that is in a zone where the minimum parcel size that may be created by subdivision is 4,050 m2, and 
- A parcel of land that is larger than 4,050 m2

Lot coverage restrictions apply with SSMUH developments as they've traditionally done in all residential zones:
- 50% maximum lot coverage for lots less than 1215m2 
- 40% maximum lot coverage for lots more than 1215m2

​Parking requirements are unchanged ...  
 - 2 spaces per dwelling unit for single family dwellings; 
- 1.5 spaces per dwelling unit for medium- and high-density multi-family residential dwellings; 
- 1 space per secondary suite or small suite.

Lot Line Setbacks are detailed on pp. 138-140 of the June 24 staff report. Recommended changes to the zoning bylaw are easy to find in the redlined revision on pp. 149-351. 

PS If, as is inevitable, you have questions about any of this, please phone the District at (250) 642-1634 and ask to speak with the Planning Department. 


Road Construction Schedule (Budgets Pending) 
As presented by Director of Operations Jeff Carter during his Oct. 28, 2024 TMP update.  
See agenda pp. 19-22.
 
2025 Projects
* CRD Water Main Replacement HWY 14 (Church to Phillips)
* CRD Water Main Replacement Charters South (Golledge to HWY 14)
 
2026 Projects
* Charters South (Golledge to HWY 14) & Charters/HWY 14 Intersection
* Throup Corridor (Charters to Church Roundabout)
 
 MOTI responsibility (pending confirmation in 2025)
- Kaltasin/Idlemore Intersection 
 - HWY 14 Westbound Right hand Turn Lanes (Sooke River Bridge to Phillips) 
 - HWY 14 West bound Right hand Turn Lanes (Church Road & Charters Road) -
 
2027 Projects
* Throup Connector (Phillips to Charters) - early implementation possible for 2026-2027
* Phillips Corridor (HWY 14 to North of SEAPARC)"


Quote from Ravi Kahlon, Jan. 31, 2025 - Storeys Q&A 
"Our goal was to really look at how we make decisions around housing and from that perspective, I believe last year was a success. For example, when it comes to no public hearings for projects that were within what a community already agreed upon [under its Official Community Plan], I have people, at first, that were critical and now they understand why we did it. Their processes are becoming more efficient, less adversarial. We're hearing from communities that their OCP updates are getting higher engagements than they've ever gotten before, because people understand that this is the time to provide input, this is the time to share their concerns or participate in how their community grows and where it grows. So, all of that I think is positive. As we saw issues, we were able to adjust to make the changes that were necessary. So, last year, obviously there were some big shifts. This year is a lot about execution. Communities have now updated their housing needs reports, which we've standardized across the province. By the end of the year, communities are required to have updated their community plans to the 10-year [housing] need of their community. So what that will do is not only create a lot more transparency and a lot more certainty for those who are building, but also with public hearings not needed after that, it will create a lot more efficiency for projects to get through." 

​
Notable Clips from BC Mandate Letters Issued on Jan. 16
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/organizational-structure/cabinet/cabinet-ministers 

Mandate letter: Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs Ravi Kahlon
- "Work to make homeownership a reality for more British Columbians."
- "Work with local governments to achieve housing targets and address concerns related to infrastructure."
- "Increase the supply of rental, co-op and non-market housing."
- "Work with small-scale landlords to identify interventions that will support them with establishing new rental units"
- " Work with the Minister of Finance to remove barriers to the construction of small-scale multi-unit housing across the province."
- "Work with homebuilders to address barriers to new home construction in the current capital and interest rate environment." 

Mandate Letter: Minister of Infrastructure Bowinn Ma (Jan. 16) 
- "Recognizing BC’s growing communities and aging infrastructure, ensure faster delivery of cost-effective, high-quality generational investments."
- "Identify and implement opportunities to reduce costs for taxpayers and expedite approval and construction of projects." 

Mandate Letter: Minister of Transportation and Transit Mike Farnworth (Jan. 16) 
- "Support improvements in BC’s road infrastructure balanced with integrated transit opportunities to ensure that people can get home and to work faster." 
- "Drive the development and expansion of transit across the province and work with communities across BC to find ways to strengthen key rural and intercity transportation services." 


Perspective 
- Statistics Canada pegs BC's population as of June 2024 at 5,666,888
​- CRD statistics (July 1, 2024) for capital region municipalities list Sooke at 17,128 residents (up 9% since 2021)
- There are 161 municipal governments in British Columbia (Wikipedia list) 

- BC Budget 2024 + BC Three-Year Fiscal Plan 2024-27 + Spending Estimates by Ministry


More from this blog 
~ Highway 14: Condensed and Updated (June 13, 2024) 
~ Highway 14 Revisited: Congestion and Safety Edition (April-May) 
~ Living With BC’s New Housing Regulations (April 23) 
 ~ Building/Developing Sooke (May 30, 2023) ... I remain confident that a productive new District relationship with the revamped Sooke Builders Association is underway. 
~ Our Up-Sooke-Sized Building Boom (August 26, 2022) ... Zoning and permits are in place, but ground remains resolutely unbroken in a number of situations for reasons I'm not privy to ... inflation, supply chains, labour shortages and the high cost of building anything/everything, most likely. 
~ Sooke's Evolving Road, Sidewalk and Roundabout Network (January 20, 2021) ... Town-centre portions of Otter Point and Church now complete, the Church/Throup roundabout is complete (and a thing of beauty), and Charters Road has been remade from climate-ravaged disaster into a generously wide and safe boulevard for all ages and abilities.  
~ X Homes + Y People + Z Cars = ? (December 18, 2018) ... Still the defining equation in Sooke, I figure. 


Bonus!
Random other Bill 44 pushback ... 
- Why BC’s Forced Rush to Rezone Neighbourhoods is Wrong - The Tyee, June 13, 2024
- How BC NDP Housing Policies Could Hurt Its Election Changes – CBC, Oct. 9, 2024
- Repealing Housing Legislation Is A Step Backward for BC – Vancouver Sun, Sept. 26, 2024
- Planning With A Sledgehammer – Maple Ridge News, Dec. 7, 2023


Images: Two screenshots from the SSMUH Provincial Policy Manual and Site Standards guidebook -- the first a guideline to compliance (Sooke is in the pink) ... and the second calls for municipal rocket science.