Update: July 20, 2026
Sticker shock: E-Comm has announced that a new fee structure for 911 services will cost the District of Sooke $1.1 million by the time phased increases settle into a new normal price in 2029. The District has already absorbed what was deemed a daunting $456k in annual E-Comm costs this year after paying an initial nine months of fees in 2025. This new "more accurate and fairly structured" fee arrives out of the blue and to the shock of District staff and council who, like their peers at other affected municipal governments, were not consulted nor forewarned.  

See E-Comm's July 14 letter to the District and a related staff report on pp. 17-27 of today's Committee of the Whole agenda. 

Staff are meeting with E-Comm in the near future. Council will advocate with the Province to seek greater understanding and clarity on a nearly 120% increase in the earlier agreed fee. As it stands, E-Comm will require another 2% in tax increases next year, 1% more in 2028 and another 2.5% in 2029. As CAO Gray noted yesterday, this is a huge hit for a local government of our size. E-Comm's top-down request is non-negotiable; the organization is answerable only to its board of directors, which is comprised entirely of reps from Lower Mainland local governments. It is too costly for any local government or small set of them to operate their own "Public Safety Answering Point" (PSAP) service, through there are some larger regional or Van Isle-wide models that might work. No question, 911 is an essential service. 

As I noted at today's COW, the one upside is that this is the first step arising from the Emergency Communications Service Delivery Model in British Columbia: Advice to the Province of BC report delivering to Public Safety Minister Nina Kriger last November as detailed below. E-Comm was asked to do a "better job of showing our direct and corporate costs, establish clear pricing metrics for how service-fees are calculated, and ensure costs are allocated fairly based on partners' use of our services." Larger communities (Victoria, Saanich) apparently have been overpaying their share, and now the likes of Sooke, Duncan and North Cowichan are asked to dramatically raise (double) their contributions to level the playing field. 

The report recommends the Province "manage" the emergency communications sector (in addition to regulating it) by "implementing a structured oversight framework and taking more responsibility." Whereas local governments currently pay for E-Comm operating and capital costs through property taxes, the Province could provide funding support, both directly and by creating levies on landlines (as done already), cellphones and/or internet services as Sooke requested in its UBCM resolution last year. This fiscal relief would make this latest cost download a marginally easier pill to swallow. 





Update: Nov. 7, 2025

* BC Issues Independent Reports On E-Comm Cost Management (Province of BC) 

* Report Says BC Needs Clearer Oversight of 911 System (CBC News, Nov. 7) 

​Two new reports released by the Province ... 

* Emergency Communications Service Delivery Model in British Columbia  ... "Conclusion: There is a criticality associated with defining the future of the Provincial role within the emergency communications sector to address current state challenges, optimize operations within the sector, and ultimately protect public safety. Moving to a model where the Province actively manages the sector, with a role defined in legislation, will mitigate the risks currently observed with a complex stakeholder environment without a unified, clear governance framework."

* Independent Review of E-Comm Emergency Services in British Columbia. Outlines 17 findings and 26 targeted recommendations across three workstreams - governance, finance and operations. 

"Within E-Comm, the current 23-member Board has become too large to facilitate effective strategic decision-making. Its size has led to slower decisions, reduced engagement on critical issues, and challenges in maintaining institutional continuity.

Additionally, the executive leadership approach has tended to focus on immediate operational demands, with infrequent updates to the strategic plan.Financially, rising costs, unpredictable levies, limited transparency, and short-term budgeting cycles create uncertainty for funding agencies and hinder long-term planning. Operationally, the absence of defined benchmarks or performance targets makes it difficult to assess service quality. Quality assurance processes are primarily reactive, triggered by complaints or incidents rather than ongoing monitoring, and resilience gaps have been identified during major incidents.

To address these challenges, this report outlines 26 recommendations. One key recommendation calls for the Province to clarify and define its role in emergency communications and align legislative mechanisms to support clarity in roles and responsibilities, effective governance, performance management, and the ability to influence impacts to public safety. The remaining recommendations focus on E-Comm, emphasizing the need to strengthen governance, enhance financial planning and transparency, introduce clear performance measurement and quality assurance frameworks, standardize contracting practices, and improve redundancy and resilience." 


District of Sooke Council resolution endorsed at the UBCM Conference, Sept. 2023 

Endorsed EB 31 - Funding for 911 Services 
"Whereas the existing funding structure of the 911 emergency communications system does not account for internet and cellular revenues flowing to telecommunications companies, meaning that cellular users do not pay for the 911 services available primarily through cell phones; 

THEREFORE be it resolved that UBCM ask the Province of BC to work with local governments and telecommunications service providers to implement a 911 levy on cellular devices, to address current and future financial challenges associated with the delivery of 911 services." 

"The Resolutions Committee notes that the UBCM membership has consistently endorsed resolutions seeking the creation of a call answer levy on cellular devices to fund 911 emergency services (2023-SR2, 2021-EB7, 2012-LR1, 2011-B13, 2009-B10).

The membership also endorsed a more wide-ranging resolution 2022-EB42 which asked the Province to work with UBCM to develop a new provincial mandate and structure for 911 service delivery, with a focus on improving the governance, funding and operations. As well, the membership endorsed 2024-EB40, which asked for a governance review “...with a goal to assure reliable, affordable, and sustainable services for all communities.”

Provincial Reply (May 2026) ... pg. 47
RESPONSE: Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General
"We recognize that rising costs associated with 911 service delivery have created significant pressure for local governments. That is why the Province commissioned an independent review of E Comm’s financial sustainability, governance, and operations – to better understand the drivers behind ongoing cost increases and to ensure that 911 services across British Columbia remain transparent, affordable, and sustainable over the long term.

Local governments have, for many years, expressed interest in a supplemental funding model, including options such as a call-answer levy. The Province is examining potential funding approaches for 911 services, informed by the findings and recommendations of the independent review, and considering the implications of introducing any new funding model.
​
As this work continues, we anticipate engaging closely with local governments, UBCM, emergency service partners, the telecommunications sector, and other key stakeholders to assess policy options and determine a path forward that supports a financially resilient and effective emergency communications system for communities throughout British Columbia."


Original Post: March 8, 2025 

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 - July 14
Council voted last night to proceed with the plebiscite question following receipt of the staff report (pp. 551-561 of the agenda). We also voted in favour of my related follow-up motion asking that Council reserve the remaining lands on Lot A for the Gathering Place and the public plaza for a period of five years to provide certainty and impetus to get the project done ASAP should the plebiscite be favourable and even if not. 

10.5 Non-Binding Opinion Plebiscite: Sooke Gathering Place
The question following amendments that will be asked on the Oct. 17 ballot: 

In your opinion, should the District of Sooke consider borrowing up to a maximum of $5 million to support the construction and initial operational start-up of the Sooke Gathering Place intergenerational centre to be located on District owned property at 6671 Wadams Way? YES / NO

AND THAT Council direct staff to complete the legislative and administrative steps required to include the non-binding opinion question on the October 17, 2026 election ballot; 

AND THAT, should a majority of voters indicate support by voting “YES,” staff report back to Council before any borrowing or project commitments are considered, with information on: 

* feasibility and business planning; 
* capital and operating impacts; 
* potential partner, agency, governance, and delivery models; 
* site and tenure considerations; and 
* any further statutory approval requirements. 

AND THAT Council direct staff to work with Sooke Region Community Health Network and related community health partners.

[My original motion: In your opinion, should the District borrow up to $5 million to construct and operationalize the Sooke Gathering Place intergenerational centre on Lot A in the town centre? YES NO]

 
My follow-up motion 
Five-year guarantee from council that the Sooke Gathering Place Intergenerational Centre will be located on Lot A 
 
WHEREAS the Gathering Place intergenerational centre was identified for a portion of the town centre Lot A in the council-approved Sooke Lot A: A Future In Planning (2019) report along with the library, health care facilities and a public plaza; 

AND WHEREAS the Sooke Region Communities Health Network requires certainty as plans move forward for the Gathering Place and the related plebiscite; 

THEREFORE be it resolved that Sooke Council direct that remaining land on Lot A be held in reserve for a public plaza and the Gathering Place with associated parking space for a period of no longer than five years.


My motivational comments for this second motion ... 
As SRCHN President Nicky Logins writes in her letter in tonight's package: “I am encouraged to know that every person on this council is in favour of making the Gathering Place a reality – and sooner rather than later.

However, she also writes: "It is imperative that we get an answer to access to Lot A. With that we have leverage to engage funders, builders, developers, and donors to support this project.” 

The SRCHN team, the District of Sooke and the Gathering Place fundraisers and supporters have been focused wholly on Lot A these last seven years as the appropriate, necessarily centralized town centre location for the Gathering Place. 

As demonstrated in the 2019 Lot A report that I cite in this motion, it is a logical and consistent part of a quartet of complimentary institutional uses on the District's one and only piece of town centre public land. Namely: Public library, primary care centre, public plaza and this intergenerational centre.

Like the health centre, the GP is a key missing link in Sooke’s community infrastructure. It was identified as a priority need by voters more than a decade ago. 

Yes, The Gathering Place is no longer affiliated with a seniors’ residential component despite the best laid plans of SRCHN and its exceptional team of consultants and architects. In its wisdom, BC Housing has decided for now that Sooke has sufficient affordable housing of the kind that it can provide. 

This unfortunate setback should not derail the vision of the GP on Lot A, however. 

Should the public give borrowing up to $5m the green light in October, the work will proceed with the next council as detailed by staff tonight.  The project is entirely open to creative, multi-storey mixed-use development on Lot A with the Gathering Place as the foundation. 

A more ambitious complex could also incorporate other key community needs: 

i) Sooke Arts Council cooperative gallery and arts maker spaces;
ii) A black-box theatre – described as a cultural “Swiss-army knife” since it can be repurposed for many varied uses … music, theatre, town hall meetings, art exhibits, workshops, public events.  The Amber Academy, Sooke Harbour Players and the Sooke Philharmonic have all requested such a town-centre venue;
iii) Dedicated youth centre;  
iv) Future location for Foundry BC's Sooke office; 
v) Needed community meeting space and/or District of Sooke office space (for public-facing services such as council meetings, communications, bylaw services and community policing);
vi) Integration of this community hub with the plaza area planned for Lot A's southeast quadrant. ((Imagine: Market stalls, adult and child exercise equipment, a water feature, pleasant green space, etc.); and
vii) residential component with a private sector or non-profit developer. 



Original Post - May 22, 2026
Preamble
~ GPs = General Practitioners at the approved Urgent & Primary Care Centre. 

~ GP = The Gathering Place, Sooke's long-awaited seniors and youth community centre as led by the Sooke Region Communities Health Network (and the very definition of preventative health care given its social, recreational and intergenerational ambitions).

~ Lot A = The 5.26 acres of up-Sooke real estate behind Evergreen Mall, purchased by the District in 2016 and intended for institutional uses (public library, health centre, community centre) and multi-story residential in the increasingly walkable heart of Sooke's evolving town centre. 

Our splendid public library opened in 2020. The UPCC and five storeys of affordable housing is moving ahead through Catalyst Community Development Society. The future of the Gathering Place, also intended for its own portion of Lot A, is to be determined now that its long-planned build in collaboration with BC Housing has broken down through no fault of SRCHN. 

Plebiscite Question for the October Election 
On April 27, Council (minus the absent Sooke First colleagues Pearson and Haldane) unanimously passed the following plebiscite question for inclusion on the Oct. 17 election ballot: 

In your opinion, should the District borrow up to $5 million to construct and operationalize the Sooke Gathering Place intergenerational centre on Lot A in the town centre?  YES or NO 

Rather than a binding referendum question that would commit the next council to a required action, the question takes the community pulse and will provide direction to our new set of elected representatives.  [The Community Charter, Chapter 26, Part 4, section 83, states that Council may seek “community opinion on a question that the council believes affects the municipality.”]
​
Please note that "up to" a $5m contribution maximum is highlighted. The focus would be on delivering a cost-effective end product with multiple other funding sources involved. 

Those Sooke homeowners who are crunched by the affordability crisis and tapped out by the growing tax burden of delivering municipal essentials -- 24/7 fire and police service plus asset management reserve funding and union contractual increases -- will likely and logically vote 'no.'  

Many will vote 'yes' however, judging by the passion of Gathering Place supporters who have raised $300k so far in community donations towards a project now estimated at approx. $3m. 

Question to be determined: Are Sooke voters as keen on the idea as we were in 2014 when more than four in five of us voted in favour of moving ahead with exploration of a seniors & youth community centre? And are they willing to add x more dollars to their tax bills to fast-track it in the immediate future? We'll learn exactly how much when staff return with the requested report later this summer. 

A strong "yes" vote will direct the next council accordingly. I'm not running again, but my expressed hope is that a time-limited task force would be created to explore a range of options and provide recommendations on how to fast-track the Gathering Place in association with other potential community needs on Lot A. 

A 'no' vote will require the Gathering Place team led by the Sooke Region Communities Health Network to roll with the punch and move on to other options as explored so thoroughly in the wake of the 2014 plebiscite/ 

Creative, collaborative options for a future new-build on Lot A range from simple to complex given other gaps in Sooke's social infrastructure that need to be addressed for this and future waves of youth and seniors. T

With a commitment to cost-effective planning and access to a maximum $5m District contribution to the overall budget (or perhaps much less given other funding sources), these options would include: 

1.  A stand-alone Gathering Place on remaining Lot A lands not occupied by the library and UPCC and designed to seamlessly blend in with the open-air public spaces intended for the sunny southeast quadrant behind Evergreen Mall. 

2. Utilization of the 5,000 sq. feet of currently unleased space on the ground floor of what is to be the Urgent and Primary Care Centre as Cllr. Haldane's follow-up motion recommends (even though this was already an option in my original motion). 

3.  A more ambitious complex built around the Gathering Place that could also incorporate several of these other key community needs given the available footprint on Lot A and the option to build multiple storeys. Cue the familiar quotations, i.e. Goethe ~ “Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” Potential component parts ... 

i) Sooke Arts Council cooperative gallery and various kinds of arts maker spaces. (SAC has for some years now been part of the GP conversation. Its current, lovingly refurbished location at the corner of Church and Sooke Road is part of a larger lot -- 2029 Church Road -- whose owner has plans for a six-storey mixed-used rental building with two commercial spaces and 100 residential units. A new, permanent, deeply affordable and stable home base is required.) 

ii) A black-box theatre – described as a cultural “Swiss-army knife” since it can be repurposed for many varied uses … music, theatre, town hall meetings, art exhibits, workshops, public events.  The Amber Academy, Sooke Harbour Players and the Sooke Philharmonic have all requested such a town-centre venue. 
 
iii) Dedicated youth centre (our last ran from 1994-2002 both within SEAPARC and in a parking-lot trailer; see my State of the Youth Nation blog entry.) 
 
iv) Future location for Foundry BC's Sooke office (which now has identified the future site of its Langford HQ and is now exploring in earnest a home for a smaller Sooke location from which to deliver counselling and support services to young people.) 
 
vi) Needed community meeting space and/or District of Sooke office space (for public-facing services such as council meetings, communications, bylaw services and community policing). 
 
vii) Integration of this GP-centric community hub with the plaza area planned for Lot A's southeast quadrant. (Imagine: Market stalls, adult and child exercise equipment, a water feature, pleasant green space, etc.).  

That more complex vision would likely require the $5m maximum District contribution when paired with other funding sources. The simpler iterations would cost less. It would be up to a potential task force to develop these less and more alternatives for council deliberation prior to any borrowing. 

This will, I'm confident, be one of at least two questions on the 2026 ballot - the other related to the community's will to borrow up to $x million (grant dependent) for the connector route referendum.  Both have been identified needs since municipal incorporation a quarter century ago. Our serious traffic issues remain, and we are one of the few communities our size lacking a dedicated intergenerational centre. 

Social infrastructure is as important to Sooke's wellbeing as road infrastructure, so I'm glad that both will be in the hands of voters to help the next council determine how to proceed on both fronts. 

For the Record 
Council Meeting - April 27, 2026
Notice of Motion provided by Councillor Bateman 

2026-173 
MOVED by Councillor Jeff Bateman, seconded by Councillor Tony St-Pierre:

WHEREAS 82.9% of District of Sooke voters on November 15, 2014 were in favour of developing local multi-use community centre facilities serving seniors and youth; 

AND WHEREAS the District and the Sooke Region Communities Health Network have worked extensively on plans to establish the Sooke Gathering Place multi-generational centre on Lot A in the town centre;

AND WHEREAS the community has responded strongly to multiple fundraising efforts in recent years that have raised $293,979 to date towards construction of the Sooke Gathering Place; 

AND WHEREAS this funding falls substantially short of the TBD amount that will be required; 

THEREFORE be it resolved that the District of Sooke provide voters with an opportunity to respond to the following question in October 2026: 

In your opinion, should the District borrow up to $5 million to construct and operationalize the Sooke Gathering Place intergenerational centre on Lot A in the town centre?  YES NO 

AND FURTHER, THAT Council direct staff to report on the Sooke Gathering Place intergenerational centre on Lot A in the town centre, including the steps required for inclusion of this question on the October ballot and the taxpayer implications based on current Municipal Finance Authority rates. 

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY ~ Tait, Bateman, Beddows, McMath, St-Pierre
Absent: Haldane, Pearson

From the minutes: 
* Council considered a motion to include a referendum question on the 2026 ballot asking whether the District should borrow up to $5 million to support construction of the “Gathering Place” community centre. Notice of Motion brought forward is supported by past public endorsement and ongoing fundraising efforts. 

* Council debated whether to remove the $5 million cap and specific location (Lot A) to avoid constraining future options. An amendment to remove those details was introduced but defeated. 
​
* Council supported keeping the defined amount and location to provide clarity to voters." 

My talking points for the April 27 council meeting as prepared beforehand

1.  I initially brought forward this potential motion to the Sooke Age-Friendly Committee last fall. It was well received and I was urged to proceed. 
 
2. My rationale is listed clearly, I trust, in the Whereas statements. 
 
- Whereas #1 – the 2014 Plebiscite – 82.9% in favour of asking the District to work with the community to develop multi-use community centre facilities.”  That is the largest single official show of support for any such question in the municipality’s history. And yet the seniors remain homeless despite the fact that they are the fastest growing demographic in Sooke. Council owes it to the 8 in 10 of us who voted in favour more than a decade ago to keep pushing onward. 
 
- Whereas #2 – The District and the Sooke Region Communities Network have worked extensively on this project. Here’s a partial timeline following the 2014 plebiscite ... 
 
i) Formation of the Sooke Community Centre Advisory Committee in April, 2015 with reps from the Sooke Community Association, Sooke Fall Fair, SRCHN, Sooke Rotary Club, SEAPARC and Transition Sooke, among others. 
 
ii) The Committee’s final recommendations in 2017 include that (quote) “Council plan for multi-use community spaces at the newly acquired Wadams Way location … spaces may include indoor areas and an outside ‘community square’ gathering space.” 
 
iii) Led by the tireless Carol Pinalski, a delegation in late 2017 asked that the District reserve space on Lot A for a new-build Senior’s Drop-In Centre … which council indeed did in 2018. 
 
iv) In July 2018, the Senior/Youth Centre Reserve Fund was created in the amount of $254k 
 
vi) December, 2018 – Lot A Charette identified the northeast quadrant for a senior/youth drop-in centre with seniors housing above … the health centre was slotted for the southeast quadrant and a public plaza in the sunny southwest quadrant. 
 
vii) July, 2019 – Northeast Quadrant Lot A Task Force was created and developed business case proposals for the drop-in centre paired with seniors’ affordable housing. 
 
viii) Feb. 2021 – Lot A’s eastern half was rezoned 
 
ix) April 2023 -- An MOU between the District and SRCHN was finalized with a focus on … on the Gathering Place plus senior housing on Lot A. 
 
x) July 10, 2023 – Gathering Place Development Permit unanimously approved 
 
xi) July 25, 2025 – SRCHN learns that its latest – the third I believe -- application to BC Housing to fund the senior’s housing component had been declined. It announces that its Board has voted to revert to the earlier plan of building the Sooke Gathering Place independent of a housing component. 
 
And that’s been the process in brief over the last decade.  
 
 - Whereas #3 – The fundraising committee is truly a force of nature. They have raised close to $300k through events like the Grand Parade and the Sooke Spectacular Senior competitions … a book sale … dances at the legion … and a steady tide of generous donations by private citizens. 
 
Groups at the Sooke Senior Family Fair at which Koshin Moonfist was crowned our latest Spectacular Senior included the Sooke Lions, Ayre Manor, the Scouts and Guides, the Sooke Arts Council, Ayre Manor, Contact Loan Cupboard, Elder Dog, Sooke Rotary Club. The Upside Guys from CHEK News were there and they captured the passion, drive and commitment of all these volunteers. Huge energy, commitment and healthy FUN! 
 
- Whereas #4 – All this volunteer fundraising is epic but still well short of the mark – the cost for the Gathering Place is now estimated, with a modular build, at upwards of $2.5m. There is also the need for ongoing operationalization costs. 
 
- The Therefore Clause – given all of this activity over the last decade, it is appropriate now to give voters an opportunity to confirm or not they want the District borrowing funds to complete and operationalize the project. 
 
The results will provide direction to the new council on the value of this community infrastructure and whether or not they should continue facilitating and supporting work on it. 
 
 I have included the “up to $5 million” in the motion since this project could be expanded into a true community cultural hub with all due community consultation – perhaps via a Task Force or Community Assembly -- to include other complimentary multi-purpose uses … 
 
 
CLOSING … I’m seeking a staff report on the process as well as financial implications of borrowing up to $5m. That is a maximum number. 
 
As all of us are entirely and painfully aware, we just passed a split vote budget over a $210 per year increase in property taxes for the average assessed home in the District. 
 
And next month we will be hearing about the road referendum and its own set of significant long-term borrowing costs that must be carried by the taxpayer.   
 
The plebiscite question I’m raising tonight will give Sooke voters a chance to weigh in on whether or not they are prepared to fund “soft” or “social” infrastructure like the Gathering Place … arguably just as important to a community’s health and wellbeing than the “hard” infrastructure of pipes and roads.
 
By putting the Gathering Place to a plebiscite vote in October, we are not forcing borrowing on our residents – we are giving them the agency and free will to make a conscious decision. 
 
If the community feels that up to $5m is too much, then they’ll vote no. 
 
We also need to give folks the chance to vote ‘yes’ given the long process to date and the fact that they have already raised nearly $300k out of their own pockets. 
 
Either way, it will give the next Council direction and impetus to explore this further as the new four-year term begins. 
 
I’ll close with a quote from the Gathering Place fundraising team:

“We are a vibrant group of folks aged 55+, many of whom are active and involved in the community. We volunteer, take classes, exercise, enjoy entertaining and look forward to a long life in pursuit of healthy fun. It’s only right that Sooke has a dedicated space for everyone to gather with family and friends.”

June 30 update
Context: The current and previous councils have been guided by the Transportation Master Plan.  We directed staff to implement the TMP's recommendations strategically and progressively, resulting in the $17m in largely grant-funded costs for the north-south bypass links on Otter Point, Church and Charters. As these roads were built, design of the eastern half of the bypass route (at a 25m cross-section to accommodate active transportation as required in the TMP as a prerequisite for federal and provincial grants) has progressed to near complete status.  

- Council's current strategic plan (2024-27) prioritizes, as one of five focus areas, "infrastructure investment and multi-modal transportation networks." Getting a referendum question on the ballot has been council's intent since 2022. Yet said referendum has now proven premature, as council decided on June 22, since the District has yet to hear back on its federal grant applications. Therefore the price tag ($50m or about 40% less if Ottawa kicks in) is too uncertain for taxpayers to properly assess how much the road will cost each of us over the 30-year loan repayment schedule. Without that certainty, making a yes or no vote on a firm and binding borrowing question on the Oct. 17 ballot is simply not possible.  

- A plebiscite question gauging community opinion about the bypass would necessarily be equally vague, argued the four on council who voted against Mayor Tait's motion that staff provide a report and sample questions. (I was in favour since I was curious to see staff's recommended questions and didn't want to dismiss them sight unseen). 

- Bottom line: Best practices have been rigorously followed, a land acquisition strategy is in place, design blueprints are ready and road-width options for the CP5 section of the route (orange on the map above) are on the table. All the puzzle-pieces short of a significant grant from a senior government are available for the next council to schedule a referendum in due course and potentially get the next phase of this generational project over the line. (All of us on this council have stated that we are not in favour of bypassing voters by launching an Alternate Approval Process to secure the funding.)  

- Sooke News Mirror article: Sooke Traffic Fix Takes Election Detour (June 27). Features interviews with Mayoral candidates Beddows and Pearson. Both agree the CP5 section of the route must be built, though they differ on details. Pearson: "This is not a square-one exercise. We have plans in place. We have traffic studies. We understand the situation." Beddows: "We knew going to the public to borrow $50 million was out of the question. That would take away all our borrowing capacity for the next two decades and mean a tremendous tax increase."

- Sooke First news release - June 25. My take: Council has known a referendum was not possible once it was clear in the spring that the federal grant results would be delayed. Pearson states the project is "moving at an unacceptably slow pace." A much more affordable business case for sections of the road was presented to council in 2014, so I'm unclear of when we can track the start of "slow" in a story that can be traced back still further to the failed referendum brought forward by Mayor Evans' council in 2005. The relatively narrow "no" vote that year was not based on funding and tax implications, as I understand it, it was driven in large part by concerns that a new road would impact safety in a school zone and run through an environmentally sensitive area. The SF statement that "the question of whether the bypass is required has long ago been settled by senior government" requires detail, depth and documented references, especially in context with other traffic diversion options and the Ministry's role in accelerated Sooke Road improvements. Haldane states that a plebiscite is pointless and would cost staff time and money. Yes, some staff time would be required to prepare a question and supporting material, yet there is no additional election cost in adding a ballot question. 

- Mayor Tait on CFAX - "If you're going to do it, you should do it right ... (This council is) out of time and term, and at this point council has resolved to put a pause on this. We're heading into an election. With a new council on board perhaps they can workshop it and find a solution." 

- CFAX commentary (June 25, first 15 minutes) by Mike Kozakowski, Sooke resident and editor of the on-line real estate and development newsletter Citified. His points echo the SF view: The proposal at 25m is "significantly overbuilt" and the 15.2m cross-section would be efficient and affordable interim solution; the Province demands it; development potential along the route will help fund it (and fast-tracking approvals for other Sooke development projects will provide tax revenue); a T-intersection at SEAPARC will cut costs (as Haldane argued on June 22) vs. a roundabout + Kozakowski's Oct. 3, 2024 commentary (starts at 3:24) upon the partial reopening of Charters Road. <clip> "Charters Road is a de facto bypass if you choose it to be." 
 
- Pearson has stated that the Connected by 14 petition signed by 4,168 individuals (mostly during the Charters closure; no indication of how many are Sooke residents) is evidence enough that the bypass must proceed. The petition's authors (unknown; edit: Susan Jones) quote Sooke First and shared its press release in recent petition updates.  

June 23 Update 
Council (six of us minus Cllr. McMath) last night decided that ongoing cost and road design uncertainties made it impossible to proceed with either a borrowing referendum or a non-binding plebiscite question during the fall election. See the council agenda pp. 73-95.

The community will need to wait for the right combination of factors -- successful senior government grant applications, Development Cost Charges and required tax dollars -- to align so that taxpayers can get an exact read on how much of the $50m full-route cost they'll need to cover in annual taxes long-term over 30 years. Only then could a borrowing referendum be scheduled. (All of the current council has stated its opposition to an Alternative Approval Process for a project of this size and cost.) 

Frustratingly, Ottawa has not come through with its verdict on a $16.9m federal grant application to the Housing Infrastructure and Communities Canada Active Transportation Fund submitted in February, 2025. Its fate was promised no later than early this year. Yet the Carney government has been recalibrating its grant programs under the Canada Strong banner and no word – whether thumbs up, down or sideways – has been received to date about the status of applications to pre-Carney funding programs. Neither have we heard results of a $7m application to the UBCM Strategic Priorities Fund.  

We did get ballpark cost clarity about the partial CP5 route (from Charters to the proposed roundabout at SEAPARC) and three road-width potential configurations that council felt would be a more realistic ask of Sooke ratepayers. 
At short notice, Director of Operations Jeff Miller was able to price out four road-width options for CP5.   These are rough “Class D” estimates for a 30-year loan at the current 4.7% borrowing rate and so the final cost could be plus or minus 25%.

These estimates for average assessed Sooke households include land acquisition and do not factor in the $14m in project costs that would be eligible with successful grant applications: 

1. 25m configuration (two travel lanes, centre turning lane, boulevard/bioswale, multi-use trails on both sides) 
$27.5 million total cost
$21 per month =$252 per year = $7,560 over 30 years (12.58% tax increase) 
Cross-section image: Attachment 3 in the agenda (pg. 87)

2. 25m configuration (two travel planes, 6m "planting strips" on both sides to allow for future road expansion 
$25.1 million total cost
$19.18 per month = $230 per year = $6,900 over 30 years (11.48% tax increase) 
Attachment 4 in the agenda (pg. 89)

3. 20m configuration (minus turning lane, multi-use trail one side only)  
$22.8 million total cost
$17.41 per month = $209 per year = $6,267 over 30 years (10.4% tax increase) 
Attachment 5 (pg. 91) 

4. 15.2m configuration (narrow planting strips for street trees, no turn lane, multi-use trail one-side only
$20.5 million total cost
$15.72 per month = $189 per year = $5,659 over 30 years (9.4% tax increase) 
Attachment 6 (pg. 93) 

Staff report: ""It should be noted that if future demands require the ROW be expanded to the 25 ROW width there will be a cost associated with this activity. To do this work it is most likely that the road will have to be closed to use for approximately one to two years to complete the work.  The cost in 2026 dollars to expand S3 (20m) is in the order of a magnitude of $13,500,000 with S4 (15m) being an order of a magnitude of $20,000,000." 


Council considered two motions: 

1. "THAT Council directs staff to continue negotiations with the necessary private property owners for the acquisition of various land parcel segments needed to complete the Throup Road/Phillips Road Connector based on the approved cross-section of 25m."  ... This was defeated on the grounds that a roughly estimated $700k in land acquisition costs along the corridor is premature pending public approval of the route in part (CP5) or whole. [Negotiated deals are to be conditional on the project going ahead. Expropriation is an option.]
 
2. "THAT Council directs staff to bring forward a report on a non-binding plebiscite regarding continuation of the Throup Road/Phillips Road Connector project for community opinion to be expressed on October 17, 2026." ... Defeated on the grounds that without accurate costs, it would be impossible for voters to make an informed yes/no decision. I voted in favour of Mayor Tait’s motion given that i) this was a request for a staff report and we’d not seen the proposed question that we rejected sight unseen; ii) no additional election budget costs are required for an additional question; and iii) elections are a rare opportunity to check the community's pulse and pinch points at this time of an affordability crisis. 

And so the next council will work to secure grants while using the near-complete road designs to move things forward - logically to a referendum since the Alternative Approval Process is deemed a non-starter for projects of this size and taxpayer impact. 

As a reminder, here's what has been accomplished to date as directed by the 2020 Transportation Master Plan ... 

* Three critical north-south corridors -- Otter Point, Church and Charters -- that feed into the bypass have been built over the last six years, largely through $17m in grant funding. The Charters/Sooke Road intersection with right-turn lane is the next significant MOTT project following on from the Idlemore intersection. 

* The bypass design, based on the Transportation Master Plan’s 25m “complete street” profile, has been progressed to near-final tender-ready status on the three portions of the route from the Church roundabout to Phillips at Sooke Road. Provincial and federal grants require this level of detail as a condition of application. 

* Land owners along the full route (including private-property owners, SEAPARC, the Sooke Community Association and the Sooke Region Museum) have been consulted initially as negotiations begin as guided by a formal land acquisition strategy

* Roundabout has been designed at SEAPARC and Phillips. (Haldane suggested a cheaper option would be T-intersection given less land involved and reduced need for earthworks; Miller noted Sooke's roundabout-first policy, increased possibilities for a new point of congestion and higher ratio of traffic accidents at t-intersections as per ICBC data)

* Traffic Impact Analysis indicates that 30% of all Sooke Road westbound afternoon traffic (about 6,000 vehicles) would divert onto the new route at Phillips. 

* Stormwater analysis and design, as well as geotechnical investigations, soil sampling, and archeological assessments have been completed 

* Coordination with service providers -- CRD (water mains) and BC Hydro (electricity) – to ensure those essentials are accommodated. 

Council is divided on whether to proceed with the no-frills basic 15.2m option or more generous future-proof wider versions that will likely be required as Sooke doubles in size over the next three decades. The staff report warns that road closures and significant added costs will be necessary should the 15.2 version need expansion:


Update June 2026
Time, as it does, has moved swiftly on since I wrote this post 15 months ago. What was intended to be an October borrowing referendum for the connector road (aka bypass) from the Church roundabout along Throup to the Phillips connection with Sooke Road may now become a plebiscite.  Council's next decision point on this will be at the meeting of Monday, June 22. 

A binding referendum question has grown problematic largely because we have not heard back on two critical federal government grant applications that would effectively cut project costs by 40% ~ a voting determinant for homeowners facing a long-term repayment plan on whatever Sooke must borrow and also in context with other municipal tax increases (police, fire, asset management, union contracts and community service agreements, as I never tire of mentioning).

Council recognizes that the full $50m price tag minus any grants is too big a bill for Sooke ratepayers to carry alone. As such, the focus has turned to what Council as a whole has determined to be the most impactful third of the proposed route, designated CP5 (as indicated on the orange section of the map above, if indeed you can see it at this size; a larger map here) from Throup at Charters east to SEAPARC at Phillips. 

The price for this section (with grants) would be in the neighbourhood of $15-20m depending on the road width selected - a basic version comprising two lanes and one-sided multi-use trail to the ideal but more expensive "complete street" as recommended in the Transportation Master Plan. The other two connector sections - CP 4 and CP 6 -- would await action in future. 

Regarding the federal grant applications: The Carney government introduced its Build Communities Strong Fund last November, nine months after the District's application and the concomitant promise from Ottawa that we'd learn its fate by early this year.  As I understand it, at least, the programs to which Sooke applied have been rolled into the new Build Strong program with its $5 billion in annual funding ... in particular the Build Communities Strong Community Funding Stream (which promises to deliver $2.5 billion annually to cross-Canada applicants in 19 project categories -- local roads included.)

A string of funding announcements have indeed rolled out from Ottawa in recent months, but none related to Sooke. Director of Operations Jeff Miller intends to report back to Council at the June 22 meeting on the status of our applications.  

As for the Province, Council and the District has been lobbying for Hwy 14 upgrades since I was elected in 2018 and long before -- through Ministerial meetings, advocacy letters, MOTI presentations at regular council meetings and the established MOU relationship that ensures regular communication between District and Provincial staff. The Province points to the $120m it has invested in highway improvements in our region since 2017, and promises more through phased improvements in future (continuing this summer with the Idlemore intersection). 

Yet the message clearly sent by former Minister of Housing Ravi Kahlon (2024) and former MLA Ravi Parmar is that we must get our municipal road act together through, as Parmer said, by building the Throup connector. This would solve a "distribution issue" on our secondary roads once Hwy 14 drivers reach the town centre, the latter stated. Current MLA Dana Lajeunesse also recognizes the need to build the connector road and improve the internal network, as demonstrated by his letters of support for the federal grants submitted in Feb. 2025. 

Some $17m (largely grant funded) in north-south road configurations on Otter Point, Church and Charters have got us to the point where the eastern half of the connector is ready for primetime given sufficient funding, and there's the rub and the reason why partial rather than full project funding is worth considering now. 

To get (re)grounded in this complicated process, please start with this substantial District website explainer released following the May 25 meeting. I'll share the link in full to encourage you to read it: https://www.sooke.ca/news-and-public-notices/posts/may-25-2026-council-meeting-update-phillips-road-throup-road-connection

<clip> "The District has not yet decided whether a borrowing referendum or non-binding plebiscite will be part of the October 2026 General Local Election. Council will revisit the matter after receiving more information about grant funding, project costs, and design options as a part of the next report, anticipated in June 2026.”

The many moving pieces -- costs, grant and tax implications -- are captured in Mr. Miller's staff report on pp. 55-71 of the May 25 agenda 

My Facebook synopsis as shared on June 1 when this blog was in the midst of a month-long malfunction repaired the other day ... "Thanks to Cllr. Beddows’ motion, we will receive three quotes for various widths of the section from Charters to Phillips (designated section CP5) with sidewalk, bike lane and/or multi-use trail. This will likely be received at the June 22 council meeting.

* The results of $23.9m in federal active transportation grant applications are not expected to be known by the BC Referendum Act deadline (early July) required for provincial approval of a borrowing referendum question on the Oct. 17 ballot.  [Related: Province of BC Assent (Referendum) Voting Procedures + Ministry of Municipal Affairs Guidebook on Referendums + Community Charter: Approval of the Electors + Local Government Act: Assent Voting]. 

* Council agrees the $50m price tag (without grants) for the complete route from Church to Philips at Sooke Road is too rich for #Sooke taxpayers at this time given other municipal tax increases (police, fire, asset management, union contracts and support of community groups). Funding the full build-out without grants amounts to $474 more per year for the average assessed homeowner. (With grants the annual tax increase would be approx. $225).

* Rather than a binding borrowing referendum question, council is poised to advance a plebiscite question gauging community support to borrow the approx. $15m required for build-out of CP5 linking Phillips at SEAPARC to the Charters/Throup intersection. This price is to rise or fall dependent on the three road-width options requested by Cllr. Beddows.

* A ‘yes’ vote gives the next council a green light to borrow funds to complete a partial but significant portion of the route, signaling clearly to the Province that we are doing our part with the municipal road network and that we fully expect action on further Hwy 14 improvements (notably the right-turn lanes at Phillips, Charters and Church off Sooke Rd. as well as near-term work on the Charters intersection).

My questions focused on the Charters intersection with Sooke Road, where plans are well advanced for a stoplight and right-hand turn lane. My thinking was that if other route phases prove too expensive, let's at least ensure that this phase of work has necessary District funds to both complete it and also purchase land and make widened road improvements to the section of Throup Road from Charters west to the Church roundabout (CP4 in purple on the map). This improvement in itself might prove to be a mid-term solution by diverting considerably more traffic off Sooke Road onto secondary streets. I was seemingly alone in thinking this was a valid short-term option, however, and the focus went to the CP5 section. 
​
Council will also be receiving the requested report on a Gathering Place plebiscite (non-binding) question intended for the Oct. 17 ballot. It would ask whether voters want the next Council to authorize borrowing of “up to” (i.e., a maximum) of $5m to build and operationalize. Details in this latest entry on my blog (which I frustratingly can't access at the moment following a malfunction or possible hack the other day.)" 

Traffic Solutions: Sooke's Wish List 

1.  The connector route as first envisioned in Sooke's 2001 Transportation Plan. 

2. Continued phased work by the Province on Hwy 14 improvements, including (starting this summer) the Idlemore intersection project, then the Charters Road intersection (designed and budgeted to a significant degree) and the addition of what may be game-changing right-turn lanes off Sooke Road at Phillips, Charters and Church.
 
3. Patiently staying the course with the 2020 Transportation Master Plan and improving the local road network as grants and developer contributions allow. The TMP's "Complete Streets" chapter (pp. 38-51) focuses on ... 

i) Joint planning with the Province on "Hwy 14, the Grant Road connector and associated municipal streets" through the MOU agreement between the District and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure; 

ii) Improved street network connectivity through new arterial, collector, town centre and local roads (see the planned dotted line routes on Map 6, pg. 43). This includes the "ultimate build-out" of desired road connectons to Sunriver (via Pascoe Rd.), Eustace to Maple, Gatewood to Grant Rd. West, and Henlyn to Otter Point Rd. via Foreman Hts. Also marked on this map is an ultra-long term bypass at our northern boundary that will only ever happen should Sooke become a vastly larger community. This is absolutely not intended in our current "small town, big heart" OCP, however the South Island continues to grow and one foreseeable, albeit distant, future for us includes a four-lane Hwy 14 that would accelerate development and population growth here.) 

4. Commuter traffic volume reduction through Community Economic Development, i.e. local job creation guided by a hopefully near-term, grant-funded employment lands strategy prioritizing under-utilized industrial and commercial land in Sooke. 

5. Continued advocacy with BC Transit for improved local and regional service 

6. Input by Sooke's CRD director and council into the CRD's new Regional Transportation Service as it works on regional traffic solutions of diverse kinds, including light-rail commuter service on the E&N line between Langford and downtown Victoria. 

7. Optimize traffic light timing to ensure westbound flow.

[ A set of local traffic solutions were proposed by an independent Sooke group in Sept. 2024 when the Charters closure created traffic armageddon (as documented in this blog entry). <clip> "Tonight's council agenda (pp. 59-87) features a critical analysis of the seven short-term traffic solutions proposed by the Sooke Traffic Committee (STC), an ad hoc group created this summer by the Chamber and the Sooke Builders Association (scan down to the July 29 update for details.) 

The agenda includes reports from Watt Consulting Group’s Nadine King  (pp. 63-72), Sooke’s Director of Engineering and Operations Jeff Carter (pp. 73-80) and M4 Consulting’s Michelle Mahovlich (pp. 81-87). The latter is Langford's former Director of Engineering and one of the advisors to this independent group.  

All conclude that the one best short-term fix is continued work on efficient timing of stoplights at Sooke River Road, Phillips, Church and Otter Point Rd. so as to favour the westbound afternoon flow.  The other six ideas from this group are variously judged by King, Carter and Mahovlich to have little short-term impact on westbound congestion, require complicated courses of action and/or must necessarily follow on from the long-identified big-budget connector road addition.]

Original Post - Feb. 24, 2025
Starting Points 
- District's TMP Implementation page.  

Related from this blog: 
* Hwy 14 - Condensed & Updated (through Sept. 2024) 
* Hwy 14 Revisited: Congestion & Safety (June 1, 2024, Charters closure edition) 
* CRD’s Proposed Transportation Authority (May 23, 2024) 
* Hwy 14 Revisited: Summer 2022 (July 22; updated through opening of the 4 lanes in June 2023) 
* What's Next For Sooke's Evolving Road, Sidewalk and Roundabout Network (Jan. 20, 2021) 
* Hwy 14 Revisited: Spring 2019 (March 23, 2019) 
* Fresh Paint, Familiar Refrain for Sooke Road (Nov. 17, 2018) 

- A policy rationale for the connector route is presented in the Feb. 24, 2025 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 Update: Council moved that a borrowing referendum question 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 promised 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 an absentee due to work obligations.)  There were six members of the public (one a baby 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. We're told grant results will be known late this year/early next, and so we're being nudged towards the election 2026 option. So many ducks to align and preparations to make in a project of this size so as to give the public all it needs for an informed yes/no vote. 

Holding back while clearly signalling we're ready to move ahead with a referendum will motivate, I sincerely trust, the BC Ministry of Transportation and Transit to announce and fund its share of complimentary Hwy 14 improvements (i.e., the Idlemore intersection project, the right-turn lanes at Phillips and Church and also at 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.

Action on our municipal road network has been demanded by the Province and there is a quid pro quo at play in which we expect promised actions on its part in the near-term should we go to referendum or even if not given all the work already tackled under the TMP.

Cllr. Beddows has made the excellent point that additional right-turn lanes off Sooke Road may be a game-changing traffic solution that would steer much more traffic onto Charters and Church, thus rendering the connector route unnecessary for the foreseeable future, saving significant tax increases for debt repayments and protecting the natural lands and wildlife corridors in the SEAPARC and golf course area. In this event, upgrades would be needed from Charters east to the Throup/Church roundabout, a far more digestible price tag. 

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. So goes democracy. 

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 Vancouver Island's lowest-taxed communities.”


Implementation of the 2020 Sooke Transportation Master Plan 
- The TMP and Parks & Trails Master Plans were endorsed by council on Oct. 13, 2020 
- TMP Update - Oct. 28, 2024 (pp. 19-33) 
- Connector project update - Feb. 24, 2025  (details below; see the agenda pp. 21-44) 
- UBCM Priorities Fund Grant Applications - Sept. 8, 2025 (pp. 71-150)  <clip> "This Funding application is for $7,000,000 towards the Throup Road Connector Active Transportation Project. This project includes arterial road upgrades to the Phillips corridor from Highway 14 to the north side of SEAPARC, where a 3-leg roundabout will connect the Phillips Corridor to Church Road roundabout, inclusive of arterial road upgrades to Throup Road. This is the same project that Council has supported for previous funding applications this year under the Federal Active Transportation Fund (ATF) and the Community Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF). Both the ATF and CHIF funds, as well as the UBCM Strategic Priorities Fund, allow for grant stacking. Further, the District's commitment of $42,791,200 under the UBCM-SPF fund has already been committed in the previous ATF and CHIF funding applications. If the District is successful with all three funding applications, funding up to $29,000,000 for the Throup Road and Phillips Road Connector Active Transportation Corridor Project may be secured." 


Complete TMP Projects  
Preliminary (i.e., as directed by the 2008 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).  
- Engineering by On Point Project Engineers, Langford 
- completed Nov. 2021 

Phase 2: Church Road Corridor 
- Total project cost: $1.84m inclusive of design, construction, project contingency, engineering field services, contract administration, and project management.
- 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: $3,797,631
- Church Road Roundabout and Intersection design - Nov. 23, 2020 council meeting (agenda pp. 151-52) 
- Tender for the construction work 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. 
- Funding Sources
$1.5M Growing Communities Fund (from the one-time BC program; Sooke received $5.939m) 
​$1.7M Road DCCs
$0.8M Community Building Fund and Casino Fund
- Substantial completion in May, 2024
 
Phase 4: Charters Corridor 
- Total project cost: $6.9m 
* $3,579,041 BC Growing Communities Fund
* $2,220,000 Road Development Cost Charges
* $111,711 Canada Community Grant Fund (aka Gas Tax) 
* $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 2026/27  
- 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 new phased map of corridor project and engineering blueprint of intersection on pg. 29. 
- Application #2 successful - $500,000

Phase 6: Throup and Phillips Road Connector 
- Total project cost: $49,791,985 (includes 20% contingency to cover cost overruns) 
- 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 from properties along corridor and SEAPARC 

- 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 

[Cost Estimates made by McElhanney and Associated Engineering]


During the Charters closure ... 
​Options for Engagement on Sooke Traffic Concerns 
Council agenda - Sept. 9, 2024 (pp. 267-284) 
THAT Council direct staff to enhance existing community engagement initiatives to support as follows:
a) Support local businesses;
b) Create an online portal for traffic-related reporting;
c) Connect with local schools and organizations on traffic solutions; and
d) Develop and promote a carpooling application;

AND THAT Council direct staff to present options for increasing communication and engagement service levels in the 2025 budget deliberations.

AND FURTHER THAT Council direct staff to present options for increasing communication and engagement service levels in the 2025 budget deliberations to support new initiatives, as follows:
a) Develop a traffic dashboard to provide real-time traffic data, updates on ongoing projects, and historical traffic patterns;
b) Partner with BC Transit to promote public transportation through campaigns and local stories about positive user experience
c) Launch enhanced public awareness campaigns to inform residents about traffic-related topics, potentially including traffic safety workshops;
d) Create interactive traffic simulations to visualize the impact of proposed changes and gather resident feedback; and
e) Support local businesses in putting in bike racks.
Carried Unanimously (Person & McMath absent) 

Short-Term Traffic Solutions Presented by the Sooke Traffic Committee 
(Sept. 23, 2024 pp. 59-87)
Received by council for information. Carried Unanimously (Lajeunesse absent)
​Details in this blog entry. Agenda includes reports from WATT Consulting, Michelle Mahovlich and the Chamber-initiated Sooke Traffic Committee (Jim Hartshorne, Shannon Russell, Herb Haldane, Britt Santowski, Mike Kozakowski, Deb Schenk, Dana Lajeunesse, Tracy Snow, Dave McClimon, Kevin Pearson - non-official council involvement by DL and KP; I and others of us on council weren't invited).


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; yes, the District is ambitious) 
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 for 30 years 
- 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 for 30 years 
- 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." 


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%

BC Active Transportation Grants Awarded to Sooke 
2014/15 - Galloping Goose - Sooke Connector Trail - $75,352
2019/20 - DeMamiel Creek Connector - $145,665
2021/22 - Active Transportation Church Road/Throup Road - $500,000
2021/22 - Multi-modal Active Transportation Upgrades - Church Road Corridor - $500,000
2023/24 - Active Transportation Charters Road South Streetscape - $500,000
2023/24 - Little River Multi-Use Trail - $500,000
2024/25 - Active Transportation Throup Road Corridor Improvements - $500,000
(source + grant home page) 

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 


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.


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) 

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. 

​

British Columbia 

Standing Items
- BC Government news portal  
​- Progress of Bills 
- Office of the Premier 
- Legislative Assembly 
- Parliamentary Calendar
​- BC Government Directory 
- Prime Minister of Canada news portal 

2026 Legislative Sessions 
Fall: Oct. 5 to Oct. 29; Nov. 16 to 26 (20 working days) 
Spring: February 18 to May 28 (41 working days) 

Budget 2026
- Budget 2026 announced by Minister Bailey on Tues. Feb. 17
- budget and fiscal plan (PDF) 
- budget highlights 
- budget speech 
- estimates for fiscal year ending March 31, 2027 

- Analysis by CRD Chief Financial Officer Nelson Chan - see Item 6.3 of the March 4 Financial Committee meeting agenda. 

News Coverage 
- BC Budget Includes Tax Increases, 15k Public Job Cuts, Projected #13b Deficit - CBC News, Feb. 17
- BC Budget Brings Cuts - Times Colonist, Feb. 18 
- More Money for Health Care, But Long-Term Care Projects Face Delays - Times Colonist, Feb. 17
- BC Budget Brings A Record Deficit and No Big Changes - The Tyee, Feb. 18
- Miscellaneous: RBC + Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives + Fraser Institute

* Legislative Assembly explainer 
* "BC Budget Must Cut Government Spending" (Canadian Taxpayers' Federation) 
* Austerity Budget Expected (CHEK News, Feb. 3)
“Absolutely we’ll be reducing spending in the next budget, but the reductions will be focused on administrative costs and bureaucracy, while we’re preserving frontline services,” said Premier Eby. "British Columbians will actually see an increased investment in services like education and health care.” ... Bailey confirmed she’s taking a hard look at spending, and said the current eight per cent annual growth in health care (which makes up almost 40 per cent of the province’s entire budget) is unsustainable when the B.C. economy is only projected to grow around 1.5 per cent in the coming year." 



June 2026 
- 2025/26 Declaration Act Annual Report (June 26) - "Details work underway on 84 of the 89 specific actions of the Declaration Act Action Plan, as well as progress about advancing modern treaties through the Shared Priorities Framework and alignment of provincial laws with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples." + Annual Report (PDF) 

- Evaluation update on the Crisis Response, Community Led (CRCL, pronounced "circle") program (June 25) ~ mobile teams combining mental health professionals and peers with lived experience who de-escalate mental health and substance-use crises, including in Greater Victoria + Canadian Mental Health Association BC Division evaluation report (PDF) 

- BC Government responses to the federal Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act (June 29) + June 11 statement from Attorney General Sharma + Bill C-34 (first reading) 

- Funding for Youth Climate Corps BC (June 22) - "The Province is providing $1.4 million through a shared-cost agreement to support the continued growth of YCCBC, building on the $3 million invested in 2024 to expand youth climate employment opportunities throughout British Columbia."  + Youth Climate Corp. website 

- Launch of Province-Wide Chronic Property Offending Intervention Initiative (June 22) - Property and Public Disorder program + Safe Communities program 

"Budget 2026 is investing $16 million over two years to establish 12 new intervention and monitoring hubs, providing enhanced supervision and co-ordinated supports for as many as 420 individuals throughout British Columbia.The new hubs will add to the 12 existing Repeat Violent Offending Intervention Initiative regional hubs, bringing the total to 24 hubs, and will supervise as many as 865 individuals involved in repeat offending. Strengthening the Province’s efforts to target violent offending, vandalism and street disorder in communities throughout B.C., hubs will operate provincewide, based in 19 communities, with each serving a defined area to ensure rural, remote and smaller communities have access to services." 

​- Build Communities Strong announcement (June 18) - "Launched in April 2026, BCSF is investing $51 billion over 10 years in infrastructure across Canada that supports economic growth, housing, health care, education, public transit, sport, and climate adaptation. Funding is delivered through three streams: the Provincial and Territorial stream, the Direct Delivery stream, and the Community stream." + federal website 

- Child and Youth Well-Being Action Plan and Outcomes Framework (June 16) + home page + Action Plan (PDF) + Outcomes Framework (PDF) 

- Clean Power Action Plan Update (June 15) - "Actions such as bringing the John Horgan Dam and Generating Station into service, completing two calls for power and expanding energy-efficiency programs are strengthening B.C.’s ability to meet rising demand, with overall supply projected to increase by 25% – enough to power approximately 1.5 million homes." + Powering Growth, Fuelling Opportunity Action Plan (PDF) 

- Community Gaming Grants update (June 3) - "In 2025-26, more than $56 million was distributed among 1,225 non-profit organizations through the human and social services funding stream of Community Gaming Grants." + Grant recipients 

- Age-Friendly Community Grants Program update (June 3) + 2025/26 recipients + Age-Friendly Communities BC (Sooke recognized in 2014) 

- Civil Forfeiture Grant Program update (June 1) + 2025/26 Grant Recipients ... The Civil Forfeiture Grant Program provides one-time funding for crime prevention projects using money recovered through civil forfeiture.

May 2026 
- BC minimum wage rises to $18.25 on June 1 (May 26) 

- Expansion of Health IM system to the BC Interior (May 22) - "HealthIM is a digital public-safety system to improve emergency police response in mental-health and addiction crisis situations, increasing safety for first responders, health-care providers and the person in crisis. By facilitating better communication, HealthIM aims to help officers gain insight into the factors behind a person’s behaviour, leading to more informed and compassionate interactions." + "Currently, HealthIM is implemented in all municipal police departments and RCMP detachments on south Vancouver Island, including Saanich, Central Saanich, Victoria/Esquimalt and Oak Bay, Sidney/North Saanich, Sooke, and West Shore." 

- Look West BC Outdoor Recreation Strategy (May 21) + Strategy (PDF) 

​- Announcement of PowerSmart 2.0 (May 19) - "Summary: Free smart thermostats, bigger rewards, more opportunities for customers to save money; Historic $1-billion investment will deliver enough electricity savings to avoid or defer $2 billion in costs for building new generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure; Will drive $1.4 billion in GDP growth, creating as many as 3,500 jobs annually." + BC Hydro PowerSmart 2.0 Plan (PDF) 

- Premier's Statement About MOU between Alberta and Canada (May 15). "As a country, it's time to stop rewarding bad behaviour." 

- BC Hydro 2025 Call For Power update (May 13) - four wind projects that will boost grid by 5%; Bessie Wind Project (Dawson Creek) – 251 megawatts; Nicola Wind Project (West Kelowna) – 496 megawatts; Sweetwater Wind Project (Dawson Creek) – 210 megawatts; Taylor South Wind Project (Taylor) – 201 megawatts. "The first 2024 call for power secured 5,000 gigawatt-hours of clean electricity from 10 wind and solar projects." 

- Funding for six clean-energy projects (May 12) through the Innovative Clean Energy Fund 

- Emergency management legislation update (May 11) - "The new requirements mean that local authorities must complete emergency-management plans, business continuity plans and hazard-risk assessments, in consultation and co-operation with Indigenous governing bodies." 

- Expanding Child Care Spaces (May 11) - School districts can now apply for support to accelerate the creation of before‑ and after-school care spaces throughout the province.

- BC Prosecution Service’s revised Victims of Crime policy (May 5) arising from the Stanton Report. "The new policy strengthens expectations that victims receive clear, timely information about their cases, including notification of release conditions and any changes when victim safety may be affected. The changes also improve how victims are supported when giving testimony and preparing victim-impact statements, reinforcing the justice system’s responsibility to treat victims with care and respect." 
​
April 2026
- Disaster Resilience and Innovation Funding (DRIF) program (April 30) 

​- DRIPA Statement from Premier (April 20) + First Nations Leadership Council letter to the legislature + CBC News coverage + BC's DRIPA Drama Explained (The Narwhal, May 6) 

- Statements on 10th Anniversary of the Toxic Drug Crisis (April 13) + latest monthly statistics (150 deaths in January) + Youth Statistics, 2019-2023 report 
"Since the public-health emergency was first declared in 2016, more than 18,000 people in British Columbia have died from toxic drugs. Deaths continue to disproportionately affect Indigenous people, men and people working in the trades. Between January and June 2025, First Nations people died at 5.4 times the rate of other B.C. residents, with First Nations females dying at 8.5 times the rate of other females. Similarly, the BC Coroners Service found that 21-23% of people who died between 2022 and 2025 were currently or previously employed in trades, transport or as equipment operators.
Over the last decade, government has worked urgently to expand and strengthen mental-health and substance-use services throughout the continuum of care, including prevention, education, early intervention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery, supportive and complex-care housing, and aftercare. 

• As of April 2026, the Province added more than 829 publicly funded substance-use treatment and recovery beds in the province, for a total of 3,875.
• To date, complex care housing services are in place for more than 600 people, with government and BC Housing working to build new housing for people living with addictions issues.  
• From January 2019 until October 2025, 17,060 potential death events were prevented with observed consumption sites."

- Adventure Tourism Hub announced (April 9) - Easing permit delays for adventure tourism operators in support of the Look West: Tourism Sector Action Plan + application portal for Crown Land Tenure in BC + Eligibility & Restrictions + details re: Recreation and Tourism on Crown Land (per forthcoming Sooke Bike Club application for use of crown land east of Butler Main Road for a future bike trail network serving beginning and intermediate mountain bikers + further tenancy details) 

- Proposed Professional Reliance Act (Bill M216) Withdrawn (April 7). "“In recognition of the local governments, organizations and individuals that took countless hours to provide written submissions to the committee, the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs will be engaging with stakeholders to see how we can continue to reduce permitting timelines for new housing projects. This work will explore how to build on the principles of safety, speed and professional responsibility while balancing the needs of local governments and regulated professionals." - Minister Christine Boyle while referencing progress to date through Development Permit Approval Process (Sooke included) and the Building Permit Hub. 

- Primary Care Statistics (April 2) + One-Year Update on Recruitment Program (March 17) 

• "More than 600,000 people have been connected to a family doctor or nurse practitioner since 2023
• Upwards of 77% of British Columbians now have a primary care provider and approximately 4,000 more people are being matched each week 
• As of February 2026, more than 500 U.S.-trained health professionals have accepted job offers within B.C.’s public health-care system – 100 more since last month’s announcement
• B.C. now has the most doctors per capita in Canada with more than 15,000 physicians, which equates to 271 physicians per 100,000 residents, increasing the number of family doctors by nearly 1,500, which represents growth of 23% from 2017 to 2024 
• In 2025, the nursing workforce increased by 3,300, bringing the total to 78,750, while the number of nurse practitioners has tripled from 550 in 2018 to more than 1,650 to date."

March 2026
- Heritage Conservation Act Transformation Project continues with release of new policy paper (March 27) 

- New Police Training Centres in Vancouver and Victoria (March 6) - Addressing the fact that police recruitment is 20% behind needs. "Budget 2025 invests $235 million in new funding over the next three years to improve community safety through various public safety and justice programs. This investment is increasing access to the justice system and supporting court operations, including sheriff recruitment, legal aid and Crown counsel." 

- Look West: The Tourism Sector Action Plan (March 4 + announcement) 
"B.C.’s Tourism Sector Action Plan sets a clear path to double visitor spending to $48 billion by 2036. The plan is built on five pillars: marketing B.C. as a top-tier destination; improving access through expanded air services and provincial corridors; leveraging events; mobilizing private-sector investment; and creating a supportive business climate for tourism operators and investors." 

- Amendments to the Residential Tenancy Act to improve health and safety in supportive housing (March 4). Highlights: "Keep weapons out of supportive housing; provide operators a continuum of options to temporarily restrict the access of tenants to a supportive housing site to de-escalate critical health and safety risks to other residents and staff." 

​- Permanent Daylight Savings Time (March 2 press release)

- Cowichan Nation land-title legal action update (March 2). <clip> "For transparency, neither the Cowichan Nation nor British Columbia are seeking to invalidate any privately held fee simple titles on the Cowichan Title Lands through the negotiation or appeal processes.”


February 2026
- BC Greens Won't Renew Accord (Times Colonist, Feb. 10)  "The New Democrats have 47 members in the 93-seat legislature, while the Greens have two. The Opposition B.C. Conservatives have 39 seats, having lost five members from their caucus who are now sitting as Independents."

- Defence, Security and Resilience Bank (DSRB) to establish new HQ in Vancouver (Feb. 9) 
- Community Gaming Grants Update (Feb. 5) - $53m distributed to more than 2,500 BC organizations in 2025 + recipient list (includes $470k approx. to 20 Sooke region organizations - Sooke Fall Fair, Sooke Region Historical Society, Sooke Philharmonic, school PACs, Sooke Fine Arts, etc. Top awards: $250k to the Royal Canadian Marine Search & Rescue and $85k to JDF Marine Rescue Society.) 

January 2026
​- First Ministers' Joint Statement (Ottawa, Jan. 29) 
- Premier Eby on Alberta Separatism (Jan. 29) 
- Announcement of five more Foundry youth centres (Jan. 27) 
- Western Canada Critical Mineral Strategy + web page (Jan. 25) 
- Results of 2025 BC Hydro Call For Power - 14 proposals, 13 wind/1 solar; five proposals from the southern Interior, two from the central Interior, four from the North Coast and three from the Peace region + BC Hydro page + 2024 Call for Power results (Jan. 21) 
​
- Heritage Conservation Act update - postponement of proposed amendments (Jan. 19) 
- Addiction Hot-Line Service Improvements (Jan. 14) 
- BC Trade Mission to India (Jan. 12-17, 2026) 

Developing ... 
- BC Conservative Party Leadership Race (official)  
- Emily Lowen on Next Steps for the BC Greens (The Tyee, Jan. 8) 


Fall Legislative Session 
Oct. 6 to Nov. 27 
* UBCM Executive Advocacy With the Province - UBCM statement, Dec. 3
* Fall Session Focus - Province of BC, Oct. 6
* What To Expect from BC Legislature's Fall Session - The Narwhal, Oct. 6 

​* BC's Population Has Dropped (Times Colonist, Jan. 1, 2026). "Between July and October of this year, more than 26,000 non-permanent residents left B.C. as part of a trend that dropped Canada’s overall population by 0.2 per cent ... B.C. gained large numbers of people in 2022, 2023 and 2024, and its population soared from 5.3 million to just under 5.7 million. Losses in the first quarter of 2025 were due to a decline in natural population growth and interprovincial migration. But decreases in the past two quarters, making up the vast majority of the decrease, have been due to out-migration." 


Ministry of Finance - Second Quarterly Report (November, 2025) 
"The updated fiscal outlook for 2025/26 forecasts an operating deficit of $11.2 billion, $390 million lower than the projection in the First Quarterly Report." 

Bill 25 - Housing and Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 (Nov. 28) 
- Policy bulletin issued by the Ministry 
- Relatively minor changes to Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing and Short-Term Rental regulations 
- Backgrounder 

Special Committee on Democratic & Electoral Reform (Nov. 26)
​- Committee home page 
- Report (first of two) Toward A Stronger Democracy in British Columbia (Nov. 26, 2025) 
"The Committee makes 36 recommendations to strengthen BC’s democracy by supporting British Columbians’ participation and engagement, examining the efficacy of legislation and policy, and enhancing the responsibilities of and resources for Elections BC, political parties, and MLAs."
​- submissions 
- Proportional Representation Won't Be Revived on Eby's Watch (Rob Shaw, Dec. 16, 2025). <clip> "I think British Columbians are done with that conversation," said the Premier. 

CleanBC Independent Review Panel (Nov. 26)
Rising To the Moment: Final Report 
"CleanBC is, for the most part, working. Its policies and programs are measurably reducing climate pollution while creating jobs, improving community health, and lowering everyday costs for British Columbians. Yet, despite these successes, the plan is not yet reaching its full potential. The government now has an opportunity to adjust and close gaps in CleanBC—improving outcomes for all—while acknowledging current challenges."

Priorities for Action
1. Accelerate clean electricity production and electrification as the foundation of energy security and economic growth
2. Make it easier for British Columbians to cut energy bills and climate pollution
3. Leverage B.C’s clean energy advantage to create more jobs in the energy transition
4. Support B.C.’s industries to become cleaner and more competitive
5. Increase production of clean, made-in-B.C biofuels and renewable natural gas
6. Deepen partnerships with First Nations and local governments
7. Focus on delivering effective, achievable and fiscally responsible outcomes

- engagement home page ~ "Over the course of the review we met with 157 organizations in 41 engagement sessions, received 279 written submissions from 232 different organizations and 47 members of the public and/or experts, and received 2,650 public engagement survey forms." 
- review led by Merran Smith from Clean Energy BC and Simon Fraser University's New Economy Canada; and Dan Woynillowicz from the consulting firm Polaris Strategy + Insight.  

DASH, Digitally Accelerated Standardized Housing online platform (Nov. 20) 
"A new BC Housing online platform called DASH is helping developers and non-profit organizations design and construct three- to six-storey buildings more quickly and at lower cost using products manufactured in B.C." 

Look West Workforce Development Strategy (Nov. 20) 
- Home page
"Look West is a targeted plan designed to deliver major projects, create good jobs and strengthen B.C.'s and Canada’s economic security in the face of economic threats." 
- Accelerating Maritime Industry's Shift to Clean Energy 
- COAST Innovation Challenge  
- Innovate BC + 2024/25 Impact Report 

​Proposed Private Members' Bill M-216 - Professional Reliance Act (Oct. 27) 
- Draft legislation introduced by MLA George Anderson ... approval required by the Select Standing Committee on Private Bills and Private Members' Bills before advancing to the legislature. Public input welcome until Jan. 6, 2026; Standing Committee likely to address it at its meeting of Feb. 2 

- UBCM expresses concern (Nov. 7) 
"UBCM views the proposed legislation as continuing a trend towards sweeping, centralized legislation that impacts local governments, developed without meaningful local government input. If adopted, Bill M216 would prohibit local governments from requiring a standard technical peer review during housing development applications. Instead, local governments would be required to accept any certified submission of a registered professional (in accordance with the Professional Governance Act) hired by the developer. If passed, any local government that disputed the submission would have to appeal the certification with the Office of the Superintendent for Professional Guidance."  

​- Metro Vancouver Mayors Outraged (CBC) 
- The Quiet Revolution in BC Planning (City Hall Watch) 
- Professional Reliance Review (2019) 

- North Cowichan Considers Joining Judicial Review of M-216 (Chemainus Courier, Jan. 8, 2026) 

Cowichan Tribes Decision 
* BC Supreme Court Decision - Aug. 7, 2025 (case first filed on Sept. 9, 2019) 
* Cowichan Tribes website statements on the decision + technical backgrounder 
* City of Richmond: Notice to Registered Owners - Oct. 2025 
* Legal Panel Discussion at UBCM Conference, Sept. 23, 2025
* Coverage of the UBCM discussion (Resource Works) <clip> ""The panel agreed on two points: the Cowichan case is measured, not catastrophic, and it is also massive in significance. Appeals are already underway, and the process could take seven years or more. In the meantime, municipalities, lenders, and governments will be navigating uncharted territory."
* ​The Cowichan Ruling Doesn't End Private Property, It Tests Our Honour - Vancouver Sun, Oct. 24
* Correcting Misconceptions: The Cowichan Tribes Decision - Kate Gunn, First Peoples' Law 
* "It's A Big Deal," says BC Premier - Les Lyne, Vancouver Sun, Oct. 20 
* Related: Rising Tide - Haida Land Title Agreement, April 14, 2024 

Miscellaneous
* Zero Emissions Vehicles Framework Update (Nov. 18) 
* North Coast Transmission Line - Oct. 20 + BC Hydro project map 
* 900 New Child Care Spaces (including Choo Choo, Let's Go/Sooke) - Oct. 17
* Clearer Short-Term Rental Rules - Oct. 9 
* Holding Vape Manufacturers Accountable for Public Health Costs - Oct. 8
* Province to make way for more child care at schools - Oct. 7 

Media Coverage
* Eby Stands Against Proposed Pipeline as First Nations Vow It Will Never Happen - Times Colonist, Nov. 28
* Carney's Energy Deal Went Down Differently Depending On Who You Ask - CBC, Nov. 27 
* David Eby Says He Will Not Support A Pipeline From Alberta. Can He Stop It? - Vancouver Sun, Oct. 7 
* Pipeline Push: Majority of Canadians, Including BC Residents, Support a North Coast Pipeline - Angus Reid, Oct. 9
* As Smith Pushes New Pipeline Plan, Eby Says No Way - The Tyee, Oct. 2 

* Eby Takes A Beating At Hostile Developer (UDI) Luncheon - Rob Shaw, Business In Vancouver (Oct. 7) 
* What Does David Eby Have To Be Thankful For? An Amateur Opposition in Utter Turmoil - Globe & Mail (Oct. 9) 


Spring Legislative Session 
* Press Release 
* Archive of New Legislation (Spring 2018 to Spring 2025) 
* Parliamentary Calendar 2025 - Next session - Oct. 6 to Nov. 27

Housing Legislation 
* Local Government Housing Initiatives - one stop overview 
* Inclusive Zoning and Density Bonusing Comprehensive Guidance
​(updated June 13) 
* New Local Government Tools 
* Housing and Municipal Affairs guide for local governments - Proactive Planning Guide 
* From the blog: Bill 44 Update + BC's New Housing Regulations
+ Housing 101 + X Homes + Y People + Z Cars = ?

Homelessness Point-In-Time Count Provincial Data Released 
* press release 
* homeless counts in the 20 communities in which BC Housing did the count 
* CRD conducted PIT counts in Greater Victoria in association with the Community Social Planning Council + results released on Sept. 24 + data + technical appendix <clip> "The 2025 PiT Count was conducted on March 25 and 26 and identified 1,749 people who were experiencing homelessness compared to 1,665 in March of 2023." + CRD Housing Data & Analysis 

Fiscal Plan Update (Sept. 15, 2025) 
* Report from the Ministry of Finance + press release

Infrastructure Project Acts (July 2025 to March 2026)
* Engagement process - three-part survey  

Heritage Conservation Act Transformation Project (July 9) 
* Home Page 
* Updating the Act 
* Ministry of Forests press release (July 9) 

* The Act applies to 64k sites listed in a provincial registry, 90% of them within First Nations territories 
"The Heritage Conservation Act (HCA) encourages and enables the protection and conservation of sites with historical, cultural and/or archaeological value in B.C. These sites hold physical evidence of how and where people lived. Many of these sites in B.C. are culturally sensitive, contain ancestral remains, and have important sacred and spiritual value to First Nations in B.C. Altering these protected sites without a permit is prohibited under the Act."

UBCM press release - Sept. 24   "“We want to be very clear, UBCM recognizes and supports the importance of archeological conservation, particularly as it relates to Indigenous values,” said UBCM President Trish Mandewo. “But while the Province took seriously its obligation to work with Indigenous groups in developing the legislation, engagement with local governments was largely disregarded.”

- "BC Pushes Heritage Act Reform Amid Concerns of Development Slowdowns" - Globe & Mail, Sept. 26
- "UBCM Blasts Province for Lack of Consultation on Heritage Conservation Act" - Vaughan Palmer, Vancouver Sun, Sept. 24 

Province of BC Responses to UBCM 2024 Resolutions (July 2) 
* Resolutions Reply Book (includes original resolutions adopted in Sept. 2024 and Provincial response) 

Development Cost Charge Amendments (July 2) 
* ​Housing and Municipal Affairs Press Release 
* About Development Cost Charges 
* DCC Best Practices Guide (April 2025)
* DCC Guide for Elected Officials (April 2025) 

* Amenity Cost Charges: Best Practices Guide (March, 2025) 
* Amenity Cost Charge Guide for Elected Officials (April, 2025) 

Times Colonist - "The British Columbia government is loosening the rules for payment of development fees in a bid to jump start home construction that has been hampered by upfront costs.

Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon says among the biggest changes will be more flexible and extended payment timelines for homebuilders, so instead of paying development fees up front, they will pay 25 per cent at permit approval and 75 per cent when the building is occupied.

Developers will also have four years, rather than two, to pay the charges, in rule changes that Kahlon says are needed because the current market conditions have stalled projects in the province.

While some municipalities want letters of credit from a bank as a promise the work will be done, that can restrict a developer's access to credit, so the government will also change the regulations provincewide to allow for the financial guarantee of on-demand surety bonds."  

Declaration On The Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (June 25)
* Sixth Annual Declaration Report (June 25, 2025) 

BC Coroners' Service (June 24) 
​* 2025 summary to date as of April 30 (with 10-year trend charts) 
​* Ministry press release 
 
Municipal Liabilities Regulation Amendment (June 24) 
* Housing and Municipal Affairs Press Release 
* Municipal Liabilities Regulation (amended) 
* BC Municipalities Allowed To Take On More Debt For More Projects (CBC News) 
<clip> "On Tuesday, the province announced changes that will:

• Allow municipalities to borrow up to $150 per person without a referendum or AAP if the term of the borrowing is less than five years, up from $50.
• Raise the borrowing limit without a referendum or AAP from five per cent of annual general revenue to 10 per cent for projects with a longer repayment schedule.

The changes won't allow municipalities to bypass public input for their biggest projects, but will allow more small projects to be approved quickly, said Kahlon.
"This is something local governments have been asking for for more than 30 years and we believe it is time for them to be able to catch up," he said."

Innovative Clean Energy Fund 2025 Performance Report (June 24)
* June 2025 Update + Report .... "Since 2008, the ICE Fund has committed over $124 million to support pre-commercial clean energy technology projects, clean energy vehicles, research and development, and energy efficiency programs."

Ease of Doing Business Review (June 5) 
* Jobs, Economic Development & Innovation Press Release + Backgrounder 
“We are listening to B.C. businesses as we work to ensure our province is an easy place to do business,” said Diana Gibson, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation. “This review will help us to continue to modernize our regulatory and permitting systems, as we secure B.C.’s position as the economic engine of Canada’s new economy.”

New Funding for Building BC: Community Housing Fund (May 30) 
* Press Release 
​* Community Housing Fund backgrounder 
* Homes For BC - Completed Projects Map 

Cooperation & Responsible Government Accord (CARGA) 
​* Quarterly report (Jan. 1 - April 30) on NDP and Green Party accord 
* Full CARGA agreement signed March 12, 2025

CleanBC Accountability Report 
* 2024 accountability report 
* CleanBC 2025 Review announced (May 7)  
* CleanBC review - survey/deadline Aug. 1

Provincial Forest Advisory Council (May 22) 
* Ministry press release 
"Members of the newly formed Provincial Forest Advisory Council are tasked with providing recommendations to government on advancing forest stewardship, while supporting communities and workers that rely on forests." 
​* Terms of Reference 
* A New Future For Old Forests: Strategic Review (2020) 

Clean Power Overview (May 5) 
* Energy and Climate Change Press Release 
* BC's Clean Energy Action Plan 2025
* Frequent Calls for Power to Be Expected (Bennett Jones Law Firm) 

Infrastructure Projects Act - Bill 15 (May 1) 
* Office of the Premier Press Release
* Legislation (assent on May 29) 
* Technical Briefing (slide deck) 

* UBCM Perspective ~ "UBCM notes that the process leading to the drafting of the legislation has been rushed, and did not include meaningful consultation with UBCM or member local governments. As has been proven in the past, a fast-tracked approach that skips over consultation is more likely to lead to unintended consequences." + May 21 update + UBCM and First Nations Leadership Council Call For Withdrawal 
* Kill The Bill: BC First Nations Leadership Council 
* Legislation Narrowly Passes (CBC News, May 28) 
* Legal perspective (Beale&Co, Toronto) + Clark Wilson Law, Vancouver 

Renewable Energy Projects (Streamlined Permitting) Act - Bill 14 (April 30) 
* Legislation in full 
* Press release 
* BC Energy Regulator 

Mental Health Act Review Announced (April 30) 
* BC premier announces review of mental health legislation (CBC News) 
​* Mental Health Act home page 

Carbon Tax Eliminated (March 31) 
​* BC Ministry Press Release 
* Federal government removes carbon tax (March 22) 
"Cancelling the tax and the credit will have an estimated impact of $1.99 billion in the coming fiscal year. The Province will restructure programs funded by carbon tax revenue to minimize the impact on B.C.’s budget, while supporting people in British Columbia in achieving climate goals. The Province will continue to ensure big polluters pay through the B.C. output-based carbon pricing system. The system supports decarbonization efforts, incentivizing industry to lower their emissions to avoid paying the tax." 

* BC Output-Based Pricing System (Province of BC guidelines) 
​
* BC Officially Kills Tax (CBC News) 
​* Statement from Fortis BC 
​* Clean Energy Canada response at federal level 
* Carbon Pricing and Consumer Myopia: Why Carbon Taxes Fell Short and What We Should Do Next (University of British Columbia) <clip> "Carbon pricing was poorly understood and poorly communicated. Although most of the revenue was returned to households—through rebates or tax cuts in places like B.C.—many people only noticed higher fuel prices and ignored the money coming back. The policy felt like a tax, and that made it unpopular. Ironically, now that it’s gone, many lower-income households will be worse off ... Yet the reality is, the consumer carbon tax wasn’t strong enough to meet our climate goals. So, scrapping it isn’t quite as damaging as it might seem. It opens the door to rethink climate policy in a way that’s both more effective and politically durable." 

BC Budget 2025 (March 4) 
* Ministry of Finance Home Page + slide deck 
* BC Budget Pushes Deficit to $10.9 Billion (CBC News) 
* Budget Highlights (KPMG) 
* What Do You Need to Know About the BC Budget (The Tyee) 

Speech From The Throne (Feb. 18) 
* Text of Lt. Governor Wendy Cocchia's speech 
* Release from Office of the Premier 

Ministerial Mandate Letters (January 17) 
* Cabinet and Parliamentary Secretary mandate letters in full 
* BC mandate letters focus on affordability, public safety, economic growth (CBC News) 
* Letters summarized (Capital Hill Group consultants) 
* Pembina Institute response - linking climate action and community economic development 
* Mandate Letters: Post-Secondary Institutions (June 2025) 



Other Provincial Parties

Conservative Party of BC 
* 2025 news and commentary portal

BC Green Party 
* Media releases  

OneBC
​* Website 

​Federal Government 

Build Communities Strong Grant Stream
Announced April 7, 2026 + launch announcement - formerly known as the Canada Community Building Fund  
- Build Communities Strong Fund home page 
- British Columbia Community Grant Stream 
​- UBCM related website 

Assault-Style Weapons Buyback Program 
"While participating in the program is voluntary, compliance with the law is not. Individual firearm owners must safely dispose of or permanently deactivate their assault-style firearms before the amnesty period ends on October 30, 2026, or risk criminal liability for the illegal possession of a prohibited firearm." 
- list of firearms and "upper receivers" for individuals 

- RCMP firearms page ~ "A firearms licence shows that the licence holder can possess and use firearms. A registration certificate identifies a firearm and links the firearm to its owner. You need a registration certificate for restricted and prohibited firearms. Usually if you are in possession of a firearm, you need a licence even if you are not the owner and never handle the firearm."  + RCMP explainer

​- Firearm statistics in Canada (2022) ~ 2.2m individuals licensed; 10.4m firearms in circulation 
- number of weapons by province returned by March 31, 2026 deadline ~ 67k in total, 15,600 in BC 

- firearm regulation in Canada (Wikipedia) + history of gun buyback programs (Argentina, US, UK, etc.) 
- guns per capita world-wide (Wikipedia) ~ 34.7 guns/100 people (Canada) vs. 120.5 per 100 (US) & 0.3 per 100 (Japan) 

"The collection, deactivation and compensation processes are expected to run from spring through early fall 2026 with the support of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), participating local police of jurisdiction and secure mobile collection units. Firearms collected by the RCMP or local police under this program will be sent in consolidated shipments to a processing facility where they will be validated and destroyed. Firearms collected through mobile collection units will be validated and destroyed on site. After the firearms have been validated, compensation will be issued within 45 business days. Start dates for these processes will be staggered in different parts of the country to ensure that resources and supports for each area are in place. Participants will be notified directly and further details will be provided. All destruction of firearms collected over the course of the program will be completed before the end of the amnesty period, on October 30, 2026." 

Following the end of the amnesty period on October 30, 2026, the RCMP and local police will be responsible for the collection of prohibited firearms from individuals who have not complied with the federal ban. The process will shift from a voluntary compensation phase to a mandatory compliance phase, where unauthorized possession of previously prohibited long guns becomes a criminal offense.

- Fraser Institute editorial ~ "The ban targets “assault-style” rifles popular with hunters and sports shooters who—based on the data—are exceptionally law-abiding and less likely to commit murder than other Canadians. To own a firearm in Canada, you must obtain a Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL) from the RCMP after an initial vetting, then the government monitors PAL holders daily for possible criminal activity." 

Canada's Defence Industrial Strategy (Feb. 2026) 
Vision: "A robust Canadian defence industry that provides technological and operational advantage to the Canadian Armed Forces and its security partners in their mission to defend Canada, and maximizes growth, job creation and economic benefits for all Canadians." 
- Canada's Defence Industrial Strategy (backgrounder 2025) 


- Canada's Trade Diversification Strategy 


- Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (Jan. 26, 2026) 
"The benefit will be paid quarterly, at the start of the quarter, to permit timely access to the funds to help families with day-to-day expenses. These amounts are additional to existing benefits such as the Canada Child Benefit, the Canada Disability Benefit, and the Guaranteed Income Supplement." 

- Is Canada Ready for an American Civil War? - The Walrus, Jan. 2026
- Disruptions on the Horizon - Canadian Policy Horizons (Government of Canada), April 2024
- On Hybrid Warfare - Canadian Armed Forces Special Operations Forces Command (2016)


- Davos 2026 Speech by PM Carney (Jan. 21) + text 
<clip> "Canada is a pluralistic society that works. Our public square is loud, diverse, and free. Canadians remain committed to sustainability. We are a stable, reliable partner – in a world that is anything but—a partner that builds and values relationships for the long term. Canada has something else: a recognition of what is happening and a determination to act accordingly.We understand that this rupture calls for more than adaptation. It calls for honesty about the world as it is. We are taking the sign out of the window. We know the old order is not coming back. We should not mourn it. Nostalgia is not a strategy.
But we believe that from the fracture, we can build something better, stronger, and more just.  This is the task of the middle powers, the countries that have the most to lose from a world of fortresses and the most to gain from a world of genuine cooperation."


Federal Budget 2025 (Nov. 4) 
- Canada Strong: Budget 2025 + Our Plan infographics 
- What's In The Federal Budget For You (CBC) 
- Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer 

Misc. 
​- Introduction of Colour-Coded Weather Alerts (Environment Canada, Nov. 26) 


Build Canada Homes (announced Sept. 14, 2025) 
"Build Canada Homes is a new federal agency that will build affordable housing at scale. It will leverage public lands, offer flexible financial incentives, attract private capital, facilitate large portfolio projects, and support modern manufacturers to build the homes that Canadians need ... A Special Operating Agency within Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada." 

- About Build Canada Homes 
- Prime Minister Carney's announcement 

"Build Canada Homes is ready to engage with partners who are committed to increasing the supply of affordable housing across Canada. We are especially interested in opportunities that can:  

• Deliver housing at scale 
• Expand non-market and community housing 
• Demonstrate financial viability and leverage other investments 
• Use innovative building methods and Canadian-made materials 

We will be releasing more details on our investment policies in the coming months." 

​- Investment Policy Framework (Nov. 22) 

Perspective: 
- Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness 
- "BC Builders Skeptical" - Business In Vancouver, Sept. 16 
- "Carney Unveils Plans to Double Pace of Home Building" - CBC, March 31 

Major Projects Office 
Mission: "To get nation-building projects built faster, accelerating sustainable growth, strengthening national unity, and putting Canada on a stronger path to long-term economic prosperity." 
- Home page 
- First set of five on-track projects (all well-advanced in their respective processes) 
​- Future "transformative strategies" 

- "BC Tapped for Two Nation-Building Projects" (Business In Vancouver) 

- Long list of 32 projects (internal document acquired by the Globe and Mail, Sept. 4) 
"The eight mining projects on the list include the Teck Strategic Minerals Initiative and the Red Chris Copper and Gold Mine expansion in B.C.; Saskatchewan’s Foran McIlvenna Bay and Rook Uranium projects; the Minago Nickel Project in Manitoba; the Crawford Nickel Project and the Ring of Fire in Ontario; and the Strange Lake Torngat Metals Ltd. rare earths mine in Quebec.

The 14 energy-related projects feature a heavy focus on Western Canada. The list includes a 750-kilometre transmission line linking Yukon and B.C. Other B.C. projects include LNG Canada Phase 2, which would expand the liquefied natural gas facility in Kitimat, B.C.; Ksi Lisims LNG, backed by the Nisga’a Nation; the North Coast Transmission Line that would help power critical-mineral mines; a dredging project at the Port of Vancouver that would accommodate fully loaded oil tankers in Burrard Inlet; and the Northwest Coast Oil Pipeline.

Five other projects are in Eastern Canada, including the Gull Island Power Plant that is part of the Quebec-Newfoundland and Labrador new energy partnership; Newfoundland’s Bay du Nord offshore oil and gas project; transmission lines linking Prince Edward Island to the New Brunswick-Nova Scotia power grid; and proposed wind energy projects off the coast of Nova Scotia.

The five ports projects on the list also include the construction of a deep-water port and all-season roads linking Yellowknife to the Arctic Ocean, and a new Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project at the Port of Vancouver. 

Rounding out the list are five projects related to transportation. They include the Mackenzie Valley Highway project in NWT; various proposals to twin the Trans-Canada Highway; rehabbing the century-old New Westminster Rail Bridge in B.C.; the Alto High-Speed Rail project linking Toronto and Quebec City; and the proposed Western trade and economic corridor." 


Tariff Response 
- Full list of measures to be undertaken to address tariff impacts 
- Canada's Response to US Tariffs (Sept. 1, 2025) 
- List of US Products Subject to Counter-Tariffs (effective Sept 2025) 

- Support for Strategic Industries, including steel and softwood lumber 


The One Canadian Economy Act - Bill C-5
* Royal assent granted (June 26) 
* Intergovernmental Affairs backgrounder 
* Bill C-5 as adopted 

Perspective
* First Nations Opposition Draws Comparisons to Idle No More Movement (CBC News, July 1) 
* The Public Interest Need to Reconsider C-5 (Canadian Environmental Law Association, June 11) 
* What The One Canadian Economy Act Is All About (Globe & Mail, June 6) 


​Federal Government Mandate Letter - Office of the PM (May 21) 



​

Standing note for this and all other pre-2025 blog posts & updates: Sooke's excellent new website revision last year has rendered many older links here 404/obsolete. I'll endeavour to fix them if possible once I've more time on my hands later this year.

In brief: The professionals are ready for the worst. Are you? 

Spring 2026 Update
Sooke Climate Adaptation and Natural Hazard Risk Assessment (CANHRA)
- First look presented at Committee of the Whole, May 19, 2026 
- Required of all local governments by the BC Emergency and Disaster Management Act (2023)
- Prepared by Chad Pacholik of Logic League Consulting (North Saanich) and Bremer Consulting (Victoria)
- Funded through a $150k grant from the UBCM Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Adaptation stream.
- Inspired by Australia's CoastAdapt and the United Nations' Office for Disaster Risk Reduction conceptual formula 
- Climate data from University of Victoria's Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium 
- BC Provincial Disaster and Climate Risk Resilience Assessment 
- Location Risk Intelligence Tool - Munich RE

- Contract awarded at the July 28, 2025 Council meeting (see pp. 163-312)
- Three bids. Logic recommended due to "demonstrated strong local knowledge, relevant experience in comparable communities, and a thoughtful approach to stakeholder and Indigenous engagement." 
- Mission: Create a proactive rather than reactive emergency system through a disaster risk reduction lens 
- Logic has developed evacuation plans for Colwood, View Royal, Highlands, Oak Bay and the CRD as a whole
- Jaya Bremer and Logic has collaborated on the Metchosin risk reduction strategy
- Bremer prepared plans for Oak Bay, Sidney, Squamish RD + Sooke's 2025 Emergency Management Plan 

"The CANHRA will identify local climate-related risks and natural hazards, evaluate vulnerabilities, and provide prioritized actions to reduce risk and improve community resilience. Supports access to future grant opportunities. 
Significance: The District is increasingly experiencing the impacts of a changing climate, including atmospheric rivers, wildfire smoke, extreme heat, and drought. Having a localized risk assessment allows the District to: 
​
* Better prepare for and respond to climate-related emergencies; 
* Integrate resilience into infrastructure investments; 
* Access senior government funding; and 
* Fulfill strategic plan goals and climate action mandates." 

Deliverables 
- Research, identify & describe core elements of community geography, development, infrastructure & economy; 
- Map risk areas, including hazardous materials, flooding, seismic, steep slopes, storm surge, tsunami & wildfire; 
- Map vulnerable community infrastructure, including wastewater, firehall, municipal hall, IT, roads and bridges; 
- Map and categorize vulnerable populations, addressing age, income, race, gender and other qualifiers; 
- Research businesses, institutions and community groups that contribute significantly to community success; 
- Identify and describe major hazard threats, including specific areas and mechanisms of potential impact; 
- Prepare a Community Risk Assessment for the public (to be posted on the Sooke website) 

Realities of Risk in Face of Hazards, Exposure & Vulnerability 
- "Risk is driven by conditions, not hazards - The same storm produces vastly different outcomes depending on preparedness, infrastructure and social cohesion." 
- "Risk is unevenly experienced" - Seniors, low-income residents and people with disabilities are more vulnerable 
- "Pressures are increasing" - Climate change, urban growth, aging infrastructure" 

Risk Context in Sooke 
- Highway 14 - "A single closure creates isolation risk" 
- Commuter Dependency - "Road impacts can create cascading points of failure" 
- Growth in Community - "Rapid population growth puts pressure on all systems." 


Useful Resources for the Fire Season Ahead 
- District of Sooke Emergency Planning and Preparedness home page 
​- Sooke FireSmart Program home page 
- Sooke Public Alert Notification System 
- Emergency Operations Centre Manual 
- Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan (2023) 
- Emergency Management in BC 

- CRD: Regional Emergency Management + Guide to Emergency Prep in the Capital Region
- CRD Emergency Dashboard ~ "A source of trusted information for residents and visitors to access emergency response information and preparedness resources within the region. Visit emergency.crd.ca/ to start using this dashboard and save the link for future ease of access. The dashboard automatically maps alerts across the region and provides a centralized system for accessing emergency information, notifications, and resources from trusted providers including Environment Canada, BC Hydro, and DriveBC."  

- Province of BC Fire Weather Danger Class reports (daily updates) 
- BC Wildfire Map
- Fire Smoke Map 

- BC Wildfire Service 

- Government of Canada: National Emergency Preparedness Week (May 2-9) 
- Province of BC: Emergency Preparedness Week 

- ClimateReady BC website 
* Hazards and Mapping Tools 
* Data Sources 
* Funding 
* Resource Catalogue 

- British Columbia FireSmart 
- UBCM FireSmart Community Training and Programs 
- "Lack of Funds Drives Changes to UBCM FireSmart Programs" (Jan. 28, 2026) 
- "Additional Funding for FireSmart" (UBCM, Feb. 25) ​

The 2026 Great British Columbia ShakeOut earthquake drill is October 15th at 10:15 a.m. Last year, almost 868,000 people in BC participated! It is time to complete your annual renewal using the simplified process on our updated website.  Please sign up today at www.shakeoutbc.ca to help us reach our target of over a million people in BC who Drop, Cover, and Hold On committing to participate.


​2026 Cautionary Notes 
​- Spring 2026 Seasonal Outlook (April 15, 2026) ~ "Heading into the 2026 wildfire season, fuel conditions across British Columbia reflect a combination of last summer’s Drought Code, winter precipitation events and recent warm and dry conditions. These factors have influenced moisture levels across the landscape and will shape wildfire potential across the province in the coming months." + YouTube briefing 
​
- Vancouver Island Enters 2026 Wildfire Season At Elevated Risk - Mosaic Forestry 
- Coastal Fire Centre Open Fire Ban Announced (May 7, 2026) + lifted on May 16 following rainfall 


Articles 
- "Heat Records Fall As Wildfire Risk Rises" - Times Colonist, May 3, 2026 
- "Warm Winter, Ongoing Drought Could Elevate Fire Risks This Season in BC" - CBC News, April 16
- "Will BC Axe FireSmart Funding in New Budget?" - The Tyee, Feb. 16


2025 Fire Season 
- Public Safety Canada press release (Oct. 30, 2025). "2025 has been the second worst wildfire season in Canadian history, with more than 6,000 wildfires in nearly every province and territory, impacting communities across the country and burning over 8.3 million hectares ... Since April, the heightened risk and impacts have forced evacuations of more than 85,000 people, including over 45,000 people from 73 First Nations communities."  

- Province of BC: 2025 Wildfire Summary ~ "The 2025 wildfire season, while impactful in nearly every region of B.C., was less destructive than the previous two seasons. Despite fewer starts than average (1,370 total), the 886,300 hectares burned in 2025 is well above B.C.'s 10-year average." 

- Wikipedia 2025 Fire Season Canada-wide summary

Sooke Wildfires 
- Grass Lake Fire Near Potholes Held - Victoria Buzz, July 16, 2025 + Island Social Trends coverage 
- "Firefighters Knock Down Brush Fire Near Glinz Lake" - Times Colonist, July 17


Miscellaneous
- Statistics Canada: Studying the Economic Costs of Wildfires (Aug. 6, 2025). Looking back to the 2023 wildfire season, the worst ever recorded in Canada.

​<clip> "In 2023, approximately 232,000 Canadians, comparable with the population of Kitchener, Ontario, evacuated their communities in the wake of 282 wildfires. Indeed, the 2023 wildfire season was the most destructive season on record, with nearly 5,500 fires burning 17.3 million hectares of land. For perspective, the burned area was larger than the land area of the three Maritime provinces. Quebec, the Northwest Territories, Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan had the most hectares burned. The number of evacuees in these regions ranged from about 5,000 people in Saskatchewan to 59,000 in British Columbia. Wildfires caused an estimated $945 million in insured damages in the regions of Okanagan and Shuswap in British Columbia, Behchokǫ̀-Yellowknife and Hay River in the Northwest Territories, and Tantallon and Hammonds Plains in Nova Scotia."  

- Building Resilient Neighbourhoods ~ "Since 2012, BRN has been developing and testing different on-the-ground programs in British Columbia to help build neighbour connections and community resilience. Our flagship “Neighbour-to-Neighbour” programs—delivered by BRN and our network of partners—bring neighbours together to strengthen social connections, foster mutual support, and become better prepared for and resilient to different kinds of emergencies and chronic stresses.


February, 2025 Update 
District of Sooke Emergency Management Plan, 2025-2027 
"​The Sooke Emergency Program encompasses the organization, plans, and procedures established within the District to prepare for, respond to, and recover from major emergencies and disasters. Provides a framework for an active, cooperative, and permanent endeavour to address risks from major emergencies by coordinating action by community members, municipal staff, commercial utilities, and the provincial government.

This Emergency Management Plan outlines the mission, objectives, and strategies for the District of Sooke over a three-year period from 2025 to 2027. This all-hazard plan lists the hazards the plan intends to address, establishes the
overall authority for conducting emergency management activities, and assigns roles and responsibilities for emergency planning and operations. It also provides an overview of Sooke’s emergency response and recovery
organization." 

Includes eight objectives and annual action plans that build on, update & refine existing #Sooke emergency plans:  
1. Get (Further) Organized
2. Assess Risks 
3. Mitigate Risks 
4. Plan for Emergency Response
5. Plan for Business Continuity
6. Plan for Disaster Recovery 
7. Ensure Preparedness 
8. Evaluate and Renew the Program 

Next steps will include (in order) ... (section 4 of the plan) 
1. Sooke Climate Adaptation and Natural Risk Assessment (2025/26) 
2. Sooke Mitigation Plan (2026) re: wildfires, flood, earthquake and extreme weather 
3. Create hazard specific plans, lists and FAQs (including evacuation) 
4. Develop Standard Operating Procedures (flood events, waterways, Sooke parks) with planning department 
5. Enhance Public Notification Systems 
6. Collaborate with partners (T'Sou-ke, CRD)
7. Plan for business continuity and develop toolkit with Chamber, SRTA, WorkLink, others  
8. Disaster recovery planning - interim housing, disaster financial assistance, develop partnerships (schools, care homes, community service providers) 
9. Continue strong support of ESS
10. Establish Emergency Operations Centre at wastewater treatment plant ($50k, 2027) 
11. Education program for school-age children re: FireSmart and emergency response 
12. Update action plans on regular basis 

Emergency Management Plan exists in relation to ...
• Sooke Official Community Plan (2025)
* Sooke Climate Action Plan (2022) 
• Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan (2023)
* CRD Dam Emergency Plan
• CRD Tsunami Inundation Mapping
• Department Emergency Plans (comms)
• District Financial Plan 2024-2028
• District of Sooke Risk Matrix 2013
• Emergency Response & Business Continuity Plan (2013)
• Emergency Support Services Plan
• Evacuation Plan (2020)
• Fire Master Plan 2022
• Hazard-Specific Plans 

Evacuation Protocols (District website) 
"Every emergency is different. Evacuation decisions are guided by several trigger points that consider current conditions and potential risks. These include:

• The proximity and behaviour of a hazard (e.g., wildfire direction, flood levels, air quality)
• Road accessibility and safety for responders and residents
• Availability of shelter and support services
• Weather and environmental forecasts
• Direction from emergency officials and provincial agencies

In Sooke, our vast geography and coastal setting mean an all-of-community evacuation is unlikely. Instead, evacuations are more likely to be localized, depending on the area and type of emergency. Depending on conditions, transportation may include ground, air, or water options.

Highway 14 provides Sooke’s primary transportation corridor - east toward Victoria and west toward Jordan River and Port Renfrew. Weather, road conditions, and the nature of the event can influence which routes are available and how residents move to safety.

During an evacuation, the District works with local, regional, and provincial partners to support residents who do not have personal transportation. This includes partnerships with School District 62 (with a bus compound near Sooke’s town core) and BC Transit.

If you need help evacuating:

• Follow directions provided through Alertable, emergency responders, or official announcements
• Identify yourself to officials or volunteers at the Reception Centre so assistance can be arranged.
• Emergency Support Services (ESS) can help coordinate safe transportation for residents with limited mobility, health challenges, or other specific needs.
• Whenever possible, plan ahead with neighbours, friends, or family to identify shared transportation options in your area.

Sooke’s evacuation planning is community-based and flexible, designed to adapt to our coastal location and ensure no one is left behind - on land, by sea, or through the air."


Update 2024: Old Man Lake Wildfire
October 16, 2024 - Capital Regional District Regional Water Supply Commission
- Wildfire report, see agenda Item 8.4  ... <clip> "In 2024, the Greater Victoria Water Supply Area experienced only 57 days in high and extreme fire danger compared with 114 days in 2023. Given drought conditions and warm temperatures in 2024, the fire danger moved quickly from high to extreme, with a greater number of days in extreme (32) than high (25).  Significant rainfall July 29-30, 2024 and August 18 and 23-26 dampened fire danger ratings providing welcome periods of fire danger relief ... Despite the fewer number of fire danger days, a wildfire started in Sea-to-Sea Regional Park on July 22 that grew to 230 ha before it was declared under control on July 30. Containment was aided by a large amount of provincial firefighting resources and the July 29-30 rainfall. There was also a small fire started by a lightning strike in the Leech WSA on August 17."

First report: July 22 - "Sooke Fire Fighters IAFF Local 4841 - On July 22, your #Sooke Fire Fighters and JDF Mutual Aid partners from Metchosin Fire Department, East Sooke Volunteer Fire Department, and Otter Point Fire Department were dispatched to a reported wildfire in the area of Sooke Potholes Park.

Upon arrival of Battalion 1 and Engine 1, an out of control wildfire was located along the Sooke municipal boundary in Potholes Park, with gusting winds spreading the fire. RCMP, CRD Parks, Sooke Bylaw and fire fighters coordinated an evacuation of Spring Salmon Campground, and closed access to Potholes Park.

Coordination of fire attack transitioned to the BC Wildfire Service supported by Capital Regional District Water Wildfire Protection. The District of Sooke EOC supported ground crews, residents, and visitors through the evening and continues to plan and coordinate municipal support.  Wildfire crews remained on site overnight, and suppression efforts are continuing." 


October 10, 2023 - Council adopts a new Community Wildfire Resilience Plan 
"This CWRP is an update to the District of Sooke’s 2011 Community Wildfire Protection Plan. The area of interest for this plan is Sooke’s municipal boundary. The CWRP provides the District of Sooke with an updated action plan to mitigate the wildfire risk to the community. The plan can be used to guide the improvement or development of emergency and evacuation plans, emergency response, communication and education programs, bylaw development, and the management of potentially hazardous vegetation within the eligible Wildland Urban Interface (WUI)." 


Original Post - Aug. 22, 2023 
People are asking: Are we ready for the worst? Well, the answer depends. Yes, Sooke's public safety professionals are ready and able as you'll read here. Whether you are as an individual or family is down to your willingness to adopt and follow best practices as recommended so clearly in documents such as this one.  (I'll give the Batemans a 'solid start, can do better' rating.) 

This became BC's worst-ever wildfire season on record on July 18, and it has only grown considerably worse in the weeks since.  (See Aug. 17 Provincial Wildfire Status Update.) We have, touch wood, had just one small out-of-control fire in the area (Tugwell Creek, Aug. 1-3) this summer. Nonetheless, the BC Wildfire Service rates parts of Sooke in the more dangerous of its Wildland Urban Interface Risk categories, so 24/7 vigilance is essential. (A brush fire on Henlyn Road caused by a discarded cigarette butt in June, 2019 is one recent example of a near-miss; strong winds at the time threatened to make it a major event but Sooke firefighters controlled it after a long day.) 

Aside from the haze on Saturday, we've not been subject to the smokey, particulate-infused days that have characterized some recent years here on the coast, i.e., August 2018, when the region's air qualified as the world's worst when it is usually - surely - among the wind-freshened best most of the time. Count us fortunate. 

The District of Sooke updated its definitive emergency planning pages earlier this week, so i suggest you begin or further your own readiness planning/thinking there. More links follow here on wildfires, tsunamis, earthquakes and other potential apocalypses -- for which the province has prepared case-specific plans. [The inevitable big quake is the one that keeps me hot-eyed and sleepless occasionally when I ponder it. Reading Gregor Craigie's On Borrowed Time: North America's Next Big Quake and/or Jerry Thompson's Cascadia's Fault: The Coming Earthquake and Tsuanami that Could Devastate North America will make you a nervous believer and proactive preparer, too.]


​Starting Points for Personal and Community Safety
- District of Sooke Emergency Planning
- Emergency Planning and Evacuation Considerations 

<clip> "When it comes to community-wide emergencies, such as a threat of wildfire, we have an excellent team of professional and volunteer emergency responders through the District's emergency program. However, it is the combined effort of all in the community that will ensure resiliency and see our community through such an emergency." 

What we residents can do ... 
1. Read the extensive material in the links shared above. [Fact: Professionals in multiple public safety services have our backs and are ready for every eventuality while also counting on each of us to have our acts together.]

2. Register for automated emergency alert notifications (via phone, text or email) + EmergencyInfo BC 

3. Be prepared! with grab-and-go kits and by FireSmarting your property

4. Consider volunteering with ...
- Sooke Fire Rescue Paid-On Call Recruitment
- Sooke Emergency Support Services 
- Royal Canadian Marine Search & Rescue Services (Sooke Station 37)
- Juan de Fuca Search & Rescue 
- Block Watch (via RCMP's Sam Haldane, email) 

5. Organize a minimum of six neighbours to form a POD through the Neighbourhood Emergency Preparedness Program (NEPP). These groups plan, prepare for and share resources during emergencies. 

6. Familiarize yourself with the common-sense and logical neighbourhood disaster escape-route guides contained in this agenda package (pp. 9 to 202). They're part of a grant-funded 2020 report produced by Smart Risk Control Planning Services, which worked in collaboration with Sooke Emergency Program/Sooke Fire/Rescue staff and Juan de Fuca mutual aid partners. 


Sooke Emergency Planning 
As you'll read in the District's links, the Province of BC's British Columbia Emergency Response Management System (BCERMS) is "a comprehensive framework that provides a structure for a standardized approach to developing, coordinating and implementing emergency management programs across the province." It provides guidance on the development of local plans, in Sooke's case these being: 

- Sooke Wildfire Protection Plan, published in 2011 and now undergoing an update by its same authors, Bruce Blackwell and Associates, widely recognized among BC's top authorities on wildfire protection. 

~ Sooke Emergency Response and Business Continuity Plan (2014)

The priorities of these plans: 
- Provide for the safety and health of all responders;
- Save lives;
- Reduce suffering;
- Protect public health;
- Protect property and government infrastructure;
- Protect the environment;
- Reduce economic and social losses;
- Restore corporate and development services.

Ground zero for any response to a local emergency will be Sooke's Emergency Operations Centre on the second floor of Fire Hall #1. Its guidelines are detailed in the EOC Manual. 

Potential emergency centres if required in the District: 
- Sooke Community Hall
- Edward Milne Community School 
- Metchosin Community Hall 

Emergency Management BC "provides executive coordination, strategic planning and multi-agency facilitation" 

​- Sooke RCMP
- Fire Services
- BC Ambulance
- Emergency Social Services
- Engineering and public works contractors
- BC Housing
- JDF Search & Rescue
- Royal Canadian Marine Search & Rescue
- Harbour Authority - Sooke Government Wharf
- Neighbourhood Watch & Citizens on Patrol programs 
- BC Ministry of Health 
- BC Coroners' Service 

Miscellaneous other links ... 

Federal ​
~ Public Safety Canada + Wildfire Response
~ Emergency Management Strategy for Canada: Toward a Resilient 2030 
~ Hazards and Emergencies

​Provincial 
~ Emergency Management in BC 
~ All Hazard Plan (2022) 
​~ BC Wildfire Service 
​~ Legislation 
~ Emergency Education Programs and Toolkits 
~ Modernizing the Emergency Program Act + Latest Update (July 4, 2023)

Regional  
~ Prepare Yourself! A Guide to Emergency Preparedness in the Capital Region
~ CRD Regional Emergency Management (tsunami, earthquakes, wildfires, severe weather, flooding and storm surges, landslides, infectious disease, HAZMAT incidents) 
~ Public Alert Notification System (PANS) - sign up for direct notification of tsunami, wildfire or evacuation notice

​~ "Greater Victoria's Water Supply Supply Deemed Highly Vulnerable to the Threat of Wildfire" - Water Canada, 2016

• Central Saanich: Emergency Preparedness
• Colwood: Emergency Planning
• Esquimalt: Emergency & Resilience Program
• Highlands: Emergency Preparedness
• Langford: Emergency Preparedness
• Metchosin: Emergency Program
• North Saanich: Emergency Preparedness
• Oak Bay: Public Safety
• Saanich: Emergency Program
• Sidney: Emergency Planning
• Sooke: Emergency Planning and Preparedness
• T'Sou-ke First Nation: Emergency Program
• Victoria: Emergency Preparedness 
• View Royal: Emergency Preparedness

Sooke Region 
"The Sooke Emergency Program is considered the responsible emergency management organization by the municipality. It is responsible for the planning, mitigation, response and recovery from any emergency or disaster that happens within its jurisdiction. The volunteer Emergency Support Services (ESS) group (25 members), hosts Open Houses throughout the year to educate the public on emergency preparedness and participates in the Great BC Shakeout (third Thursday each October) at all Sooke elementary schools. The Sooke Emergency Radio Group (SERG) members provide amateur emergency radio communications during an emergency." - District of Sooke Annual Report

~ Sooke Fire Rescue Department
~ Sooke Fire and Emergency Program Facebook page + Twitter 

~ Sooke Emergency Operations Centre (District staff and community volunteers are trained to assist emergency professionals in the EOC command structure) 
~ EOC staff working with T'Sou-ke First Nation on shared guidance and support 
~ EOC at Level One readiness throughout COVID pandemic 

~ Sooke Emergency Support Services (250 642-5422) 
"Community Engagement team offers free emergency preparedness sessions to community groups, families, businesses, stratas, etc. to build a resilient community"   

~ Sooke has tapped the UBCM's Community Emergency Preparedness Fund repeatedly in recent years for evacuation route planning, new equipment and modernization of the Emergency Operations Centre. ​
~ UBCM funding stream updates 

Wildfires
~ BC Wildfire Service + Wildfire Map 
~ FireSmoke Canada - 48-hour smoke forecasts 
~ Canadian Wildland Fire Information System (daily updated national fire mapping)  

~ Wildfire Glossary of Terms 

~ FireSmart program prioritized as BC prepares to deal with potential local impacts of the "fifth season." 
~ FireSmart Canada
~ FireSmart Begins At Home (PDF guides to home prep, landscaping and home development)  

2022 BC Wildfire Season Summary (includes annual data from 2003 onwards)
​"As our Sooke team moves into the new year, we are reflecting on our most recent wildfire season. The Coast had a total of 281 wildfires and was right behind the Kamloops Fire Centre in total hectares burned at 21,779. With sustained warm and dry weather throughout the fall, the season got extended well into September and October. New records were set for the months of August and October for the number of fires detected per week compared to the past 20 years."

~ "Sooke Fire Rescue Gears Up For Wildfire Season" - Sooke News Mirror, May 2020 

~ Few Sooke fires annually but always possible: Sooke is now recognized as a Level 1 wildfire hazard zone given our proximity to so much (tinder dry in the summer) forested land in what's termed a "Wildland Urban Interface Zone." Blackwell & Associates studied the historical wildfire data in Sooke from 1919 onwards (pg. 12/13); we average just one or two fires in most years, almost all human caused, with 1952 (7 fires), 1973 (6) and 1978 (6) as our worst in numbers per year. The vast majority are relatively small (under a few hectares), with the record burns being a 900-hectare fire in 1922 and a 1500-hectare fire in 1927. 

~ Training Exercise: Wildland Fire at Erinan Estates (2018; full-scale exercise involving multiple fire departments, the RCMP and the evacuation of 117 residents to a reception centre at EMCS)  

~ Tree Canada: Wildfire and the Urban/Rural Interface
~ State of California Wildfire Preparation Tips 
~ Canadian Red Cross: Wildfires - Before, During & After

~ Fuel load:
-  Wildfire Science - Government of Northwest Territories
- "Western Red Cedar in a Death Spiral?" - Van Isle News, July, 2021
- "Dry Summers Take Heavy Toll on Island Trees" - Times Colonist, Sept. 2019

Earthquake 
~ Province of BC: Get Prepared for an Earthquake 
~ Shake-Out BC (Oct. 19 at 10:19 AM annually) 
~ Provincial Earthquake Immediate Response Strategy (2022)
~ BC Earthquake Preparedness Consultation (2014) 

Tsunami/Sea-Level Rise
~ BC Tsunami Zones + Capital Region map including Sooke + Alerts 
​
~ Capital Region Tsunami Information Portal 
​~ CRD Seawater rise and inundation mapping 

~ Sooke Tsunami Awareness  
~ Staff training via Royal Roads University MA In Disaster and Emergency Management program
~ Sooke Floodplain Regulation Bylaw (adopted 2020) 
~ Tsunami Community Awareness Report: Kaltasin/Sooke (RRU study) 
~ "Tsunami Warning: How Well Did We Respond?" (Times Colonist, Jan. 23, 2018) 

 Oil Spills
~ Sooke liaison with Western Canada Marine Response Corp. and the Canadian Coast Guard 
~ Inside WCMRC (Capital Daily, May 22, 2023) 
~ Beecher Bay response station: "The Beecher Bay satellite base is located on Sc’ianew First Nation territory and reports to Vancouver Island operations in Nanaimo. It houses personnel, a skimming vessel, a coastal response vessel, landing craft and workboats. A warehouse and office will be complete in 2024." 

Air Quality
~ Sooke Burning Bylaw 292 (revised June, 2021) + staff report 
~ BC Venting Index 
~ Burning Issue (from this blog)  

Mutual Aid
~ CRD Fire Services: Juan De Fuca 
~ Otter Point Fire Department 

~ Rotary Club of Sooke donates Disaster Aid Canada kits to the Sooke Emergency Program 
~ Black Press "Be Ready" Emergency Guide ​
​~ CRD Emergency Preparedness for Pets guide 
~ CRD Seasonal Readiness Planning sessions each spring 

Other Province of BC Emergency Plans 

• Provincial Flood Emergency Plan 
• Flood Waste and Debris Removal Plan 
• Pandemic Provincial Coordination Plan 
• Tsunami Notification Process Plan 
• Provincial Coordination Plan for Wildland Urban Interface Fires 
• Extreme heat preparedness for agencies and ministries 
• Nuclear Emergency Plan for B.C. 
• Agriculture Emergency Planning
• B.C. Coroners Service Mass Fatality Response Plan
• B.C. Drought Response Plan 
• B.C. Public Post-Secondary Education Sector Integrated Response Plan for Catastrophic Events 
• Dam Safety Program
• Disaster Response Routes
• Emergency Management Planning Guide for Schools, Districts and Authorities
• Federal Emergency Response Plan
• Foreign Animal Disease Emergency Support Plan for B.C.
• Spills and Environmental Emergencies

​Recent News Articles 
~ "Canada's Ability to Prevent Forest Fires Lags Behind the Need" ~ New York Times, June 9, 2023 
~ "How To Break Western Canada's Accelerating Cycle of Wildfires" - Globe & Mail, June, 2019 


Footnote: A member of the public came to Sooke council last month and stated that human stupidity is the cause of wildfires, not climate change, reducing a complex matter to an either/or statement. I asked Sooke's Fire Chief about this later in the meeting, and he gave a more nuanced answer.

Yes, he said, natural causes (lightning strikes responsible for 60% of wildfires) and braindead human behaviour (40%) -- i.e., cigarette butt-tossers, campers who don't extinguish the campfires they shouldn't have started in the first place, outright arson -- remain the leading factors in what a month ago was already the record wildfire season in BC.  

And yet he also noted that fuel load in our forests and clearcuts has increased dramatically due to the extended droughts that have become routine in recent years. 

Sooke's Wildfire Protection Plan (2011) addresses "Future Climate Considerations" on pp. 8/9.  "Implications for wildfire are that drought events could result in extended wildfire seasons with more days of fire weather supporting difficult to control wildfires (i.e., more high and extreme danger class days than shown in Figure 5) and drought conditions supporting more severe fire effects (i.e., more high and extreme drought code days than shown in Figure 4). Severe wildfires occurring under drought conditions may consume more of the duff layers and heat the mineral soil, leaving those soils more prone to erosion. Extreme rainfall events that occur before those soils have been re-colonised by vegetation would likely result in substantial erosion."

~ Defining "Fire Weather" (National Resources Canada). "Fire weather refers to weather conditions that are conducive to wildland fire, affecting its occurrence and subsequent behaviour. It determines the fire season – the annual period during which forest fires are likely to start, spread, and cause damage. Changes in fire weather affect forest ecosystems, as well as human health and safety and the ability to access the forest.Preliminary analyses show that the fire season has become longer in some regions of eastern Canada and shorter in most of southwestern Canada. Future projections suggest that the fire season will lengthen in almost all areas. By 2100, the fire season in certain forest regions may have lengthened by more than a month."

~ "Warming Sets the Stage for Canada's Record Wildfires, Study Finds" - New York Times, Aug. 22, 2023. 
<clip> "Hot, dry and gusty conditions like those that fed this year’s wildfires in eastern Canada are now at least twice as likely to occur there as they would be in a world that humans hadn’t warmed by burning fossil fuels, a team of researchers said Tuesday, providing a first scientific assessment of climate change’s role in intensifying the country’s fires ... “Fire-weather risks due to climate change are increasing,” said Dorothy Heinrich, a technical adviser at the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Center who worked on the analysis. “Both mitigation and dedicated adaptation strategies are going to be required to reduce the drivers of risk and decrease its impacts on people’s lives, livelihoods and communities.”
 
~ Climate Atlas of Canada: Forest Fires and Climate Change (2023) <clip> "To figure out what climate change means for forest fires in Canada, Flannigan and a team of researchers at the Canadian Forest Service analyzed the findings of almost 50 international studies on climate change and fire risk. [4] They found that our future looks “smoky” because climate change will worsen the three major factors that influence wildfire: having dry fuel to burn, frequent lightning strikes that start fires, and dry, windy weather that fans the flames ... Another recent study [5] by Flannigan and several other scientists predicts that western Canada will see a 50% increase in the number of dry, windy days that let fires start and spread, whereas eastern Canada will see an even more dramatic 200% to 300% increase in this kind of “fire weather.” Other studies predict that fires could burn twice as much average area per year in Canada by the end of the century as has burned in the recent past. [6]"

~ "There Are Complex Reasons for Our Dire Wildfires, But Scientists Say Climate Change Plays a Key Role" - CBC British Columbia, Aug. 19, 2023. 

~ Fire Weather: The Making Of A Beast - John Vaillant (McNally Robinson Books, 2023). "In May 2016, Fort McMurray, the hub of Canada's petroleum industry and America's biggest foreign supplier, was overrun by wildfire. The multi-billion-dollar disaster melted vehicles, turned entire neighborhoods into firebombs, and drove 88,000 people from their homes in a single afternoon. Through the lens of this apocalyptic conflagration--the wildfire equivalent of Hurricane Katrina--John Vaillant warns that this was not a unique event but a shocking preview of what we must prepare for in a hotter, more flammable world."  

~ The Fire Beast Is Everywhere: A Checklist for Fighting Back - Guy Dauncey. "In a few short decades, we have burned our way through fossilized energy that took millions of years to form. We have released all of its stored carbon into the atmosphere, where, as carbon dioxide, it traps heat. As a New Scientist editorial stated in June 2023, “The basic science of climate change is so universally accepted that only the most fringe elements of society now deny it.”  

- What Lies Beneath: Exploring Canada's Invisible Carbon Storehouse - Globe & Mail, Nov. 10, 2021 

- World Wildlife Federation: Canadian Carbon Map (2022). "Canada’s first-ever national carbon map reveals the location of billions — yes, billions — of tonnes of carbon stored in ecosystems across the country. This data, and how we use it, could alter the pace of climate change." + Final report 

Image: The BC Wildfire Service's Wildland Urban Interface Risk Class Map identifies local red danger zones (i.e., extreme risk) in the hills north of Saseenos, T'Sou-ke Reserve #2 and the Phillips Road/Sunriver corridor. Yellow and orange areas (moderate/high risk) cover a large swath of the Sooke Hills. Much of our area map is black, indicating private and managed forestry land that hasn't been assessed.

Heading for my seventh and final Association of Vancouver Island & Coastal Communities convention this weekend at the Victoria Convention Centre -- 2020 was cancelled due to COVID-19's outbreak and 2021 was virtual. I believe six of us on council will be attending, a full or nearly so representation as is tradition for this and the last council since my first AVICC convention in Powell River in 2019. This turn-out was also the norm for earlier councils and has been encouraged by Mayor Tait at both AVICC and the Union of BC Municipalities convention in the fall. 

Just a few of us travel out-of-province annually for the national Federation of Canadian Municipalities convention in the early summer (Edmonton this year from June 4-7; I attended FCM in-person the one time in 2019/Quebec City). That makes sense given the significantly higher cost of these trips and the fact that, unlike AVICC and UBCM, it doesn't include resolution voting sessions of potentially direct impact to Sooke and its residents. 

That councillors prioritize these events as part of their duties and professional development is occasionally questioned, especially in an election year following passage of a split-vote budget. As I trust this blog has shown through my 2025 AVICC synopsis and posts like this and this, these BC conferences are, in my view, opinion and experience, unmissable working weekends rich with listening, learning and networking opportunities.

Importantly, as noted already, we vote on resolutions that will either proceed to UBCM (i.e., those made this weekend at the regional association level) or to the Province (when passed by a majority at UBCM itself). As local reps, we take this responsibility seriously, entirely apt since its these votes that push local concerns up the food chain to hopefully reshape policy for the good of all our communities. (UBCM resolution bank + 2025 results + provincial response awaited) 

With days that can stretch from the 7:30 AM start of workshops to late into the evening, these conventions are intense, immersive and, in my experience, exhausting. Also fun, social, meaningful, uplifting and inspirational. (And a little frustrating, too, since you can't do it all given simultaneous workshops, which is why we all welcome the after-the-fact recordings of certain key seminars.)  

Those keyboard warriors who claim these are tax-dollar-burning getaway breaks for fat-cat politicians are simply ignorant (edit: as in “lack of knowledge,” not offered with hostile intent as two readers who've written me have assumed), wrong and to be absolutely expected in a democracy that prizes free speech.  

Okay, that said, onwards with my advance prep ... 

AVICC membership comprises 54 local governments and First Nations in the Vancouver Island and Coastal BC region, which in turn represent more than 1 million people. This will be the 77th annual convention. Sooke hosted in 2013; aside from occasional years in Campbell River, the host city usually alternates between Nanaimo and Victoria due to the lack of suitably sized convention facilities elsewhere in the region. The Prestige proved somewhat undersized and hence Sooke has not bid again. Powell River was the only other exception. (See the Sooke 2013 program with its thanks to numerous local sponsoring organizations; Shaw TV clip from the 2016 convention focused on the mayor-only session that year + 2017 convention.) 

Key 2026 convention reference materials: 
* Convention Program 
* 2026 AVICC Resolutions Book
* 2026 AVICC Resolutions Book - Appendix in support of Special Resolutions
* 2026 Resolutions Background Information
* 2025 AGM & Convention Draft Minutes

2025/2026 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 Trina Isakson, City of Powell River, Director at Large
Councillor Will Cole-Hamilton, City of Courtenay, Director at Large
Councillor Alison MacKenzine, Town of View Royal, 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

Vanessa Craig elected as President for 2026/27
Sarah Fowler, 1st Vice-President 
Will Cole-Hamilton, Second Vice-President 


Highlights from President's Report
- Development of AVICC's 2026-2030 Strategic Plan 
- AVICC advocacy continues 
- Executive meetings continue with focus on governance amendments 
- New Resolutions Database to be launched later this spring. “Following the final resolutions session at this year’s AGM, members will again be surveyed on advocacy and resolutions priorities, and the Executive will hold a dedicated Advocacy Planning meeting early in the new term."
- AVICC virtual sessions on the Cowichan Tribes case and housing corporations for rural housing solutions
- Six educational sessions at this year's conference will be filmed and available after the convention. 

Friday
2 PM Official Opening: Provincial Address by TBA  (Invitations extended to Premier David Eby, Leader of the Opposition Trevor Halford and UBCM President Cori Ramsay) + Keynote Address: Shachi Kurl, Executive Director, Angus Reid Institute 

4:30 PM Fostering Collaborative Governance – Modernizing ICET to Build Systems for Prosperity 
- Reference: Island Coastal Economic Trust: 2026 Independent Legislative Review (March 2026).
- Related: ICET First Nations Strategic Recommendations Report (2025) 
- Inventory of all ICET-funded projects since its foundation in 2005 
- ICET Strategic Plan (updated for 2026/27)
​- Impact Report 2025  

- Sooke, as a small coastal and arguably rural community, sought inclusion into ICET in 2023 and was rejected on the grounds that we're part of the generally urban Capital Regional District; only the JDF electoral area among south isalnd local governments, qualifies as eligible for $2.2m in annual funding. Interestingly, larger coastal communities as Nanaimo, Courtenay and Comox do qualify. Sooke's CED Officer Gail Scott continues to campaign for our inclusion and  council is planning another pitch for membership this year. 

<clip from pg. 41 of the review> "Scope: The North Island-Coast Area was originally confined to northern Vancouver Coastal and the Sunshine Coast, defined by boundaries of the relevant regional districts. Expansion: It has since been expanded to include most of Vancouver Coastal, excluding the Capital Regional District (with the exceptions of Salt Spring Coastal, Juan de Fuca Electoral District, and First Nations’ reserve lands within the CRD. It continues to exclude some small rural communities on the South Coastal, such as Sooke." 

Saturday 
* Partnering on Vancouver Island Healthcare Recruitment (7:30AM, Saturday) 
"How housing, transportation information and community navigation can help shape a compelling and supportive experience for prospective recruits and their families." [Sooke's Urgent & Primary Care Centre will require staff recruitment, helped by the fact that 14 apartments in the residences upstairs are reserved for health professionals.]
- Kent Flint, Executive Director, HR, Island Health
- Kara Ronse, Workforce Strategy, Island Health
- Damian Lange, Nanaimo Regional General Hospital 
- Pat Deakin, Economic Development Manager, Port Alberni
- Rudy Terpstra, Qualicum SD 69 

* Annual Meeting (8:30AM) 
* Resolutions Session #1 (9AM) 

* UBCM Governance Review Update (10:30AM, Saturday)
- Gary MacIsaac, Executive Director, UBCM
- UBCM Governance Review backgrounder <clip> "In response to recent questions on representation, the evolution of local government in BC, and the ongoing desire to optimize the governing body’s legitimacy and relevance to membership, UBCM is undertaking a Governance Review focused on the composition of the Executive. The Review is also considering Resolution NEB14-2024, Union of BC Municipalities Name Change. This resolution seeks to change the UBCM name to be more reflective of the diversity of local government types."  
- UBCM Current Issues page: Heritage Conservation Act, US tariffs and the trade war 
- My UBCM 2025 blog 

* Resolution Session #2 (11AM) 

* Troubled Waters – Select Topics in Local Government Regulation of Activities In and Around Waterways
(1:30PM, Saturday) [Timely for Sooke councillors given our new Development Permit Area guidelines.]
- David Giroday and Sophie Marshall, Associate Lawyers, Young Anderson
- "Topics discussed will include the removal of abandoned vessels, the regulation of foreshore construction and liveaboards, watershed maintenance on forest lands and flood mitigation planning." 
- Young Anderson newsletter archive + March, 2023 article on riparian areas + Official Community Plans 

* AI Adoption for Local Government (1:30 PM, Saturday) 
- "Explores the roles councils play in setting direction, establishing oversight and ensuring that AI adoption adds value while remaining safe and aligned with community values." 
- DJ Levy and Kim Arsenault, Alpha IT, Vancouver 
- Geoff Linton, IT consultant, Canadian Marketing Association 
- Municipal World magazine technology archive 
- Province of BC policy on use of generative AI (2025) + Draft AI responsible use principles 

* Permissive Tax Exemptions, Grants, and More: Good Practice (1:30PM, Saturday) 
- How exemptions, community grants, service agreements and fee waivers support community development 
- Trina Isakson, Councillor, City of Powell River

* Cowichan Tribes Case: Implications for Local Government (3PM, Saturday)
- Discussion of the impact of the case on municipal and regional district governance, taxation and intergovernmental affairs.  The panel will present advice, recommendations and best practices arising from the case on several matters, including: Balanced and fair interpretation of the court decision; Local government negotiations with First Nations (for example: MOUs, service agreements, partnerships); Land use decisions by boards and councils; Implications for local government recognition and reconciliation efforts; Impacts on fee simple title of local governments, including lands acquired by Crown grant or tax sales; Identifying potentially relevant unceded lands in your municipality or region; and appeals processes and ongoing coexistence negotiations in Canada and BC. 
- John Jack, Huu-ay-aht First Nations
- Don Lidstone, Lawyer
- Robert Janes, Lawyer 
- Will Cole-Hamilton, Councillor, City of Courtenay 

* How Do We Solve a Problem Like Engagement? (3PM, Saturday) 
- Introducing the Community Assembly Network, launched by a team led by former Green BC leader Sonia Furstenau ahead of the 2026 municipal elections. Intention: Improving public participation in light of Bill 44 (which cancels the public hearing process for OCP-aligned land decisions), low turn-out, vocal minorities who drown out the silent majority, etc. "We believe in deliberative democracy. People in the community talk, learn, and consider together before making decisions. When a community faces a tough problem, deliberating as a group creates solutions that really work." + Assemble BC initiative + Example: North Cowichan-Duncan Citizen's Assembly (2017) 
- Sonia Fursteneau, Co-Founder, CAN
- Maeve Maguire, Co-Founder, CAN 
- Dr. Aftab Erfan, SFU Centre for Dialogue
- Susan Kim, Councillor, City of Victoria
- Simon Pek, Gustavson School of Business 

* The Future of Forestry on Vancouver Island & Coastal B.C. (3PM, Saturday) 
- Mayor Rob Douglas, North Cowichan
- Geoff Dawe, Public and Private Workers of Canada
- Chris McGourlick, Operations Manager, Forest Enhancement Society of BC
- Klay Tindall, GM, Lil'wat Forestry Ventures 

Sunday 
​- Opening Remarks (8:30AM)
- FCM Update (8:45AM) 
- Island Coastal Economic Trust Update (9AM)
- Green Party leader Emily Lowen (10:30AM; other party reps invited but unconfirmed) 
- Resolutions Session #3 (10:45AM)
- AVICC President's Address and Advocacy Update (11:40AM) 

- Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Rebuild Canadian Prosperity (9:05AM, Sunday) 
- Norm Van Eeden Petersman, Strong Towns Member Advocate based in Delta. 
- Strong Towns is a US based non-profit  "We seek to replace America’s postwar pattern of development, the Suburban Experiment, with a pattern of development that is financially strong and resilient. We advocate for cities of all sizes to be safe, livable and inviting. We work to elevate local government to be the highest level of collaboration for people working together in a place, not merely the lowest level in a hierarchy of governments." 
​- Strong Towns 2025 Annual Report 
​- Local Government Case Studies and Examples Blurb: "Why are so many cities and towns across North America going broke? Our roads are deteriorating and local governments are struggling to keep up. No matter how much we increase them, our taxes aren’t enough to fix it all. This isn’t just about numbers on a budget. This is about the fate of the communities we love most, and the real people that live there. If we want Canadian cities to be strong and resilient, we need to change everything about the way we plan and build our places."


Resolutions 
None submitted by Sooke this year; we approved one for presentation at last year's resolutions session (staffing increases at the Human Rights Tribunal for timelier resolution of complaints); two late resolutions from Sooke council (E-Comm funding and cel phone levies) were not admitted off the floor for debate at AVICC (along with all such late resolutions). All three, however, were approved at UBCM and moved forward to the Province. Parliamentarian: Claire Moglove 

Extraordinary Special Resolutions by the AVICC Executive 
ER1 Extraordinary Special Resolution to Repeal and Replace AVICC Bylaws (Schedule A).
ER2 Extraordinary Special Resolution to Repeal and Replace AVICC Bylaws should ER1 not be Endorse (Schedule B)
Bylaw amendments to include one new board members - one TBD and a rep from the Capital Regional District ("which represents almost 50% of the population of residents in the AVICC region, and contributed 44% of the Association’s dues in 2025"). Debate: CRD is one of 11 regional districts within AVICC, and its elected reps can run for office. And yet the CRD has been chronically underrepresented on the AVICC executive. All in favour of growing the executive by one. Result: ER1 failed, ER 2 - amendment to add 3 members, failed. $3k costs per member. ER2 passed unanimously. 

Regional Special Resolution - No Recommendation 
R1 Community Economic Development: Energy Certainty to Support Long-term Economic Development and Resource Sector Modernization (Campbell River) 
"Urge the Province of British Columbia, BC Hydro, FortisBC, and the British Columbia Utilities Commission to collaborate with local governments, First Nations, and industry to ensure long-term energy certainty for Vancouver Island by: • immediately convening and resourcing formal energy roundtables to address urgent energy supply constraints, assess interim and long‑term solutions, and prevent further loss of investment and economic activity in Vancouver Island and coastal communities; • recognizing the importance of local, dispatch-able, and redundant energy generation— and the critical role of existing facilities such as Island Generation—in supporting economic development, grid reliability, and industrial modernization; • ensuring that long-term energy planning and contracting decisions consider the economic development needs of AVICC communities alongside the timelines for new renewable energy projects to come online; and • supporting interim energy solutions that allow resource industries and new investments to remain, modernize, and grow in coastal and island communities while Indigenous-led renewable projects advance to completion." UBCM Resolutions Committee: "Deemed to be too regional in focus for the UBCM membership." 
Result: BC Hydro is doing this forecasting work already - Resolution failed. 

Part 2: Endorsed by AVICC Executive Resolutions (Block Vote) - CARRIED 
HOUSING
R2 Supportive Housing Residential Tenancy Act Amendments (Duncan)
"Urge the Province of British Columbia to amend the Residential Tenancy Act to ensure supportive housing operators have clear, proportionate, and transparent authority to enforce Good Neighbour Agreements in a manner focused on safety of residents and staff, early intervention, housing stability, and positive relationships with neighbouring communities."

COMMUNITY SAFETY
R3 Property and Public Disorder Intervention Initiative (Duncan) 
"Call on the Province to implement the Chronic Property and Public Disorder Intervention Initiative province-wide." 
"Initiative is being piloted in Kelowna, Nanaimo and Nelson to address property crime and public disorder. "This new program will help to stop chronic property crime offenders, which will save businesses the expense of the costs of crimes like shoplifting and vandalism,” Minister Krieger said. “By targeting, monitoring and addressing key repeat offenders of crimes and disorder, we’re going to help make our streets safer for everyone in these cities.” Each community has identified five individuals whose persistent disorder, theft and vandalism have affected public spaces and local businesses. The Chronic Property and Public Disorder Intervention Initiative’s (C-POII) co-ordinated model will provide enhanced monitoring, enforcement and supports to address public safety concerns that are impacting communities." - Solicitor General press release, December 2025

R4 Provincial Volunteer Firefighter Training Fund (Parksville) 
"(i) Establish a Provincial Volunteer Firefighter Training Fund to cover the cost of provincially mandated training for volunteer and composite fire departments across the Province; and (ii) Encourage sustainable cost sharing options whereby the Province covers a baseline percentage of training costs and local governments contribute a predictable matching share."  Resolutions Committee reality check: "Since 2019, the Province has provided funding for training and equipment for volunteer and composite fire departments through the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund. However, the last intake for this program was in 2025 and there are currently no additional funds available to continue the program." 
 
LAND USE
R5  Strengthening the Administration of BC’s Private Managed Forest Land Program (Cowichan Valley RD)
"Strengthen protection of water, fish habitat, and streamside vegetation, including clearer standards and timely reforestation requirements." 

R6 Ministry of Forests Binding Materials (Zeballos) 
"Request that the Ministry of Forests include funding for topping materials, binding fines, and full surface stabilization as required components of all Forest Service Road major maintenance projects and industrial user maintenance requirements."

R7 Raw Log Exports (Nanaimo)
"Call on the provincial and federal governments to ban the export of raw logs and lumber cants from BC to ensure that forests harvested in BC from crown land and private managed forest lands are processed in BC, encouraging value-added manufacturing in BC and supporting employment in BC’s forest industry, and that BC mills are supported in a transition to utilize a full spectrum of marketable tree species."  Committee notes that similar resolutions have been adopted since 2016, i.e., "The Resolutions Committee notes that the UBCM membership endorsed resolution 2018-B46, which called on the Province to prohibit raw log export from British Columbia without provincial wood processing needs and capacity being evaluated and met." 

Part 3: No Recommendation or Not Endorsed
HOUSING
R8 Scaling Building Code Requirements (Nanaimo RD)
"That the Province of British Columbia and the Government of Canada engage a qualified, independent third party to undertake a cost-benefit review of the Building Code’s impacts on affordability, safety, and energy efficiency for single storey residential homes and accessory buildings under 1000 ft2/93 m2 and investigate the potential for a simplified rural building standard/alternative compliance pathway for small homes under 1000 ft2/93 m2 that meets safety, climate, and seismic resilience requirements in a less complex and therefore more affordable way, while still ensuring safety."
"The Committee notes that the membership has supported resolutions addressing smaller residential homes, including: • 2025-NR40 which sought, in part, to revisit industry standards such as CSA (Canadian Standards Association), and create a new category specific to moveable tiny homes certified for permanent occupancy that separates tiny homes from motorized vehicles, towable RVs and temporary small trailers; and to create a new category specific to RV’s certified for permanent occupancy; and • 2022-NR64 which sought, in part, the creation of emergency or ad-hoc housing or shelter with on site supports as a short-term use, and including tiny homes, navigation centres, portables, and/or modular housing; and  2022-NR21 which sought to recognize, allow and provide building requirements for tiny homes, and that the Province should incorporate these changes into Part 9 of the BC Building Code that would define tiny houses as allowable permanent dwellings, and thus permit them to be constructed where local government official community plans and zoning bylaws deem them appropriate."
Pro: Smaller footprint homes need a break from requirements applicable to larger homes given costs involved, need for this housing type and affordability crisis. CARRIED

COMMUNITY SAFETY
R9 Provincial Standards, Funding, and Regional Solutions for Police Detention Services (Central Saanich) 
"Local police and RCMP services are increasingly being required to detain individuals for extended periods due to limited court transport availability, expanded use of virtual bail, and restricted intake at correctional facilities, resulting in the downloading of court- and correction-related custodial responsibilities onto local police and RCMP services, causing operational strain, staffing pressures, costs, and legal risk."  CARRIED

R10 Policing Costs for Communities under 5,000 Population (Lantzville) 
"Advocate to the Province to retroactively adjust the 5,000 person policing cost threshold to reflect the same percentage growth as the provincial population since 2007"  Committee: "Last year, the UBCM membership endorsed resolution 2025-SR2, which requests that the Province and federal government directly involve UBCM and BC local governments, and consider local government priorities, as part of the process to negotiate new RCMP police services agreements. The UBCM Executive brought this resolution forward in anticipation of the start of negotiations for new Police Service Agreements, which are set to expire in 2032. It is understood that the process to renew these agreements could take several years to complete ... In 2020, the Province announced its intent to review the Police Act, subsequently creating the all-party Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act (SCRPA). In its final report (2022), the SCRPA recommended that the Province create a fair and equitable funding model for local governments that includes "exploring options to phase in or incrementally increase the municipal share of policing costs."  
Debate: Police funding formula revisions as a whole must be explored. Mid-sized communities also are struggling to meet costs. Port Alberni has highest cost per capita for RCMP in BC (where does Sooke stand in this metric?). UBCM Police Act Modernization Roundtable has explored this to a degree. CARRIED 
 
ENVIRONMENT
R11 Soil Relocation Regulations (Oak Bay) 
"Review the thresholds for chloride ions in soil to qualify as “Residential Low Density” with consideration of the naturally occurring chloride elements that are higher in municipalities areas close to the Pacific Ocean."  Unintended consequences of new regulation. Significant cost and time delays. CARRIED 

R12 Advocacy to Create Enabling Authorities Allowing Local Governments to Regulate Carbon Pollution from Existing Buildings (Victoria)
"Whereas local governments (except Vancouver, under its Charter) currently lack authority to regulate the emissions from existing buildings, and in many cases have struggled to reduce emissions from the built environment and meet their own emissions reduction targets ... therefore request that the Province create enabling authorities that would allow local governments to regulate GHG emissions from existing buildings." (similar resolutions date from 2006). Debate: Desire to meet GHG targets. Zero Carbon Step Code is well met across the Province, but the elephant in room is existing buildings. Vancouver has a building performance standard supported by industry. Rebates and incentives for retrofits - 10-year tax exemption in a pilot program in Victoria. This is about communities able to make their own decisions. Gives optional authority. Vancouver has this power, and we don’t. 

FINANCE
R13 Streamlining the Municipal and Regional District Tax Program Renewal Process (Nanaimo) 
"Remove the requirement for an Accommodation Sector in Support of MRDT Form when applications are being renewed, given the impact that MRDT funding has across numerous sectors in a community and the increased risk to established programs and projects should accommodation sector support not be obtained during the renewal process."

LAND USE
R14 Improvement District Governance: Policy Statement 2006 (qathet RD) 
"Modernize the Improvement District Governance: Policy Statement (2006) to remove structural financial barriers to the sustainability and orderly transition of improvement districts." 

R15 Agricultural Land Reserve Residential Flexibility (qathet RD) 
"Whereas the current Agricultural Land Commission Act (ALCA) and ALR Use Regulations limit residential development to: • a principal residence up to 500 m2 total floor area; • a secondary suite within that principal residence, and; • an additional residence up to 90 m2 total floor area for parcels 40 ha or less, or up to 186 m2 for parcels larger than 40 ha. ... and this can result in development that is inconsistent with the purpose of ALR when considering alterations to existing structures." 

R16 Community Supported Agriculture Incentive Program (Metchosin) 
"Request that the Province in collaboration with local governments, First Nations, and agricultural stakeholders, develop and implement a provincial Community Supported Agricultural (CSA) incentive program modelled on
the Nova Scotia Loyal Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Incentive Pilot Program, which provides a consumer incentive for purchasing CSA shares directly from local farmers while reimbursing participating producers,
strengthening local food systems and farm viability." + Nova Scotia CSA FAQ 

TRANSPORTATION
R17 Prince Rupert–Alaska Ferry Terminal Reinstatement (North Coast RD) 
"Whereas the closure of the Prince Rupert-Alaska Ferry Terminal in 2019 significantly reduced economic activity and cross-border connectivity for the community and region ..." + CBC News 2026 update 

R18 Updates to the BC Motor Vehicle Act (Nanaimo) 
"Update the BC Motor Vehicle Act and associated regulations and design guidelines to include design standards and regulation which align with the BC Active Transportation Design Guide and best practices + consult with municipalities as part of the update process, providing the opportunity to bring forward suggestions for additional improvements based on current challenges, community needs and public input." 

R19 Wheelchairs and Mobility Scooters in Bike-and-Roll Mobility Lanes and Routes (Victoria) 
"That the provincial Motor Vehicle Act and regulations be updated to allow the use of wheelchairs and 3 and 4 wheel mobility scooters on bike lanes and traffic calmed bike routes across BC." + Times Colonist article, Feb. 6, 2026 

ASSESSMENT
R20 Split Tax Classification for Short-Term Rentals Based on Floor Area (Tofino)
"Whereas short-term rental residential properties have reduced housing supply for long-term residents, which is supported by the current tax classification rules restricting split classification of residential properties even when operating a commercial business, creating a need for fair and practical taxation based on actual use ... therefore amend legislation to allow split tax classification of residential properties operating a short-term rental based on the actual floor area contributing to the short-term rental operations." + 2017 resolution + CBC News, 2025 + Tofino regulations 

R21 Fair Property Taxation through Accurate BC Assessment Classifications (Ucluelet)
"Provide local governments with stronger authority and practical tools to review, challenge, and correct property classifications, ensuring equitable taxation and a fair distribution of local fiscal responsibility."

COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
R22 Immediate Action Required to Prevent Irreversible Economic Harm (Campbell River) 
"Whereas prolonged regulatory delays, inconsistent provincial and federal policy direction and poor intergovernmental coordination are undermining investment and accelerating closures—particularly in forestry and aquaculture—triggering cascading downstream impacts including widespread job losses, business failures, reduced port and transportation activity, housing instability, population out‑migration, weakened supply chains, increased cost‑of‑living pressures, and declining municipal revenues, placing many communities at or near a point of no return; therefore the Province and Ottawa ​take immediate, coordinated action to restore certainty and predictability to the regulatory environment affecting resource industries." + BC Salmon Farmers advocacy + Campbell River Ec Dev Strategy 

SELECTED ISSUES
R23 Rescinding the UBCM Special Resolution 2025-ER1 (North Coast RD)
"Whereas the changes implemented through ER1 represent a fundamental shift in the resolutions framework that may impede the ability of local governments to collectively advance advocacy priorities and respond to evolving concerns: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM reconsider Extraordinary Resolution 2025-ER1 to restore the prior resolutions submission process."

UBCM decision by super-majority (70%) of attendees at last year's convention: 
Any Annual Resolution that falls under one or more of the following criteria, as determined by the Resolutions Committee, will be excluded from consideration by the membership at Convention:
• Resolution is existing UBCM policy (as set by the membership endorsing or not endorsing a previous resolution or policy paper);
• Resolution is outside of the scope of BC local governments and member First Nations;
• Resolution is within the scope of BC local governments and member First Nations, but does not meet UBCM criteria for format or clarity; or
* Resolution is regional in focus.

As noted here last fall: "UBCM is swamped annually with entirely meaningful and needed resolutions from local governments, so much so that it is always a drama to get them all heard as allocated time dwindles (Sooke's NR 120 may well be left on the table given its late position in the queue.) The aim here is to remove from consideration any resolutions that align with existing UBCM policy (i.e., most of those in the Endorsed Block, effectively), are regionally focused or fall outside the scope of BC local government and First Nations. Any LG that wishes to renew UBCM attention to an already aligned policy matter can formally request consideration for a floor vote. (The entire Endorsed Block is traditionally passed with a single vote.)" 

Part 4: Resolutions affected by UBCM requirement to streamline resolutions 
"The following are the resolutions that UBCM has deemed to be captured by one or more of the four criteria as outlined in the Extraordinary Resolution 2025-ER1 Extraordinary Resolution to Amend the UBCM Bylaws to Streamline the Resolutions Process."

Part 4A - Recommendation to Endorse (to be voted on as a block) CARRIED as a block 
HEALTH AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
R24 Access to Affordable Epinephrine Auto-Injectors (EpiPens) (Port Hardy)
"Whereas anaphylaxis is a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that requires immediate treatment with epinephrine, and timely access to epinephrine auto-injectors (commonly known as EpiPens) is critical for saving lives; And whereas the current cost of EpiPens in British Columbia ranges between $100 and $150, creating a significant financial barrier; therefore the Province should implement a program to provide epinephrine auto-injectors at a nominal cost to residents."  UBCM Resolutions Committee: "Deemed to be outside of local government jurisdiction."
s
FINANCE
R25 Public Library Funding (Powell River) 
"Whereas Public Libraries in British Columbia are primarily funded by local governments, the Provincial Government's financial contribution is also critical to ongoing library operations and the Province's $14 Million in core funding for BC's 71 library systems has not increased since 2021, even as the population has grown by nearly 30 percent and inflation by more than 35 percent ... more please ($30m)"  UBCM Resolutions Committee: "Deemed to be existing policy based on endorsed resolution 2025-SR3 (Increased Library Funding from the Province is Overdue, presented by the UBCM Executive and passed unanimously last September)

R26 Exemptions, Income Thresholds and Compliance Support – ALR (Qualicum Beach) 
"Properties within the ALR that are not actively farmed should not benefit from exemptions from taxes and fees such as school tax, hospital, regional district, Transit Authority, BC Assessment and municipal financial authority fees; And be it further resolved that the Farming Income Thresholds be reviewed and revised to require higher levels of productive farming to achieve Farm Class status."  UBCM Resolutions Committee: "Deemed to be existing policy based on endorsed resolutions 2025-EB59, 2024-NR76, 2024-NR92." 

TAXATION
R27 Modernization of Section 644 of the Local Government Act (Ucluelet)
"Whereas Section 644 of the Local Government Act is outdated and fails to include modern communications services—such as cellular, broadband, fiber-optic, and satellite—that increasingly rely on municipal rights-of-way;
Therefore modernize Section 644 by including all modern communications services and adjusting the 1%
revenue cap to ensure fair, sustainable, and predictable funding that reflects true municipal infrastructure costs." UBCM Resolutions Committee: "Deemed to be existing policy based on endorsed resolution 2025-EB61." (i.e., "Taxation of Utility Companies" - District of Sooke resolution approved in the UBCM endorsed block last fall.) 

TRANSPORTATION
R28 Active Transportation as a Core Ministry Priority (Comox Valley RD) 
"Include active transportation as a core Ministry priority in the Ministry of Transportation and Transit mandate letter; review and amend provincial active transportation policies, guidelines, and standards to explicitly address rural and semi-rural road conditions outside of municipalities etc." UBCM Resolutions Committee: "Deemed to be existing policy based on endorsed resolution 2025-EB73." (Active Transportation Infrastructure on Rural Highways - Williams Lake)

R29 Interregional Transit (Comox Valley RD) 
"Province to bring forward actionable policies and programs, based on the commitment by the provincial government to support interregional transit, and that includes equitable funding provisions for interregional connections that provide reasonable, affordable travel for the general public in both municipal and electoral areas of the province." UBCM Resolutions Committee: "Deemed to be existing policy based on endorsed resolution 2025-EB76. ("Small Community Transit Service Fund" - Merritt) 

R30 Small Craft Harbour Management and Divestiture (North Coast RD) 
"Government of Canada to commit sufficient, long-term funding for the maintenance and public safety of noncore small craft harbours." UBCM Resolutions Committee: "Deemed to be existing policy based on endorsed resolution 2024-NR87." 

R31 Cease Divestment Efforts of Remote Port Facilities (Stratcona RD)
"Transport Canada and the federal government to cease further efforts to divest remote port facilities, to continue the National Marine Strategy commitment to ongoing maintenance of remote port facilities." UBCM Resolutions Committee: "Deemed to be existing policy based on endorsed resolution 2024-NR87."

R32 Expansion of Fare Free Youth Transit (Capital Regional District) 
"Request that the Province implement a phased expansion of the fare-free youth transit program by increasing eligibility by one year at a time until fare-free transit is available to youth aged 13 through 18." UBCM Resolutions Committee: "Deemed to be existing policy based on endorsed resolution 2024-NEB10." 

LEGISLATIVE
R33 Legislative Changes Consultation Process (Zeballos) 
"​Province to provide a more fulsome consultation process with local governments of all sizes prior to making sweeping legislative changes." UBCM Resolutions Committee: "Deemed to be existing policy based on endorsed resolution 2025-EB77." (Provincial Consultation on Legislative Changes - Parksville) CARRIED 

ASSESSMENT
R34 Expansion of Strata Accommodation Property Definition (Tofino) 
"Amend legislation to expand the definition of Strata Accommodation Property to include strata plans with fewer than twenty units." UBCM Resolutions Committee: "Deemed to be existing policy based on endorsed resolution 2024-EB91." CARRIED

Part 4 B -  No Recommendation or Not Endorse 
R35 Framework for Intergovernmental Relations with First Nations (Port Alberni) 
"Whereas the lack of a consistent and formalized framework for intergovernmental relations has led to challenges in communication, resource sharing, and coordinated service delivery between First Nations and local governments; therefore advocate to the provincial and federal governments for the establishment of a comprehensive framework for intergovernmental relations with First Nations." UBCM Resolutions Committee: "Deemed to be existing policy based on Executive not endorsed referred resolution 2025-NR83." CARRIED 

R36 Short Term Rentals on ALR Land (Alberni-Clayoquot RD)
"Request an exemption to the Short Term Rental Accommodations Act for ALR properties that are in compliance with the Agricultural Land Commission Act and Regulations and local government bylaws for agri-tourism accommodation." UBCM Resolutions Committee: "Deemed to be existing policy based on Executive not endorsed referred resolution 2025-NR87." CARRIED 

R37 Student Food Security Grant (Oak Bay)
"Advocate to the Honourable Minister Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, to provide funding support to BC post-secondary student unions, by establishing a food security grant, equivalent to $1.50 per student, to address student food insecurity as evidenced by the increased use of postsecondary campus food banks." UBCM Resolutions Committee: "Deemed to be outside of local government jurisdiction." CARRIED 

R38 Post-Secondary Affordability (Victoria)
"Request that the Province implement all 15 policy solutions identified in the Student Issues Backgrounder 2025." UBCM Resolutions Committee: "Deemed to be outside of local government jurisdiction."  CARRIED 

R39 CC-130H Hercules Fleet (Alberni-Clayoquot RD)
"Request that the Province collaborate with the Government of Canada to: 1. Partner with First Nations and the private sector to retrofit a portion of Canada’s retired CC‑130H Hercules fleet into large air tankers for wildfire suppression in Canada. 2. Deploy these aircraft as part of a strengthened national wildfire response capacity, to be shared with provinces and territories and, where appropriate, used for international humanitarian and emergency missions. Consider that the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre assist in managing deployment under a transparent cost‑sharing framework, with initial operating capability by the 2027 wildfire season. 3. Prioritize this made‑in‑Canada solution that leverages Canadian engineering, protects lives and communities, upholds Indigenous rights, and contributes to environmental sustainability." UBCM Resolutions Committee: "Deemed to be outside of local government jurisdiction.".  John Jack: Establishing strategic air strips to fight wildfires is a federal priority, but what about the equipment itself to respond quickly? Alberni faced two serious wildfires in recent years, water bombers are essential. CARRIED 

R40 Student Ferry Fares (Oak Bay)
"Whereas post-secondary students currently pay full adult BC Ferries fares, despite facing significant cost-of-living pressures and limited incomes ... therefore advocate to the Honourable Minister Mike Farnworth, Minister of Transportation and Transit, for a $10/day flat rate ferry fare pilot program, during non-peak hours, for post-secondary students. UBCM Resolutions Committee: "Deemed to be outside of local government jurisdiction."  BC Ferry fares are a substantial barrier for low-income students, Note that this would be in non-peak hours only. Leonard Kroeg: We should not be significantly supporting privileged students when they are already subsidized and their non-academic peers have to pay full fare. Counter-argument: Post-secondary students are investing in the lifelong good of their communities with their skill sets. Donna: Free fares should be based on a means test.  Teal: Hello Ferry reached 400k first-year ridership with 50% student rates. Off-peak ferries sail regardless, why not fill them further? CARRIED 

Late Resolutions
LR1 Changes to Provincial Property Tax Deferment Program (Esquimalt) 
“Review the recent changes with consideration for the needs of low-income seniors on fixed incomes, including introduction of an income threashold, so that the program continues to support low=income seniors as originally intended.” Fixed incomes under $20k … low-income seniors to stay in their homes, aggressive income threashold must be introduced. Seniors don’t think rationally about their finances. Deferral is fine for the next 20 years. People are in tears as they think about the impacts at 20 years. $45k per person over age 65. These funds are to be paid for by 
Massive wealth and equity in these homes. Middle income seniors are carrying a large mortgage. Kevin Murdoch: The Seniors Advocate acknowledges the Province's strategy is to assist seniors in staying in their own homes as long as possible. There is a need for a tiered system that recognizes some seniors are low-income and on fixed incomes. CARRIED. 

​



















https://letstalk.sooke.ca/budget

CAO Report, May 25: "For the average assessed residential property, the municipal increase is approximately $186.87 annually, or $15.57 monthly. Taxes are due July 2, 2026."  

April 2 
Council voted 4-3 (Tait, Bateman, Beddows, St-Pierre in favour, Haldane, McMath, Pearson against) yesterday to proceed with the first three readings of the five-year financial plan at a 10.5% tax increase in 2026. That equates to $210 more for the average assessed home in Sooke. I'm not running again in October, so this will be my final budget vote and I'm content that we and staff have done our very best to balance civic needs and the rising costs thereof while providing an accurate-as-possible accounting of what lies ahead through 2030 in terms of future anticipated costs for police, fire, asset management, union staffing and potential debt repayments on new road infrastructure. 

As the vote split indicates, tax increases and the District's current cost of doing business will be an election issue this fall (as Cllrs. Pearson & Haldane seemingly made clear in a recent press release). This sets the stage for an echo of the 2011 election that brought in a council (including these two council colleagues) that voted for no or exceptionally low tax increases during its three-year term.  Sooke was a notably smaller and different community at the time as it weathered the fallout of the 2008 recession. Our growth spurt started in earnest in 2015 and continues at a clip of about 2% annually as we get set to exceed an 18k population in 2026. 

At yesterday's special council meeting, a motion at the 10% rate was introduced initially to launch a near three-hour discussion. The slim majority of us concluded that Asset Management reserve contributions were non-negotiable and brought back the full 2% amount (rather than cutting 0.5% as proposed). That amendment took us to 10.5%. 

Our conversation was informed by public input at the start of the meeting from a half-dozen speakers. They noted that this tax increase will hurt them and those they know given the overall affordability crisis driven by the cost of housing (link to Affordable BC), food (Stats Can Food Data Hub) and gas ($2.14/litre today at PetroCan in Sooke).  Also referenced were the overall economic uncertainties in general facing British Columbians (see CPA BC review of Budget 2026), Canadians (Bank of Canada projections) and the planet at large (Export Development Canada's Global Economic Outlook 2026). 

Like the 1,700 residents who participated in last year's Budget 2026 survey, the speakers generally supported the police/fire hires and infrastructure maintenance necessary given Sooke's growth. They did wonder why the District does not cut back hard on municipal staffing and ride out the difficult times in lean/mean fashion, just as the private sector must do. (In order to reduce its $13.3b deficit, the Province is cutting 2,000 public service jobs this year; the Local Government Act and Community Charter contain strict rules that require local governments to operate with balanced budgets, i.e. no deficit.) 

One speaker was in strong support of a double-digit hike on the grounds that the increases are all well justified to maintain service levels in a growing community and that (as proven by the low/no tax increase period of 2011-2015) future taxpayers must pay the piper eventually.  As my vote demonstrated, I agree. (And no, I nor any of us feel the least bit good about yet again increasing everyone's tax bills, yet these last few months -- and in previous years -- we have pushed staff and laboured for many hours of public meeting time to find the right mix.

This council committed to 24/7 union police and fire coverage in 2023, then approved Sooke's first-ever asset management levy a year later. These increases are the price, we have unanimously agreed in the last three budgets, for adequate (not deluxe, I argue) community safety and functionality. Reaching these goals requires hikes here in one of the lowest-taxed communities of our general size in the province. So say four of seven of us.  Result: A tough decision duly made by the majority.  

Budget impacts of yesterday's decision ... 
- One less police officer is now in the mix; as Staff Sgt. Willcocks told us, Sooke RCMP will still be bolstered by two new hires - one a Community & School Police Liaison Officer, the other a general duty officer -- with more to follow in future years. The Staff Sgt. has committed to dedicating his own time to addressing town centre public safety concerns and liaising with the business community.

- Sooke Fire Services team will grow with two additional firefighters this year (#14 and #15) with one new hire projected annually through 2030 as the District works towards a full compliment of 20 to enable effective four-member rotations 24/7.  

- New municipal staff vacancies will be all the more carefully and creatively analyzed for value and worth rather than automatically posted. Technology (read: AI) is being mindfully, strategically and all-due-cautiously integrated into District operations to serve as a time-saving aid for staff researching District policies, bylaws and past agendas/minutes so as to improve turnaround times for reports and decisions, thus freeing them up to tackle other priorities on their various extended to-do lists.  

- "Small town with a big heart" (aka Sooke Compassionate City) support remains intact through funding for existing service agreements and the Community Grant program. Our vote also renewed now-lapsed funding for groups such as the Wild Wise Society, Amber Academy, Harmony Project Sooke, Need2 Suicide Prevention and the essential prenatal and youth navigator counselling work of the Sooke Family Resource Society.  Overall direction of the youth and youth-serving non-profit sector has been enhanced with a per-capita contribution ($14,400) for two years to a full-time coordinator position for The Village Initiative's Municipal Leadership Advisory Council, a salary shared by other regional local governments. (All this I definitely feel good about.) 

- Five-Year Plans are reworked annually at the discretion of council, and this 2026-30 model will again undergo tweaks and possibly dramatic changes pending the make-up of the new crew to be elected in October. As it stands, this new financial plan projects an additional 41% over five years largely to be spent on (in order of dollar projections) police, fire, asset management and non-discretionary contract increases for CUPE and IAFF employees. Also included in this total are potential debt payments on the large-scale borrowing for the Throup/Phillips bypass road, it being conditional, of course, on a future referendum vote.

- Ahead is the Budget Open House on Wed. April 8 at the Municipal Hall. All are welcome to drop in and explore the nitty gritty in (sometimes heated, often curious and engaged) conversation with staff and those of us from council who can be counted on to attend. 

- Perspective: Approx. 4,500 budgets are produced annually by all levels of government in Canada (including 3,572 incorporated municipalities across the country).

Summing up, and to quote the District ... 

"The proposed increase is driven by the following key components:

• 3.04%: Fire - Additional staffing, including two career firefighters, and maintaining emergency response capacity
• 2.60%: Police - Two additional RCMP officers, including a school and community liaison services officer 
• 2.00%: Asset Management - Investment in maintaining and replacing infrastructure such as roads and facilities
• 1.81%: General Municipal - Ongoing operational costs and service delivery including municipal roads, parks and trails, bylaw and legislative requirements
• 0.97%: E-Comm 9-1-1 - Full-year funding for emergency call answering and dispatch services
• 0.08% Debt Servicing

Rough Calculations Chez Bateman  
based on the expected tax bill for the near average-assessed home Carolyn and I have lived in these last 23 years: 

* Covering a little over 45% of our total bill, our municipal contributions will be about $2,020, I'm calculating. The District of Sooke share of our statement last year was a little over $1,800. 

- Other line items on the bill to be delivered in late May (without factoring in homeowner grants) ... 
* School tax - $950 last year (annual lift determined under the School Act in mid-April) 
* CRD costs this year are up 5.6%, taking the average assessed cost of its services (see chart below drawn Appendix I of the March 11 CRD Board of Directors agenda) to about $600
* BC Transit increase in its 2026/27 Budget & Tax Regulation is 6.5%; this amounts to about $290 for us this year
* VI Public Library increase for 2026 in its Five-Year Plan is 4.6% (i.e., bringing its share to ~$145 on our bill)  
* The CRD Regional Hospital District fee is effectively unchanged at approx. $100
* BC Assessment will be about $30
* The Municipal Finance Authority charged 0.16 cents last year 

Total bill we expect this year will likely be a little over $4,000. Like many, we qualify for BC homeowners grants.  When I apply the basic grant under Column B (which reduces school taxes by some 60%) this amount will drop to approx. $3,400.  As seniors, we can also apply the Column C discount, which cuts another 20% from the school tax.

With the grants included, our likely final total this year is around about $3,300 -- give or take if I have these numbers right. In 2025 we paid $2,995.65. 

Optional: Property Tax Deferment Program 
BC Tax Deferment Program
- Regular program (for people who are 55 or older, are a surviving spouse or a person with disabilities)
- Families with children program (homeowners with children under age 18) 
- Eligibility requirements 

- Changes introduced in Feb. 2026 BC Budget
Changing the interest rate structure for the Property Tax Deferment Program from simple to compound and adopting a prime plus 2% rate for loans. Prime rate as of Feb 17 is 4.45% so with the above would mean a 6.45% interest rate.
- As of this time last year, BC residents deferred $2.33b in property taxes (2024/25) vs. $2.13b a year earlier 
- CBC coverage (Feb 17) + web article on the changes, March 2026 + Global News (April 2) 

​- Press release from Office of the BC Seniors' Advocate (May 5, 2026) 
<clip> "The Ministry of Finance data shows that under the new program terms, a senior homeowner deferring the median tax amount of $3,800 every year for 10 years will pay just over $17,000 in interest costs. Under the previous program terms, a senior deferring the median tax amount annually for 10 years would pay just over $5,000 in interest costs.

These estimates assume a prime rate of 4.45% and consistent annual deferrals. However, it is likely both the rate and tax amount deferred will change over time. Approximately 80% of seniors who defer their taxes repay the loan within about 10 years, typically when they sell their home.
​
“Despite tax deferment costing $1,200 more per year on average with the government’s recent changes, the loan is not due until the home sells which is a huge advantage over other lending programs,” said Levitt. “There has been a lot of inaccurate information shared about the financial impact of government’s changes, however, the program still provides significant support for seniors needing extra money to pay bills each month or cover an unforeseen expense.”

March 31 Update 
- We meet tomorrow to debate tax increases at 8, 10 and 12% levels in 2026

- Pocketbook context: A 1% tax increase equals an extra $20.04 per annum on an average assessed Sooke house (i.e., $786k as of the latest July 1, 2025 determination of BC Assessment). At 12% this would be $240.48. Since 2012, Sooke taxes have risen 61% at a cost of approximately $1,200 to this average-assessed homeowner. 

- Between the previous post and now, we have had two more rounds of budget talks based on updated staff reports ~ March 23 (agenda) and March 16 (agenda). 

- A motion to approve the budget at the 12% rate failed in a three-three tie vote on March 23. Yes: Bateman, Beddows, St-Pierre. No: Haldane, McMath, Pearson. All of us are homeowners and taxpayers ourselves, but we clearly have a split view on how to move forward in this election year. 

- The later three focused on the need for significant cuts to address the affordability crisis faced by some unknown but significant percentage of homeowners in our community. They logically ask: Has the District looked at every possible belt-tightening measure? Tough times undoubtedly call for austerity budgets. These questions have been asked at earlier budget meetings that were missed by Pearson (on holiday) and McMath (at work). 

- We three in favour recognize from personal experience that money is tighter than ever and that increases hurt but we are willing to absorb the political heat from some vocal quarters to ensure services and infrastructure are properly funded. We acknowledge that the top-end of the potential hike this year was an untenable 18% and staff have reigned it in substantially.

- We also recognize that this council committed to 24/7 union police and fire coverage in 2023, then okayed Sooke's first-ever asset management levy a year later. These increases are the price for adequate (not deluxe) community safety and functionality. Reaching these goals require hikes here in one of the lowest taxed communities of our general size in the province. (And no, to repeat, the comparison charts we're shown are not apples-to-apples given differing services operated by each municipality, but there's no question we have got maximum bang for our relatively limited bucks since incorporation.) 

- Haldane's follow-up motion called for a new staff report to provide options for 6%, 8% and 10% increases this year. McMath seconded this motion, but immediately amended it to eliminate the 6% on the grounds that it was mission impossible given non-discretionary items within the budget. I pointed out that these unavoidable  costs (two-thirds of them rooted in union contract increases) total over 10% alone when administrative and police numbers are added up.

- The motion passed 4-2 (Haldane, Pearson, McMath and myself in favour vs. Beddows and St-Pierre opposed.) I voted 'yes' to avoid further tie votes and to move the process forward to tomorrow's meeting, where a full council (now that Mayor Tait is home from her visit to our sister city in Japan) will be able to weigh in. 

- To make meaningful cuts to the 12% increase, we would need to consider axing the following as per the chart at the top of this page:
 
i) Up to half of the 2% to be dedicated to the Asset Management Reserve Fund first established in the 2024 budget.  Full details on the fund in the Dec. 11, 2023 Council agenda  (pp. 49-182). In brief, asset management ensures the DOS can maintain roads, drainage and other infrastructure, especially our failing stormwater systems, culverts and potholed patches on municipal roads. BC local governments have been playing catch-up by creating and building these reserves over the last decade, and the entirely common-sense consensus is that they're essential. Critical, in fact, when unforeseen and unbudgeted emergencies occur on (to cite this year's examples so far) Blythwood (sloughing of the roadside bank following heavy rainfall), Dufour Road (sinkhole) and the corner of Brownsey and Goodmere (sinkhole).  
 
ii) One or two of the three requested Sooke RCMP officers that Staff Sgt. Willcocks has persuasively argued are required this year in addition to more to follow over the length of the five-year plan. The cuts, should we go to 10% or lower, would include the hybrid Community Police Officer/School Police Liaison Officer strongly supported by the Sooke Chamber of Commerce and the principals at EMCS and Journey Middle School. 

iii) The Sooke Community Association's ask for an annual $70k to support its operation of Fred Milne Park and Art Morris Park (atop the $35k already provided in the Community Hall service agreement). The SCA made a strong pitch at the Jan. 17 meeting by noting that municipalities typically fund and staff their own recreational facilities as per multi-million examples from Langford, Colwood, Metchosin and View Royal. The new funds would support "base operations, facility maintenance, safety and capital readiness ... the partnership would allow us to leverage District support to access external grants for major upgrades - the community hall, turf improvements and field lighting." 

The agenda for the special council meeting tomorrow (April 1, 4 PM) ...
asks that council select between and/or modify options at the 8%, 10% or 12% levels. 

<clips from the agenda>

Financial Context
- 1% taxation = $144,488  (a comparable 1% in Central Saanich, to cite one example, raises $230k approx.) 
- Each 1% of taxation represents approximately $1.67 per month for the average assessed household. ($20.04 per year)
- 10% scenario requires $288,976 in reductions (from 12%)
- 8% scenario requires $577,952 in reductions (from 12%)

Since 2012, taxes in Sooke have risen 61% ...
approx. $1,200 in total for the average assessed residential property owner.  
2012-2025 ~ 61.0% 
2019-2025 ~ 49.39% 

Each scenario includes measures that defer expenses to future years, particularly where partial-year staffing costs in 2026 will require full-year funding in 2027. 

Breakdown of the potential 12% increase ... 
- Police = 35% of total increase 
- Fire = 21% 
- Asset Management = 17%
- Municipal Services = 24% 

​Lower taxation scenarios require trade-offs, most notably reduced investment in infrastructure, particularly the asset management program. The scenarios provide a range of options:

- 12% maintains service levels and aligns with community priorities
- 10% maintains core services with moderate long-term impact through reduced investment in infrastructure 
- 8% introduces significant service and infrastructure risk
 
8% Scenario – Key Consideration
"The 8% scenario reflects significant service reductions, including a reduction from three additional police officers to one, impacts to parks and trails and community services, and increased long-term financial risk due to reduced investment in the asset management program. Council is asked to consider whether this reduction is worth the increased infrastructure risk or additional service impacts. Staff do not recommend reducing investment in the asset management program to zero given current infrastructure conditions and associated risks." 

Working five-year projections in the draft 2026-30 plan ... 
I asked specifically at the Feb. 17 meeting that the five-year projections be as accurate as possible based on the "known knowns" of what lies ahead (i.e., additional hires requested by police, fire and municipal hall) while always open to the fact that there will be unknown costs driven by realities on the ground and the decisions of future councils.

Finance Director Liu delivered the following. 

2027 - 13.46% 
2028 - 15.55% (pending borrowing for the Throup connector) 
2029 - 8.10% (pending borrowing for the Throup connector) 
2030 - 4.17%
41.28% additional total

2027 - 13.46%
- Police = 35%
- Fire = 21%
- Debt = 8%
- Asset Management = 15% 
- Municipal Services = 21% 

2028 - 15.55%
- Police = 34%
- Fire = 8%
- Debt = 34%
- Asset Management = 13%
- Municipal Services = 11%

2029 - 8.10%
- Police = 7%
- Fire = 14%
- Debt = 43%
- Asset Management = 25% 
- Municipal Services = 11% 

2030 - 4.17%
- Police = 13%
- Fire = 26% 
- Debt = -13%
- Asset Management = 48%
- Municipal Services = 26%

The plan focuses primarily on new hires to enable full-scale transition to 24/7 police and fire coverage. The wild card unknowns in these increases relate to whether the District will proceed with work on the Throup Road connector should this be determined through a referendum vote.

District staffing increases will be minimal over the five years if not quite a bona fide hiring freeze. There will be an emphasis on the use of technology (read: AI) to aid and abet the work of existing municipal employees. 


District of Sooke Current Staffing 
- 70 permanent full-time employees
- 35 auxiliary, part-time and paid-on-call employees 
- Fire: 15 IAFF firefighters + 24 paid-on-call 
- Sooke RCMP: 14 officers 

District staff count in 2019: 39 full-time employees
(at a time when there were half-a-dozen or so existing staff vacancies, including permanent CAO) 

Then and Now Budget Comparisons
* Fire (2016) - $1.2m 
* Fire (2026) - $3.6m  

* Police (2016) - $1.7m 
* Police (2026) - $3.99m 

* General Government Services (2016) - $3.7m 
* General Government Services (2026) - $6.1m 


Other Municipal Comparisons 

* Esquimalt - 2026 budget overview + initial proposed 13% reduced below 12% in February. In 2024, the City brought its increase below 10% by cutting its infrastructure reserve fund contribution in half. <clip> "Since 2024, staff have warned council that it will have to raise property taxes if it wants to keep up the quality of roads and pipes, saying issues such as flooded homes during heavy rainfall will become more common if the municipality’s approach to infrastructure is kept at the status quo." 

* Sidney - 9.37% increase approved on March 18. ( <clip> "$176 more for the average residential property for the year. Previous tax increases were among the lowest in the region because they were supported in part by reserve funds, which now need to be replenished, the town said. RCMP and fire improvements represent a 5.4 per cent increase, more than half of this year’s increase, while police dispatch costs are equivalent to a 2.6 per cent increase.)

* Saanich - 5.35% for 2026 ... Saanich budget home page. Saanich raised its taxes by 8.02% in 2025. This added $280 to the average-assessed residential tax bill last year. 

* Central Saanich - 7.3% tax increase under consideration (Times Colonist). This amounts to a $205 increase for average  assessed residential property. 

* Duncan - proposed 8.73% increase in 2026 

* North Cowichan finalizes this year's tax increase at 8.42% (March 30 ~ "The municipality faced a number of uncontrollable costs in 2026, including inflation, a $1.6-million increase in staff wages, a $1.2-million increase in long-term debt, a $575,000 increase to the RCMP contract, an increase of $205,000 for E-Comm services, and $131,000 for the municipal elections in October.  But, during the budget-building process, North Cowichan’s senior staff repeatedly warned council and the public about the risks of not sufficiently financing the municipality’s operations." 

Related
* "Thinking of Moving To A More 'Affordable' Part of the Country? Consider This" (CBC News, March 17, 2026) 

* Tracking BC's Interprovincial Migration (BC Examiner, March 2026) <clip> "British Columbia has gone from attracting nearly 20,000 net interprovincial migrants per year between 2014 and 2022 to an average of barely 500 per year for the past three years. Interprovincial migration is no longer making a measurable contribution to population growth in this province ... For a province that has long relied on in-migration to support population as well as economic growth, this marks a meaningful shift – one that may persist if relative economic and labour market conditions do not improve." 

* British Columbians Want A Future Worth Staying For (Business Council of British Columbia) + Aug. 2025 report 

* "There Is Only One Escape from the Affordability Crisis" (Globe and Mail, Feb. 28, 2026)
<clip> "As it stands, every barometer of the Canadian consumer base shows sentiment in the dumps, comparable with past recessions. The strain of high costs courses through all facets of daily life, with two-thirds of Canadians saying today’s cost of living is the worst they can ever remember it being, according to a recent Abacus Data survey.Yes, inflation has been subdued. The numbers aren’t fake. But that does nothing to cushion the blow from what was the worst inflationary episode since the 1980s.
When inflation spiralled out of control in 2021, prices permanently levelled up in a way that Canadians are still trying to wrap their heads – and their budgets – around, especially when it comes to essentials.
Compared to a decade ago, food, gas and shelter costs have each jumped by roughly 40 per cent – nearly double the rise in overall prices that a 2-per-cent annual inflation rate would have delivered over that time." 



Update Feb. 18: Post-COW 
* Council (Beddows, Haldane, Tait and myself) sitting as the COW this afternoon voted in favour of asking staff to "provide additional reporting on an updated 2026-2030 Financial Plan based on a maximum annual tax increase of 12% including associated service-level impacts and reserve implications."

* Policing discussion focused (at Mayor Tait's suggestion) on adding a third RCMP officer to this year's budget so as to serve as a Community Police Officer with a particular focus as Sooke's first dedicated School Police Liaison Officer. (District of Mission SPLO example.) The requested office manager would be deferred to a future year. 

* This potential hire shapes up as a significant act of "upstream intervention." The SPLO officer would work in concert with SD #62 at all Sooke-area schools, delivering straight talk and sound advice about drugs, gangs and sexual exploitation, facilitating restorative justice interventions, and generally ensuring students steer well clear of the youth justice system. (See the Victoria Family Court & Youth Justice Committee SPLO backgrounder on the high-profile debate/controversy in recent years at the Victoria School District. SD #62 schools in the west shore have a SPLO program through West Shore RCMP. Modified Sooke school engagement of this general kind ended some years back when Constable Sam Haldane moved to a new position.)

* The community policing part of the job is timely given the rising fears around safety in the town centre following a string of arson incidents and the results of the Chamber of Commerce Business Walk survey that captured up-Sooke business concerns related to theft, vandalism and homelessness. The TBA officer (budget approval pending) would be the "face of Sooke RCMP," said Staff Sgt. Willcocks. She/he would be a visible presence around town and would liaise on community safety initiatives, including with the business community. 


Original Post: Starting Points 
- Budget Deliberations Start on Feb. 17 (press release)
- Let's Talk Budget 2026 (DOS microsite)
- Budget and Finance - District website home page 
- Five-Year Financial Plan, 2025-2029 (adopted: April 7, 2025) 
- Five-Year Financial Plan 2024-2028 (adopted in April, 2024)

Committee of the Whole - Feb. 17, 2026
We now enter the phase in the annual budget cycle when things get, as they say, real. Crunch time, and nobody is likely to be happy (to quote BC Finance Minister Brenda Bailey regarding the province's own budget to be delivered tomorrow.)   

Brace yourself, Sooke: You'll again be paying more in this year's needs-not-wants budget as the District continues to strive to make up lost time (and tax dollars) by addressing essential municipal responsibilities - fire, police, asset management and union contract increases.  There is arguably again zero fluff in this budget -- at least not if you recognize support for non-profit organizations through Sooke's Community Investment Program as a must, not a nice-to-have. 

The key points in tomorrow's agenda: 

- District staff will present potential tax increases ranging from 10.23% to 18.51% this year

- This hike will be subject to council decisions regarding discretionary and new-funding budget asks  

- Average household increases will range from $182 to $330 per year ($15 to $28 per month) pending the final determined % increase. 

- In 2026, a 1% tax increase = $144,488 in additional municipal revenue. In comparison, other municipalities gather considerably more from a +1% hike, i.e. Saanich ($1.75m), Langford ($450k), Colwood ($212k). 


Catching Up: Critical Context 
In 2025, Sooke yet again ranked as the third lowest among 26 local governments on Vancouver Island in residential property taxes collected for municipal services -- $2,022 on the average assessed residence. (These are not apple-to-apple comparisons, it is routinely noted; some munis provide garbage pick-up, others (like Sooke) do not; however we're told, in the balance and given discrepancies, we have enjoyed bargain tax rates for many years well below the norm.) 

If we opted for the maximum $330 (which I'm confident we will not), we'd still be among the lowest 10 communities on the island given increases by those immediately ahead of us on last year's chart.  Oak Bay ($6,139), Victoria ($4,065) and Saanich ($4,002) lead the CRD in general municipal tax. We're in the ballpark with North Saanich ($2,059), Metchosin ($2,122) and Sidney ($2,444). 

The VI average is approx. $2,500 per average household. We slipped behind our own growth curve in 2012-16 back when Sooke RCMP first began calling for more officers. Despite bold tax increases since 2017 (60.22% total) following five years of no or ultra-low hikes, we continue to need additional funds in the areas of police, fire and asset management in particular. 

Staff recommendation that the Future Policing Cost Reserves fund be left untouched ($433,597 as of Dec. 31, 2025). This will ensure available funding for any potential cases involving the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit and is a starter on funding for the one-day need for a new RCMP/emergency services building. 


2026 General Fund Operating Costs 
- General Government - $5,011,303 (26%)
- Planning, Development & Building Services - $1,537,234 (8%)
- Operations - $3,715,339 (19%)
- Police - $5,237,952 (27%)
- Fire & Emergency - $3,753,895 (20%)
TOTAL: $19,255,733 

Budget Components 
Municipal Services (excluding RCMP)
 7.59% is non-discretionary 
- 5.51% - labour cost increases (CUPE 374 Sooke and IAFF Local 4841) 
- 0.45% - debt servicing 
- 0.01% - election costs 
- 0.24% - contractor and maintenance 
- 0.49% - IT software and licensing 
- 0.14% - insurance and banking fees
- 0.16% - BC Hydro rate increase
- 0.10% - materials and equipment
- 0.03% - fuel 

 2.0% - Asset Management Reserve Fund increase is discretionary
 
2.71% is discretionary 
- 0.46% - Firefighter #14 
- 0.31% - Parks Auxiliary labourers 
- 0.26% - Geographic Information Services co-op student 
- 0.55% - Community Service Agreement increases (SCA) 
- 0.42% - Zoning & Building Bylaw consultancy 
- 0.35% - Rainwater infrastructure maintenance
- 0.10% - Streetlight contract maintenance
- 0.10% - Parks vehicle & small-machine maintenance
- 0.07% - Connector road engagement for referendum 
- 0.06% - Tree maintenance 
 
0.22%+ in new funding requests 
- TBD – Deputy Mayor’s pay 
- 0.21% - Foundry BC contribution
- 0.1% - The Village Initiative coordinator contribution (shared with West Shore communities & SD #62) 
 

Sooke RCMP 
 2.64% is non-discretionary 
- $198,855 to cover latest RCMP union contract increases for 14 budgeted RCMP members
- $42k to cover pay and benefits for three public-service employees 
- $430k for a full year of E-Comm 9-1-1 service 
 
3.69% is discretionary 
- $532,452 for two more RCMP officers 
 
1.57% in new funding requests 
- $130k – new office manager position 
- $97,500k – new GIS Disclosure Clerk (to handle heavy paperwork now managed by officers) 
 
Total request: 7.90% 
- $1.14m = $141 per household per year 

"Policing is the largest single service within the District’s operating budget. RCMP contract costs, staffing levels, equipment requirements, and provincial standards strongly influence overall municipal expenditures and property tax scenarios." - DOS

Budget Next Steps 
As we have in years past, council will likely ask the District's finance team to chop what and where it can even given all the preparation and preamble that has led us to this place.  [The District's budget survey was completed last fall. The service review presentations by all District departments, Sooke RCMP, Sooke Fire Service and service-agreement participants ended last month. And now, in the agenda for this meeting, council and the public are seeing the first projected tax increases for 2026. 

Ahead of us at near-term council meetings prior to the Province's May 15 deadline applicable to all local governments:  i) First, second and third reading of the budget; ii) the annual Community Budget Open House; and iii) budget adoption.

The Province is introducing an austerity budget tomorrow. Ideally, we should as well, however the needs of Sooke Fire and Sooke RCMP are critical to community safety as this council has strongly recognized at budget time since 2023.  
 

Backgrounder 
Who Gets What: Sooke Property Tax Bill 
District of Sooke - 45.4%
Provincial School Tax - 26.2%
Capital Regional District - 15.3%
BC Transit - 5.9%
VIRL - 3.7%
Hospital District - 2.7%
Municial Finance Authority - 0.8%


Sooke Budget 2026 Citizen Survey 
​- Budget 2026: What We Heard Report (public survey in summer 2025) + presentation 

- Fire Rescue Services: Transition to 24/7 staffing model — now 92.7% satisfaction, highest of all service areas
- Policing: Enhanced local presence and coverage — satisfaction at 80.5%
​- Bylaw Services: Expanded team from 2 to 3 officers, improving reliability and weekend coverage

"The District recognizes that the recent rate of property tax increases is not sustainable over the long term. This year’s survey asked residents to share perspectives on revenue diversification — how the District can reduce reliance on residential taxes ...  Strong support for:

• Shared revenues with other levels of government (e.g., cannabis and cell service taxes)
• Attracting new businesses to expand the commercial tax base
• Hosting community events to generate local revenue

"Balancing Affordability and Service Delivery
- Residents recognize the need for fiscal responsibility but do not support reducing service levels
- 40% of respondents said they trust the District to find effective, responsible ways to manage trade-offs

Community priorities:
• Expand staff cross-training to improve flexibility
• Share services with neighbouring governments and nonprofits
• Use technology and automation to improve efficiency

Residents emphasized that cost-saving measures should:
• Maintain service quality and responsiveness
• Avoid over-stretching staff or reducing community access

Frequently Asked Questions page from Let's Talk, Budget 
Example: Can’t we just cut costs to keep taxes low?  "It’s a fair question - and one we hear often. The District is always looking for ways to be more efficient. We’ve already made improvements, like offering more digital services, streamlining internal processes, and working with partners to share costs where we can. But the reality is, most of the budget goes toward people and infrastructure—the staff who provide services and the facilities, roads, and systems we all rely on.

• Wages make up the largest part of the operating budget. These are based on union agreements and reflect the cost of hiring qualified staff to do important work.
• Emergency services depend on having enough trained responders available when residents need them.
• Parks, trails, and roads need regular maintenance to stay safe and prevent bigger, more expensive problems later on.

Cutting too deeply in these areas doesn’t just mean fewer services. It can lead to:

• Slower emergency response times
• Delayed repairs that cost more to fix later
• Less safety and cleanliness in public spaces
• Higher staff turnover and burnout, which brings extra costs for recruiting and training new employees

"The tax increases since 2012 average to 4.3% -- highlighting that increases in 2025 (15.29%) and 2024 are not typical. Stabilizing tax increases and diversifying funding sources is a priority."

Taxation in Sooke since 2012 
Municipal tax hikes since 2012 total 61% ... nonetheless, to dive into the stats cited above, Sooke has the third lowest residential taxes on Vancouver Island. Sooke at $1,758 in municipal residential property taxes (for the average assessed property) is second only to Lake Cowichan ($1,593) and Lantzville ($1,744) 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 $2,524 (i.e., what folks in Port Alberni, Colwood, Central Saanich and Qualicum Beach approximately pay). Oak Bay tops the list at $4,976 per tweed-curtain household. Not that this alone justifies major local increases, of course. 

2025 - 15.29%
2024 ~ 10.53% (introduction of asset management reserve fund)
2023 ~ 6.99%   (launch of first phase of 24/7 RCMP and Fire service) 

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%
 
2019-2025 ~ 49.39% 
2012-2025 ~ 61.0% 
 
Working five-year projections in the 2025-2029 plan 
2026 – 9.70%
2027 – 7.71% 
2028 – 10.72% 
2029 – 7.34% 
35.47% total 


Working five-year protections in the draft 2026-30 plan ... 
2027 - 13.46%
2028 - 15.55% (pending borrowing for the Throup connector) 
2029 - 8.10% (pending borrowing for the Throup connector) 
2030 - 4.17%
41.28% additional total 

 
Optional: Property Tax Deferment Program 
BC Tax Deferment Program
- Regular program (for people who are 55 or older, are a surviving spouse or a person with disabilities), or
- Families with children program (homeowners with children under age 18) 
- Eligibility requirements 

- Changes introduced in Feb. 2026 BC Budget
i) Changing the interest rate structure for the Property Tax Deferment Program from simple to compound and adopting a prime plus 2% rate for loans. Prime rate as of Feb 17 is 4.45% so with the above would mean a 6.45% interest rate.
 - As of this time last year, BC residents deferred $2.33b in property taxes (2024/25) vs. $2.13b a year earlier 

​- CBC coverage (Feb 17) + Blog article on the changes, March 2026 + Global News (April 2) 


Policing Services - Sooke RCMP 
See Committee of the Whole agenda, Jan. 19, 2026 for the power point presentation
delivered by Staff Sgt. Greg Willcocks 

Municipal Requirements under the BC Police Act 
15   (1) Subject to this section, a municipality with a population of more than 5 000 persons must bear the expenses necessary to generally maintain law and order in the municipality and must provide, in accordance with this Act, the regulations and the director's standards,
(a) policing and law enforcement in the municipality with a police service referred to in section 3 (2) [responsibilities of Provincial and municipal governments for providing policing and law enforcement services] of sufficient numbers (i) to adequately enforce municipal bylaws, the criminal law and the laws of British Columbia, and (ii) to maintain law and order in the municipality,
(b) adequate accommodation, equipment and supplies for (i) the operations of and use by the police service required under paragraph (a), and (ii) the detention of persons required to be held in police custody other than on behalf of the government, and
(c) the care and custody of persons held in a place of detention required under paragraph (b) (ii).
(1.1) The duties of a municipality under subsection (1) of this section include the duty set out in section 4.03 to use and pay for specialized services provided by a specialized service provider.
(2) If, due to special circumstances or abnormal conditions in a municipality, the minister believes it is unreasonable to require a municipality to provide policing or law enforcement under subsection (1), the minister may provide policing or law enforcement in the municipality, subject to the terms the Lieutenant Governor in Council approves.
The Province can step in and order municipalities to ensure sufficient policing budgets (2022 Esquimalt example) 


Current Staffing 
- 14 municipal officers (budgeted strength)
- 10.92 Full-Time Equivalent employees as of Dec. 31, 2025 (due to extended leave, sick leave, etc.) 
- 18 authorized positions*
-  6 provincial officers (to cover regional responsibilities as far west as Port Renfrew)

- Sooke RCMP is undertaking a Core Policing Service Review. 
- Police Resources in BC (2024) 
 
* Definition: "Authorized strength represents the maximum number of positions that the detachment or department has been authorized to fill as of December 31 of each calendar year. The authorized strength for both municipal police units (RCMP) and municipal police department jurisdictions represents the number of sworn officers/members and sworn civilian officers/members assigned to a detachment or department, but does not include non-sworn civilian support staff, bylaw enforcement officers, the RCMP Auxiliary program or municipal police department reserve police officers." 

Trends in Sooke Municipal RCMP Budget 
- $1.2m in 2010 (70% cost share with the Province as per the BC Police Act based on a community's population size) 
- $2m in 2017
- $3.02m in 2023 (90% cost share as population exceeds 15k) 
- $3.99m in 2025 (includes $684k increase last year) 
- $6.2m projected in 2029 according to the current Five-Year Financial Plan 

Approx. 400% increase since 2015

2025 expenditures included ... 
- New vehicles - $202k
- Radio communications systems - $22k 
- Computer equipment - $60k 
- Office workstation upgrades - $50k 

2026 Budget Ask
-- Increase budgeted officers from 14 to 16 officers.
* This will budget for the GIS position and one front line general duty position (2025).
* Increase authorized officers from 18 to 20 officers.
* Both these officers will be front line policing (one being a supervisor).

- Authorize the creation of a detachment municipal manager.
- Authorize the creation of GIS disclosure clerk.
* This is the minimum amount necessary to prevent service reductions in 2026.

Sooke RCMP COW Report 
(see agenda, pp. 7-53)
* "The budget plan addresses the two primary directions from the residents of Sooke which are: maintain strong public safety by strengthening police while balancing costs.
* Creates a safer environment for the officers with better access to backup so they can better manage call volume and high-risk situations. Also supports member wellness.
* Allows the detachment to better respond to critical incidents in Sooke.
* Allow the detachment to continue to address the growing rate of serious crime and overall calls for service with an emphasis on front line policing (boots on the ground).
* Significantly reduces risk of being over budget in 2026 (reduction of 1 million dollar gap).
* Provides critical administrative support for the officers and allows for the detachment to remain open.

* The detachment will continue to focus on maintaining safe roads while increasing our presence on the roads and coming back to a focus on impaired driving, speeding, and school zone enforcement." 

Rationales 
- Policing staff in Sooke has increased 27% since 2010 vs. population increase of 62% (11 officers then, 14 now) 
- Detachment switched to 24/7 policing due to increase in provincial officers 
- Struggling to maintain basic services due to population increase and accelerated service calls  
- Cop to Pop ratio is "dangerous for the public and the RCMP officers who serve here." 
- "There is a narrow window to avoid service cuts in 2026 with the proposed budget plan." 
- "Overtime will continue to be high to maintain minimum levels" 
- "Without action, we would be putting additional pressure on future councils and budgetary years to close the gap." 

Sooke – 2025 Cop/Pop Ratio
- 1:1,250 ... one officer per 1,250 residents, second highest ratio in BC
- Victoria ~ 1:472
- Langford ~ 1:788
- Colwood ~ 1:939
- North Saanich ~ 1:1103

- Without new hires, Sooke will be 1:1,484 in 2030
- Cost per capita for Sooke taxpayers is $203 per year 
- Central Saanich with similar population has 23 officers at $284 per capita 

Call for Service Trend 
- up 23% from 2023 and 14% from 2024
- Sooke RCMP on pace for approx. 6,686 calls this year (5,288 or 79%) in Sooke
- Sooke has the fourth highest call volume in the CRD in 2025 and the largest increase in calls for service 
 
Crime Severity Index 
- The Crime Severity Index (CSI) is a measurement used by Statistics Canada to track changes in the level of severity of police-reported crime. In B.C., recent data from 2026 shows a significant 11% drop in the province's CSI for 2024, the largest decrease in the country. 
- CSI index in Sooke = 79.5 (up 44% since 2020) 
- BC average is 92.98
- CSI rises when major criminal activity is apprehended; the District established a General Investigative Services (GIS) unit in 2024 that has cracked major cases, hence increasing our indexed number. 
- In smaller municipalities a few serious incidents can dramatically inflate CSI as the index is scaled by population 
- The CSI does not include calls for non-criminal matters (mental health, traffic, missing persons)
​- An increase in the CSI may actually reflect better policing or improved reporting methods (such as new online tools) rather than more actual crime.

Budget 2026 Community Survey 
- " Support for RCMP: 63% of respondents indicated they somewhat or strongly support increased investment, with 42% strongly supportive before a tax value was applied.

Fire Rescue Services Plan 
"The Fire Master Plan recommends adding two full-time firefighters per year over the next three years to improve response times and maintain safety standards. Support: 65% of respondents indicated they somewhat or strongly support this investment, with 31% strongly supportive." 


Issue: Organized Crime in Sooke 
- Organized drug trafficking and weapons 
- Sexual exploitation investigation 
- Youth assault 
- add media clips 

​Issue: Proactive vs. Reactive Policing
Because of funding shortfalls and recruitment issues, some BC municipalities have been forced to shift from proactive to reactive policing services … Prince George, Cranbrook, Terrace are three examples.  There is currently a 20% RCMP staffing vacancy rate across BC. 

Calls that are impacted under reactive policing model 
- Property crimes (minor) 
- Non-emergency traffic issues 
- Proactive patrols – foot and bike patrols that deter crime and social issues 
- Wellness checks 
- Administrative and low-priority disturbances 
 
Community Impacts 
- increased dispatch wait times
- erosion of public trust 
- burnout and safety risks to officers
- delayed investigations 
- resource strains on small municipalities 
 
Dangers of the reactive model 
 - property crime becomes normalized 
- small stuff escalates
- upstream intervention and determent 
- trust goes down when you call emergency lines and nobody shows up 

Triage and Prioritization of Calls
- While the RCMP processes all calls for service, officers do not necessarily respond in person to every call they receive. The RCMP uses a triaging system, similar to a hospital emergency room, to prioritize urgent incidents over non-urgent matters to ensure resources are used effectively. 

 
Possible Community Initiatives 
- Canadian Citizens On Patrol Program
- Block Watch Society of BC + BC RCMP affiliation 
- Business Improvement Associations – hiring of private security 
- Advocacy for integrated units: Peer Assisted Care Teams (PACT),  Mobile Integrated Crisis Response (IMCRT) 
- RCMP Online Crime Reporting Tool 
- Restorative justice engagements (West Shore RCMP example) 
- Advocate for regional policing models 

Option: Community Safety Officers (Tier 2) 
- One way to somewhat affordably ease the load on the Sooke RCMP team
- Enabled in 2024 amendments to the BC Police Act (see UBCM release) 
- A new class of peace officers to work in conjunction with police 
- Salary: $70k (Saanich) … less than half the price of an RCMP officer (now factored all-in at $260k) 
​- Examples: Langford, Saanich and Delta 
- Cannot issue speeding tickets 
- Cannot conduct field sobriety tests 
- CSOs free up RCMP time from everyday tasks so that RCMP officers can focus on higher-risk work 

Potential CSO duties:
1. Community patrols – visible foot, bike and vehicle patrols 
2. Administrative support – document service, front-desk inquiries and taking reports for minor incidents
3. Operational support – crime scenes, traffic patrol, detention guard duties
4. Focused engagement in schools, care facilities and transit hubs 
5. Limited peace officer powers: lower-risk functions 
6. Sooke Shelter and Drennan St. calls 
7. EMCS School Police Liaison Officer role 
8. Administrative and other support requested by Sooke RCMP 

Additional RCMP Cost Pressures 
* "Local Governments Advised to Prepare for RCMP Collective Bargaining Settlement" - UBCM, Feb. 4, 2026 
<clip> "The second RCMP Collective Agreement, which included a 4% annual salary increase for two years, expired on March 31, 2025. Based on the timelines outlined in the second Collective Agreement, the National Police Federation could submit a notice to bargain as early as December 2024, which it did. Bargaining has picked up since the April 2025 federal election, but an agreement has not yet been reached.

Local governments continue to emphasize the importance of cost containment, given the rising cost of RCMP policing. The 2024 Police Resources in British Columbia publication notes that BC local governments over 5,000 in population spent $855.5 million on RCMP policing in 2024. This represents an increase of approximately 10% ($76.4 million) compared to the previous year. This amount does not include costs incurred as part of the Surrey Police Model Transition or by local governments under 5,000 in population, who contribute through the Police Tax.

Although the federal government has been unwilling to meet directly with UBCM and the BC Local Government RCMP Contract Management Committee, the cost concerns expressed by local governments, including members of the CMC, have been acknowledged." 

Archive of my earlier budget posts 
- Budget 2025
- Budget 2024
- Budget 2023 
​- Budget 2022
- 2020/21
- CRD (2019)
- Budget 2019

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 five). 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 on first learning about neuroplasticity.) Dive in if and as you wish.  

PS Please note the unfortunate fact that many links in older posts are now dead given new website launches in 2025 by the District of Sooke and the CRD as well as ongoing website updates/deletions at other levels of government. I will endeavour to revise them if and as possible when I find time in future. 

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

* First Nations Relations (March 11, 2026)
​* BC Legislation and Report Tracker 2025/26 (March 3, 2026) 
* Rx for Ever-Improving Sooke Health Care (Feb. 23, 2026) 
​* Budget 2026 (Feb. 16, 2026) 
* Ayre Manor (Feb. 15, 2026) 
* Community Wellbeing ~ Sooke Arts (Feb. 3, 2026) 
* Update: Economic Development & Land Use Committee (Jan. 27, 2026) 

* Adoption Paperwork - Sooke's New OCP (Dec. 11, 2025)
* Simon Fraser University: "Renovate The Public Hearing" (Dec. 4, 2025)  
* Update: Community Economic Development & Land Use Committees (Nov. 29, 2025) 
* Three-Year Review: 2022-2025 (Nov. 11, 2025)
​* Calling 911 On (Seeming) Provincial Downloads (Nov. 9, 2025)
* OCP - Picture Sooke: The Final (?) Frame (Oct. 27, 2025)  
* Sooke School District #62 Update (Oct. 25, 2025)
* Supporting #Sooke Community Organizations (Oct. 19, 2025)
* Union of BC Municipalities 2025 Convention Prep and Follow-Up (Sept. 20, 2025) 
​* #Sooke Gathering Places and Spaces (Sept. 19, 2025) 
* AVICC Convention 2025 (April 10, 2025) 
* Arts File - CRD, West Shore, Sooke (March 20, 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)
* Capital Regional District 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) 
​

T'Sou-ke Nation
* New website launched June, 2025
* T'Sou-ke First Nation Newsletter, March 2026 
* New Comprehensive Community Plan (CCP) nearing completion + Indigenous Service Canada CCP guidelines 

* Opening of Community Complex & Health Centre (Sept. 16, 2025) 
* T'Sou-ke Elects Larry Underwood As New Chief (Sooke News Mirror, Feb. 16, 2024) 
​
- Indigenous Relations & Northern Affairs Canada - T'Sou-ke home page 
- BC Assembly of First Nations - T'Sou-ke home page 
​* Registered Population (368) + Census Data 2021 
​* Audited Financial Statement, March 2025
* Governance 
- T'Sou-ke First Nation Land Code (2006) 

Te'mewx Treaty  
- Currently in stage five of six. Process began in 1995 and has followed the BC Treaty Commission negotiation schedule. The sixth stage (implementation) will deliver modern treaties to each of the five Te'mewx member nations.

* Te'mexw Treaty Association (TTA) home page + this 2022 video featuring T'Sou-ke Councillor Rose Dumont, celebrating the collaborative work of bringing "power and independence" to the five nations through modern treaties. 

* This follows the 2023/24 public engagement period and its resultant report, which includes the proposed treaty land map on page 15. The new treaties with the five nations will co-exist with the Douglas Treaties so as to maintain fishing and hunting rights. Summary from the Province here. 

* T'Sou-ke proposed treaty lands are parcels at Sooke Mountain Provincial Park and Broom Hill crown lands along with small tracts in Otter Point and at French Beach. No privately held or District-owned land in Sooke is involved. 
 
* Sooke Mountain Park ~ "Sooke Mountain Provincial Park is being considered to become public Treaty Lands as part of the T’Sou-ke Treaty, subject to successful conclusion of the treaty negotiations, and ratification by all parties. Te'mexw Treaty Association and B.C. have a shared interest in maintaining public access and continued recreational opportunities to the park, while protecting the ecological and conservation values. These interests will be detailed in the treaties’ terms and conditions."

 
SKA'PEȽ I'SOT ALEṈ T'Sou-ke Community Complex and Health Centre
- T'Sou-ke Nation announcement upon centre's Sept. 15, 2025 opening. <clip> "The CCHC serves as a cornerstone for community life with a spacious hall for large gatherings and community events, a fully equipped kitchen for providing meals and training opportunities, and several meeting and community rooms to conduct business and host community activities. The building is home to the Nation’s administration, children and families, health, and lands and environment departments. A key highlight of the CCHC features brand new doctors’ offices and laboratory and medical equipment required to provide holistic health services to T’Sou-ke community members. It provides a well-equipped space to deliver programs to address the physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental health needs of the community ... The Community Complex and Health Centre stands as a powerful testament to the T’Sou-ke Nation’s strength, resilience, and vision. It will serve not only as a place for governance and health, but also as a vibrant heart of culture, learning, and connection for generations to come." 

- News Mirror coverage of opening
​- T'Sou-ke website health centre page 
- "$14m T'Sou-ke Nation Centre Takes Inspiration From Sooke River" 
- Health Services website home page 


Truth and Reconciliation: Calls For Action 
* TRC Calls to Action (94 actions) 
* Indigenous Watchdog - TRC Calls to Action Status, March 2026
* Federal Government: Delivering on the TRC Calls to Action (December, 2025 update) 
* Progress Too Slow (Global News, June 2024) 
​* A Decade of Disappointment (Yellowhead Institute) 
​* Beyond 94 (CBC tracker, 2021) 


District of Sooke 
- First Nations and Indigenous Relations website page 
- New Official Community Plan adopted on Dec. 8, 2025: 
- Land acknowledgement (pg. 3) ~ 

​"Central to Sooke’s history is the acknowledgment that Sooke
occupies the unceded traditional territories of T’Sou-ke Nation and
Sc’ianew First Nation, and acknowledgment of these Nations’ ongoing
presence, influence, and rights within the community. The ancestors
of the T’Sou-ke Nation and Sc’ianew Nation have lived in and
stewarded these lands and waters since Time Immemorial.
 
The District of Sooke makes this land acknowledgment to raise
awareness of ongoing Indigenous presence and land rights in the
territory that includes and encompasses Sooke. It invites us, a local
government, to reflect on how colonial processes are ongoing – and
from which we have benefited – as well as the changes we must
make to honour the Indigenous peoples and their lands that we
inhabit." 


- OCP Steering Committee comments from the preamble: " The fourth message that emerged from the engagement process is the importance of continuing to build and enhance Sooke’s historic and productive relationship with the T’Sou-ke Nation. This coincides with the opportunity to work with T’Sou-ke Nation to develop Neighbourhood Area Plans. Together with the T’Sou-ke Nation, Sooke will need to focus on infrastructure development in this area to address existing issues with high water tables, seasonal flooding, and the ecological health of the harbour and basin. Honouring and amplifying T’Sou-ke cultural knowledge and presence in our efforts to develop meaningful policies and actions towards environmental stewardship and compact growth is integral to our future as a community."

- Equitable Community Policies and Actions (pp. 145-147)
4.11 Equitable Community 
"Sooke strives to be a vibrant place where everyone is respected, belongs and thrives.

Sooke’s diversity of identities and cultures, and our relationship with Indigenous partners, is key to realizing the community’s vision. Currently, however, structural inequities mean that not everyone in our community has access to the same opportunities or experiences.

To support a more just and equitable community, the District will analyze current policies to understand who benefits and who is excluded, and take meaningful action to supporr more positive outcomes. Sooke commits to a strong relationship with T’Sou-ke Nation and other Indigenous communities through initiatives and processes that advance and support reconciliation.

Objective 4.11.1 - Continue to strengthen relationships with T’Sou-ke Nation and other Indigenous communities through initiatives and processes to advance and support reconciliation.

Action 4.11.1.1 - Review and implement applicable Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission reports and Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered
Indigenous Women and Girls.

Action 4.11.1.2 - Through the MoU Working Group between the District and T’Sou-ke Nation, commit to developing an action plan to implement UNDRIP locally.

Action 4.11.1.3 - Collaborate with T’Sou-ke Nation and other Indigenous communities on initiatives that reduce systemic inequities and support self-determination."


Sooke School District #62 
- BC First Nations Education Act (2007) 
​- SD 62 Indigenous Education home page 
​- Equity In Action 
- NA’TSA’MAHT Enhancement Agreement  (pp. 17-37, May 27, 2025 board agenda) 
"A five-year working agreement developed by our school District, all local Indigenous communities and partners, and the Ministry of Education. The goal of the agreement is to maintain and enhance our collective ownership to improve the success of Indigenous students, create safe, welcoming and inclusive learning environments, and provide learning opportunities based on the First Peoples Principles of Learning for all students, staff, and communities. There are two goals: i) One Mind Goal: To progress individual Indigenous student success K to 12, leading to a Dogwood diploma and supporting pathways to employment beyond graduation that reflect student choice and voice; and ii) One Spirit Goal: To build understanding of Indigenous histories, cultures, and ways of knowing and being, for the purpose of creating safe, welcoming and inclusive learning environments K to 12." 
- Traditional Territory Acknowledgements (2025 working paper) 

T'Sou-ke Truth For Reconciliation 
- Sooke Truth for Reconciliation Group (founded 2018 by Edith and Victor Newman, Margaret Critchlow, and the late Linda Bristol; monthly meetings on T'Sou-ke territory with guest speakers) 

- "If you would like to have your name included on an email list to be notified about the monthly book club meetings at the Sooke library, email [email protected]." Newsletters include links to videos, presentations, film nights (at VIRL Sooke) and recommended reading. Examples ... 

* How Indigenous Law Can Transform Canada's Justice System (BC First Nation Justice Council, 2025) 
* 2025 in Review: 25 Good News Stories from First Nations (Coast Funds) 
* Governor General's Address: Survivors' Gathering (Dec. 16, 2025) 
* AFN: Accelerated Action Needed Now On Canada's Implementation of UNDRIP (Oct. 29, 2025) 
​* Mr. Carney, About That Pipeline Deal, We Need to Talk (The Walrus, Dec. 2, 2025) 
* What is the Doctrine of Discovery? and The Indian Act: Its ongoing impact on First Nations| TVO – Jul 31, 2024

Community Walk and Gathering, Sept. 30, 2025 
- First such walk in Sooke and event at John Philips Memorial Park on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, organized by Katherine Strongwind and friends + Sooke News Mirror and Victoria News coverage 

Cowichan Tribes Decision 
The BC government and others are appealing on the grounds that private property ownership is sacrosanct. The resultant legal process will take many years. Private property rights remain entirely valid under the BC Land Titles Act. No question this is a complicated matter that will take time to resolve. In the meantime, current fears are stoked by the fringe One BC party and its vocal supporters. 
 
- Province Considering A Pause on DRIPA (Times Colonist, April 2) <clip> "Premier David Eby says he will stake his government on suspending sections of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act for up to three years, calling it the "least invasive" way of mitigating its potentially sweeping and unintended impact on the province's laws.Speaking after a meeting with First Nations leaders on Thursday, Eby said his government would pass legislation this session to suspend certain sections of the law that place the province at the greatest legal risk."

- Province of BC: Cowichan Nation land-title legal action update (March 2, 2026). <clip> "For transparency, neither the Cowichan Nation nor British Columbia are seeking to invalidate any privately held fee simple titles on the Cowichan Title Lands throuogh the negotiation or appeal processes."  

- Poor Long-Term Governance Led to Cowichan Decision Chaos - Times Colonist, April 1. <clip> "A closer look at the Cowichan decision reveals a deeper source of this chaos. In the 19th-century the Cowichan people had a long-standing settlement at Tl’uqtinus along the Fraser River. Crown authorities were aware of their presence in that territory. The Cowichan and their lands ought to have been protected by the Crown. The land should have been set aside as a reserve. Instead it was surveyed and sold by the very Crown agent responsible for administering the Crown lands – to himself. That parcel of land is now held by private owners, municipalities, government agencies – all operating under the assumption that the land had been legally obtained by the Crown. They, wrongly, trusted that previous governments had done their due diligence. Courts are being asked to solve legal land issues that governments should have resolved, not exacerbated, a long time ago. The Crown has skirted its responsibility, everyone else is stuck trying to clean up their portion of a mess they didn’t make." 

* Musqueam Agreements Are A Good Step (Adam Olsen, The Tyee, March 2026) 
​* Cowichan decision in 'rock-solid law,' won't affect private landowners, expert says (UBC, Feb. 19, 2026) + PDF
* RAVEN Trust: What We Know To Be True (Feb. 4, 2026) 
* "Trevor Howard Is Wrong About Land Title and DRIPA" (Adam Olsen, The Tyee, Jan. 5, 2026) 
* BC Premier Meets With Indigenous Leaders Amidst Cowichan Tension - CBC, Nov. 4, 2025) 

* BC Supreme Court Decision - Aug. 7, 2025 (case first filed on Sept. 9, 2019) 
* Cowichan Tribes website statements on the decision + technical backgrounder 
* City of Richmond: Notice to Registered Owners - Oct. 2025 
* Legal Panel Discussion at UBCM Conference, Sept. 23, 2025

* Coverage of the UBCM discussion (Resource Works) <clip> ""The panel agreed on two points: the Cowichan case is measured, not catastrophic, and it is also massive in significance. Appeals are already underway, and the process could take seven years or more. In the meantime, municipalities, lenders, and governments will be navigating uncharted territory."

* ​The Cowichan Ruling Doesn't End Private Property, It Tests Our Honour - Vancouver Sun, Oct. 24
* Correcting Misconceptions: The Cowichan Tribes Decision - Kate Gunn, First Peoples' Law 
* "It's A Big Deal," says BC Premier - Les Lyne, Vancouver Sun, Oct. 20 
* Related: Rising Tide - Haida Land Title Agreement, April 14, 2024 

* Fraser Institute - Indigenous Policy (note: "The Fraser Institute is widely characterized as a right-of-centre, conservative, or libertarian think tank. While it describes itself as an "independent, non-partisan research and educational organization", its work consistently advocates for free-market principles and limited government intervention." - Google AI)  Its counterpart is the BC Society for Policy Solutions (formerly the BC office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives). 


Miscellaneous 
* First Nations Tell Aaron Gunn, 'Chillax, Bud.' (The Tyee, March 11, 2026) re: Gunn's Facebook call for governments to stop offering land acknowledgements. Chiefs in the North Island-Powell River area wrote: “Land acknowledgements have never seized private property, cancelled a mortgage, repossessed a pickup truck, or altered a single title deed anywhere in Canada. They are simply people recognizing the history of the place where they are standing.”

​* The Tyee - Indigenous Relations news archive 

* Environics Institute: Canadians on Reconciliation and Relations With Indigenous Peoples (2025 update) + PDF (latest follow-up on survey first conducted in 2016).   Key findings: 

"i) Growing Awareness & Support: There is increased awareness of the injustices, such as residential schools, leading to stronger support for specific actions like ensuring clean drinking water, adequate housing, and equitable funding for Indigenous education.

ii) Government Action: A majority of Canadians believe that governments have not gone far enough in advancing reconciliation. 

iii) Optimism vs. Realism: While roughly two-thirds of Canadians are optimistic about meaningful progress, there is also a recognition that relations are currently strained or negative.

iv) Role of Citizens: A majority of non-Indigenous Canadians acknowledge that they have a personal role to play in reconciliation.

v) Impact of Interaction: Non-Indigenous individuals with close Indigenous friends are more likely to have positive views on relations and be optimistic about reconciliation.

vi) Barriers: Major obstacles identified by both populations include persistent stereotypes, a lack of awareness, and inadequate political leadership." 

*************************************************************************************************************************


United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007) + PDF 
"The Declaration addresses both individual and collective rights, cultural rights and identity, rights to education, health, employment, language and others. It outlaws discrimination against indigenous peoples and promotes their full and effective participation in all matters that concern them. It also ensures their right to remain distinct and to pursue their own visions of economic, social and cultural development. The Declaration explicitly encourages harmonious and cooperative relations between States and Indigenous Peoples." (from media advisory) 

Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada (Canadian Geographic) ​

British Columbia Assembly of First Nations website 
​
Assembly of First Nations: It's Our Time Toolkit
22 learning modules including ... 
- Pre-Contact
- Impacts of Contact
- Treaties
- First Nations Holistic Life-Long Learning
- Residential Schools 
- Timelines and Maps 
- First Nation Social/Health Performance Indicator Checklist 
- Economic Growth and Employment 

- Climate Emergency - 20 Urgent Calls for Action (2022) 
- Economic Development Policy Papers - Towards a new GDP for BC 
- Housing and Homelessness - 2024 Annual Forum report 

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada 
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation  - Learning Centre 

* Honouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future (summary of the final report) 
"The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada was a commission like no other in Canada. Constituted and created by the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, which settled the class actions, the Commission spent six years travelling to all parts of Canada to hear from the Aboriginal people who had been taken from their families as children, forcibly if necessary, and placed for much of their child- hoods in residential schools ... Getting to the truth was hard, but getting to reconciliation will be harder. It requires that the paternalistic and racist foundations of the residential school system be rejected as the basis for an ongoing relationship. Reconciliation requires that a new vision, based on a commitment to mutual respect, be developed. It also requires an understanding that the most harmful impacts of residential schools have been the loss of pride and self-respect of Aboriginal people, and the lack of respect that non-Aboriginal people have been raised to have for their Aboriginal neighbours. Reconciliation is not an Aboriginal problem; it is a Canadian one. Virtually all aspects of Canadian society may need to be reconsidered." 

* TRC Calls to Action (94 actions) 
* Federal Government: Delivering on the TRC Calls to Action (December, 2025 update) 

- What We Have Learned: Principles of Truth & Reconciliation 
- The Survivors Speak 
- Canada's Residential Schools: The History Part 1: Origins to 1939 + Part 2: 1939-2000
- Missing Children and Unmarked Burials 
- Canada's Residential Schools: The Legacy 
- Canada's Residential Schools: Reconciliation 

- Independent Assessment Process: 2021 Final Report 
- National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation: 2021 Annual Report 

- Residential School Settlement (2007)
- Statement of Apology by PM Harper (June 11, 2008) 

National Inquiry Into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
- Reclaiming Power and Place: Final Report Volume 1A + Volume 1B 
"In this report, we use hard words to address hard truths like genocide, colonization, murder and rape. To deny these hard words is to deny the truths of the families and survivors, front-line workers, and grassroots organizers. We used hard words because the violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people is a difficult, critically important crisis to address and in which we all have a role." - Chief Commissioner Marion Buller

"The truths shared in these National Inquiry hearings tell the story – or, more accurately, thousands of stories – of acts of genocide against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people. The violence the National Inquiry heard amounts to a race-based genocide of Indigenous Peoples, including First Nations, Inuit and Métis, which especially targets women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people. This genocide has been empowered by colonial structures evidenced notably by the Indian Act, the Sixties Scoop, residential schools and breaches of human and Indigenous rights, leading directly to the current increased rates of violence, death, and suicide in Indigenous populations."

​Red Dress Day (May 5 annually) 
aka National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit People 
- Prayer from T'Sou-ke Elder Jackie (Sooke School District #62 video, 2023) 
- Canadian Encyclopedia 
- Jaime Black's REDress Project Installation
- REDress Project Artwork Gifted to the District of Sooke by Rotary Club (Nov. 2022) + news article 
- Native Women's Association of Canada - REDress educational toolkit 

National Indigenous History Month (June) 
Weekly themes (2023):  

• June 1 to 6: Women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people
• June 5 to 11: Environment, traditional knowledge and territory
• June 10 to 18: Children and youth
• June 19 to 25: Languages, cultures and arts
• June 26 to 30: Reconciliation

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation/Orange Shirt Day (September 30) 
"National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a day for all Canadians to commemorate the history and legacy of the residential school system. It’s a day to honour the resilience, dignity and strength of survivors and intergenerational survivors and remember the children who never came home. It's a chance to engage and educate people about B.C.'s colonial history and how it has and continues to impact Indigenous communities." (Province of BC) 

Government of Canada page: "The day honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process ... Orange Shirt Day is an Indigenous-led grassroots commemorative day intended to raise awareness of the individual, family and community inter-generational impacts of residential schools, and to promote the concept of “Every Child Matters”.  The orange shirt is a symbol of the stripping away of culture, freedom and self-esteem experienced by Indigenous children over generations."

- National Day for Truth and Reconciliation funded projects across Canada 


T'Sou-ke Nation 
"The word T'Sou-ke (tsa-awk) is the name of the stickleback fish (found in the estuary of the Sooke basin) in the SENĆOŦEN language of the T'Sou-ke Nation. The anglicized name of T'Sou-ke is Sooke." (from signage for the District of Sooke's Stickleback Urban Trail). 

​T'Sou-ke website home page 
- Chief and Council
- Fisheries and Marine 
- Lands, Forestry and Environment 

​Government of Canada - T'Sou-ke Nation page 
T’Sou-ke IR 1 - 26.3 hectares
T’Sou-ke IR2 - 40.9 hectares

~ Memorandum of Understanding with the District of Sooke first drawn up in 2007 (updated since; the current council has met with its T'Sou-ke counterparts four times since 2019 with alternating visits hosted by each local government)

T'Sou-ke Solar City
~ Towards Total Transition: The Tyee, 2018
~ Trailblazer: T'Sou-ke First Nation Solar and Greenhouse Initiatives (KAIROS Canada) 
- Solar Energy to Strive for Net Zero (2012 video)
- T'Sou-ke Solar presentation by Andrew Moore (2012 video; no longer available online) 

~ T'Sou-ke Indigenous Housing Solutions Lab: IISAAK OLAM Foundation (2021) 

​~ T'Sou-ke Health and Community Centre (Times Colonist story; construction begins in 2023/24)  

~ T’Sou-ke Centre for Sustainability Housing Innovation (skills training in the creation of energy efficient housing for BC indigenous communities)

~ Transport Canada's Maritime Awareness Situational Analysis Initiative is a monitoring and data-collection partnership with coastal First Nations, T'Sou-ke and Pacheedaht included. The T'Sou-ke station will monitor maritime traffic, identify sensitive habitats, track orca and salmon populations, document weather, tides and currents, and chart marine hazards and navigational aides. 

~ Oceans Networks Canada and the T'Sou-ke are collaborating on water-quality monitoring in the basin, which is currently home to 4 million oysters following nearly a decade of aquaculture development. The T'Sou-ke wish to again harvest clams, oysters and crab.

~ T'Sou-ke vision of a 100-year managed forest agreement with TimberWest in the Sooke Hills. Chief Planes notes that elders have always spoken of the need to "enhance the forest environment every year"

Salmon Conservation and Enhancement
- T'Sou-ke Chief Gordon Planes on significance of wild pacific salmon (Save Our Salmon SOS video, 2023) 
​~ Sooke Salmon Enhancement Society 
-  Jack Brooks Hatchery (Gov. of BC press release) 
​~ Charters River Salmon Interpretive Centre 

Videos 
- Site of Significance: T'Sou-ke Nation's Connection to Long Spit (District of Sooke)
​- Connection to Local Food Sources on T'Sou-ke Nation Territory (District of Sooke)
- Connection to Land and Forest on T'Sou-ke Nation Territory (District of Sooke)
​- T'Sou-ke Territory Shoreline Clean-Up (Coastal Restoration Society) 
- T'Sou-ke First Nation Trailcam Seminar (Coexisting with Carnivores Alliance)
- T'Sou-ke Nation First Solar City, Housing and Innovation (Creatively United presentation by Larissa Stendie from Clean Technology Community Gateway)  
- University of Victoria Environmental Studies Class Visit to T'Sou-ke Nation (2016) 


Treaties 
​Government of Canada: About Treaties 

​https://temexw.org
"The First Nations of British Columbia are in a unique situation with regard to treaties. Most of the province (about 95% of the land base) is unceded, non-surrendered First Nation territories. In 1871, when B.C. joined Confederation, the government of the colony of B.C. declared that Aboriginal title had been extinguished. 
Note: Aboriginal title refers to the inherent right to land or a territory.
 
The Canadian legal system now recognizes Aboriginal title as the unique collective right to the use of and jurisdiction over a group's ancestral territories. And the courts have been increasingly firm that the Crown in B.C does not have clear title to the land and its resources.

Treaties signed with First Nations in Canada between 1701 and 1923 are commonly referred to as historic treaties. In BC, there are Douglas treaties, signed with First Nations on Vancouver Island, and Treaty 8 covering a portion of northeastern BC. 

Treaties signed today are called modern treaties, and cover where there are no historic treaties, and can also deal with matters not addressed in historic treaties. 

65 self-identifying First Nations, representing 109 current and former Indian Act bands out of all 200 Indian Act bands in BC, are participating in, or have completed treaties through, the treaty negotiations process. This is 54.5% of all BC Indian Act bands."  

Resources: 

• BC Treaty Commission’s interactive map - https://www.bctreaty.ca/map
• Treaty 8 Tribal Association http://treaty8.bc.ca/
• Nisaga’a Treaty https://www.nisgaanation.ca/understanding-treaty

HISTORICAL TREATIES
"James Douglas of the Hudson’s Bay Company made 14 purchases of First Nations land between 1850 and 1854 at the request of the British Crown. These transactions are known as the Douglas Treaties and were made with the following tribes: Teechamitsa, Kosampson, Whyomilth, Swengwhung, Chilcowitch, Che-ko-nein, Ka-ky-aakan, Chewhaytsum, T’Sou-ke, Saanich (South), Saanich (North), Saalequun, Queackar, and Quakiolth. Many of the descendants of the signatories of these communities continue to proudly assert and exercise their Douglas Treaty rights."

• Treaty Texts – Douglas Treaties

"Sooke Tribe - North-West of Sooke Inlet
​Know all men, we, the chiefs and people of family of Sooke, acting for and on behalf of our people, who being here present have individually and collectively ratified and confirmed this act. Now know that we, who have signed our names and made our marks to this deed on the first day of May, one thousand eight hundred and fifty, do consent to surrender, entirely and for ever to James Douglas, the agent of the Hudson's Bay Company in Vancouver Island, that is to say, for the Governor, Deputy Governor, and Committee of the same, the whole of the lands situated and lying between the Bay of Syusung, or Sooke Inlet, tot he Three Rivers beyond Thlowuck, or Point Shirringham, on the Straits of Juan de Fuca, and the snow covered mountains in the interior of Vancouver Island.

The conditions of our understanding of this sale is this, that our village sites and enclosed fields are to be kept for our own use, for the use of our children, and for those who may follow afer us and the land shall be properly surveyed hereafter. It is understood, however, that the land itself, with these small exceptions, becomes the entire property of the white people for ever; it is also understood that we are at liberty to hunt over the unoccupied lands, and to carry on our fisheries as formerly.

We have received, as payment, Forty-eight pounds six shillings and eight pence.
In token whereof, we have signed our names and made our marks at Fort Victoria, on the first day of May, one thousand eight hundred and fifty.

(Signed)
Wanseea his X mark
Tanasman his X mark
Chysimkan his X mark
Yokum his X mark
Chiefs commissioned by and representing the Sooke Tribe here assembled."


MODERN TREATIES
Many nations are at different stages in the treaty process. Look up a specific nation to see where they are at in the process - https://bctreaty.ca/negotiation-update. 

• Douglas Treaty
  Te’mexw Treaty Association is a non-profit society formed of five Coast Salish Nations – Beecher Bay (SC’IA⁄NEW), Malahat, Snaw-Naw-As, Songhees and T’Sou-ke. The Te’mexw five member Nations joined to support one another and to work together under one organization to negotiate five Nation-specific modern treaties with the federal and provincial governments in the British Columbia Treaty Process.
  
  
• Maa-nulth Treaty
  The five First Nations, were former Indian Act bands, and become self-governing through the Maanulth Treaty, which is being implemented by the five independent governments: Huu‑ay‑aht First Nations, Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k’tles7et’h’ First Nation, Toquaht Nation, Uchucklesaht Tribe, and Yuułuiłath Government (Ucluelet).

 

• Council of the Haida Nation
  The Council of the Haida Nation (CHN) table is negotiating tripartite reconciliation agreements. On August 13, 2021, CHN and the governments of Canada and British Columbia signed the GayG̱ahlda "Changing Tide" Framework for Reconciliation agreement.

 

Capital Regional District: First Nations Relations 
- CRD First Nation Relations home page 
​- Special Task Force on First Nations Relations Final Report (2018)
- Modern Treaties 
- CRD Statement of Reconciliation 
​
- Territorial Acknowledgement Guidelines 
- Committee Terms of Reference
- Indigenous Employment Project + wise practices (April 2023)

- Indigenous Relations Operational Update (Sept. 2022) 
​- First Nations Communications Framework (April 2022) 
- Ecological Asset Management Plan (Feb. 2022) 
- Inclusive Governance and Decision Making + Honoraria policies (May, 2021)
- First Nation Relations Mandate Refresher (slide deck) + FN Inclusion in CRD Governance + Economic Development Partnership Model (Sept. 2020) 

- Economic Development Model Feasibility Study (2020) 
- Forum of All Councils (Nov. 2019 - CRD directors and First Nations joint session) 
- FN Inclusion on CRD Standing Committees (Nov. 2019) 
- Overview of Neighbouring First Nations + Archeology Policies & Procedures (Feb. 2019) 
​

Declaration of the Right to a Healthy Environment
~ Sooke's Finn and Chloe Unger on the Declaration of the Right to a Healthy Environment (the BlueDot initiative passed by DOS council in February, 2015 as a relatively early adopter to a document now signed by more than 300 municipalities across Canada). 
- United Nations Declaration of the Right to a Healthy Environment (July 26, 2022) 

* Sooke Family Resource Society - Reconciliation Statement 

​
Miscellaneous Extras 
Canadian Public Opinion on Aboriginal Peoples (Environics Institute, 2016)
"Five groups of non-Aboriginal Canadians with a distinct worldview. Two of the groups (making up 41% of the population) have a distinctly positive orientation, one of which is well-informed (Connected Advocates) and one notably less so (Young Idealists). Two other groups (35%) are much more negative in their perspective, one of them being generally knowledgeable about many of the issues (Dismissive Naysayers) and the other mostly uninformed and disengaged (Disconnected Skeptics).

The fifth and final group (Informed Critics – 23% of the population) includes among the most informed non-Aboriginal Canadians when it comes to Aboriginal peoples, while their orientation is mix of positive and negative opinions. This typology sums up the spectrum of non-Aboriginal perspectives about Aboriginal peoples, and provides a valuable foundation for future communications and education initiatives."  + 2021 update 

- Recognition and Implemention of Indigenous Rights Framework: Engagement Guide (Government of Canada, 2018)

Previously unpublished post circa 2019/20
Doing my research and preparing notes for tonight's intra-council meeting between Team Tait and the T'Sou-ke Nation council of Chief Gordon Planes and his cohorts Rose Dumont and Allan Planes. The T'Sou-ke council hosted us in the spring in the band hall at Reserve #1 (the beautiful red blanket I received that night is doing excellent service around my knees as I type now that the winter damp is creeping in). Now it's our turn at the Municipal Hall to return the favour and build more of a collaborative listening/working/co-creating relationship with a neighbouring local government.

During our Strategic Plan sessions, we discussed how Sooke/T'Sou-ke has the potential to be a model reconciliation community for a number of reasons: i) We have a long history of cooperation between settlers and First Nation; ii) the T'Sou-ke have much to show us in leading the way forward; iii) the times we live in call for us to return to stewardship, sustainability and sanity on multiple levels. 

We also can build on the foundation established these last three years by the Sooke Reconciliation Group led by Edith Newman, Jackie D and Margaret Critchlow. Its third season got underway last week as Chief Planes shared unscripted thoughts in the Lazzar Building, then led 50 or so of us over to Pemberton Pool, a T'Sou-ke Village site on the Sooke River (aka Big River) purchased in 2016 by the Capital Regional District for use as a capture spot by the Sooke Salmon Enhancement Society.

Some of the season's first returnees were jumping in the slow-moving river when we arrived in a light rain by the pools, which as the Chief told us are effectively unchanged from when he was a boy who took great delight in plunging into the river after sliding down a rock wall. 

I scribbled notes as he spoke and trust I captured his word accurately. Links here results from research after the fact. 

* Forest Conservation: The Chief shared a moving vision of a preserved Sooke Hills that see managed forestry operations and a re-established/revitalized forest that balances safeguarded old-growth with selectively harvested second-and-third growth (cut after a minimum of 60 years, not half that as is currently sometimes the case.)

- The Chief is concerned with logging in the Sooke Hills off Butler Main. He'd like to see (effectively unprofitable) forestry operations stopped, pockets of old-growth protected and the creation of a managed second/third growth forest that allows the forest to re-establish itself. 

T'Sou-ke have three woodlots
- Muir Creek
- Big Mountain 
- Bluff Mountain (Sacred Mountain)

- Calls for a 30 year moratorium on second/third growth
- Currently a 30-year harvest on some trees -- these are relative toothpicks
- Vision of a 100-year managed forest
- T'Sou-ke elders spoke of the need to "enhance the forest environment every year"
- "Long-term view - take the greed out of it."
- "If you're not making any money out of it, then give it back ... and we'll turn it into a park, enhance it." 
- TFL licenses surrendered in 2006

- Timberwest have so far honoured an agreement with the Chief not to log old-growth in the Sooke Hills 
- Odd to log a vast area for half-a-dozen jobs 

First Nation Crown Lands Gathering, first week of November: In partnership, the Province of British Columbia and the First Nations Leadership Council, have reserved November 5 & 6, 2019 to hold the 5th annual BC Cabinet and First Nations Leaders’ Gathering in Vancouver at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

* Ocean Guardianship: Transport Canada's new Maritime Awareness Situational Analysis Initiative is a monitoring and data-collection program involving 10 First Nations on the west (T'Sou-ke and Pacheedaht included) and east coasts, in the Arctic and along the St. Lawrence River. The T'Sou-ke station will monitor maritime traffic, identify sensitive habitats, track orca and salmon populations, document weather, tides and currents, and chart marine hazards and navigational aides. 

* Water quality in the Sooke harbour and basin: Oceans Networks Canada and the T'Sou-ke are collaborating on water-quality monitoring in the basin, which is currently home to 4 million oysters following five years of aquaculture development. The T'Sou-ke wish to again be able to harvest clams, oysters and crab as in the past. Chief Planes noted that a sewer extension eastward across the Sooke River is essential in guaranteeing a clean harbour. 

 * Sewers to Kaltasin to protect environmental health of the harbour
- 4 million oysters in the basin
- desire to harvest clams, oysters and crab as in the past
- The Olympia Oyster is endangered 
- learning centre and light footprint park 

Static data does not change significantly over time. It could include:
- nautical information such as marine hazards and navigation safety marks
- charts showing sea bottom topography
- sensitive habitats
- cultural sites
- vessel and port databases

Dynamic data which changes over time. It could include:
- weather, tides and currents information
- information about movement of vessels
- information about potential pollution events

- Collaborations with ... 
DFO
Transport Canada
National Energy Board
Trans Mountain Pipeline
Conservation groups

Miscellaneous subjects ... 
- Meetings around rocks ... big rocks are gathering places
- Camp Bernard - council rock
- Little River rock near future crossing  
- "Rock-onciliation"

- Pronunciation: Tsaaaaa-ouk
- "Our language came from the nature - the sound of the the river, a salmon's jump, the breeze in trees. The elders say that if you want to reclaim the language, go to the forest." 

- Burning question: "What kind of world will we leave our children?" 
- Coast Salish see the natural world as animate; a great divide in this mechanistic modern world. 
 
- Deer driven out of mature forests ... leading killer and cause of accidents on our roads
- 11,000 animal-related collisions in BC annually 
- 650 people injured; 3 killed  

Kudos to ... 
- Bob Hansen, Parks Canada
- Coexisting with Carnivores Alliance
- Wild Wise Sooke 
 
- Pemberton Pools is a village site
- Seals come up as far as here
- As a child, the Chief would slide down the rock into the river
- "Nothing has changed, the environment is intact -- how will these trees look in 100 years?" 

- Spring Salmon Place
- old growth
- blasting and punched a road further in 
- Dr. Nancy Turner, ethnobotanist

- Muir Creek 
​Village of Cheeanuac ("working place") 
salmon smokehouse 
but here too there is evidence of improper logging practices
- oil on the ground
- riparian encroachment
- contractors who harvest and don't play by the rules 

- Kaltasin means "pit cook area." 
- village once on goodrich island - perfect for oysters
- too many green crabs in the harbour
 
Long Spit 
"Mother Nature will make it breathe again." 
- Walkway and a land bridge on the Spit
- if it breathes, then better flow 

- "What if we did it together! Enhancement, medicines, food." 
- the Blue Camas was the potato of the region
 
- Pre-contact - 30,000 log houses on the west coast and 10,000 ocean-going canoes 
- two T'Sou-ke maidens crossed the mountains and launched the Cowichan tribes 
- river is a highway 
- Long Spit and Stoney Creek
 
- Inspiration: Tia-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks in Tofino 
"these are interesting times" 

Additional after-the fact ...
 Premier Horgan speaks of his experience with Tribal Journeys
- Chief James presented the paddle to him made from cedar at a small mill 
- Travelled three hours down the coast to Beecher Bay
- 10 canoes ... 7 pullers and a Premier, as Horgan has said
- Took him two hours to get into the rhythm
- 'pull together" is the message and it takes work, patience and skill 

- BC Assembly of First Nations mourns passing of John Horgan 
 

​






Development Permit for Form and Character, 6651 Wadams Way (UPCC/Catalyst)
Approved at council meeting of March 23, 2026. Vote: 5-1 (Haldane opposed, Tait absent) 

From the minutes: "Council sought clarity regarding the variances, regarding the impacts to the community, what the actual losses translate into. Manger of Community Planning, Jayden Riley, clarified the following:
 There would be no impact to viewscapes,
 The setback variance applied only to a staircase, and that reduced amenity space resulted from site constraints.
 Permeable parking surfaces & shorter stall lengths to support rain-garden function while maintaining usability.
 That images circulated online referred to a different project; and
​ The development exceeds required parking, providing 116 stalls where 78 are required."

March 3, 2026
The Land Use and Development Committee received and approved (pending Council's final decision) the Catalyst development permit for its six-storey building on Lot A. It will feature the Urgent and Primary Care Centre on its ground floor with 80 units of below-market (middle income) rentals above (including 14 housing units reserved for medical staff who must be recruited and retained) and a 38-car parkade (matched with 78 surface parking spots.)  See agenda pp. 68-178. 


Update - February 2026
All systems almost go ... 
From Council agenda of Feb. 23, pp. 39-41

"At the November 24, 2025 Regular Meeting of Council (see agenda pp. 129-177), a motion was passed to approve the Ground Lease Agreement between the District of Sooke and Catalyst Community Development Society for Lot A Wadams Way. The intent of the lease is to enable Catalyst to construct and manage a mixed-use building on the southeast corner of Lot A. The lease is for 63 years and outlines what the expectations are for the construction and ongoing maintenance of the proposed building and landscaping. 

Catalyst has applied to subdivide the southeast corner of Lot A from the remainder of the property and has applied for a form and character Development Permit. The subdivision is in the process of being finalized by the District lawyers and the Development Permit application will be reviewed at the March 3, 2026 Land Use Development Committee. 

Once the Development Permit has been approved, Catalyst will be able to apply for the building permit and it is hoped the building permit will be approved by late April 2026 and construction will begin shortly thereafter. 

On October 15, 2025, the Ministry of Health committed to release $840,000 to this project which shows they are committed to funding the Urgent Primary Care Centre in this building. The Ministry of Health has done design drawings for the UPCC space and have agreed to a sublease of the 6,500 sq ft with Catalyst. 

The sublease identifies the rent the ministry will pay and their commitment to fund the construction of the offices and facilities. The Ministry has also committed to hiring all the staff for the UPCC space as well as all the ongoing costs of running the UPCC including paying for ongoing maintenance of the offices, rent of the offices and staffing of the offices. 

On February 12, 2026 BC Builds provided Preliminary Project Approval for the development which is step 1 of 2 for financing approvals by BC Builds and allows the project to make formal application to CMHC for financing. This will secure funding for the project." 


Update - October 2025
Urgent and Primary Care Centre on Lot A
Progress reported in this Aug. 11  press release from the District.  <clip> "Catalyst Community Developments Society is the successful proponent to develop the proposed health centre and housing project at 6651 Wadams Way. Catalyst is a BC-based non-profit developer and operator of rental housing and community servicing spaces. Catalyst has a proven track record of delivering high-quality health care spaces and housing co-located together in one building. The proposed six-storey, mixed-use building will include 80 rental apartment homes (30% of which will be rented at 20% below market rates), a health centre and additional medical services space. This innovative project will integrate rental housing affordable for middle-income households with integrated health services to support the needs of the Sooke community." 

* Now patiently awaiting word from the BC Ministry of Health re: annual operational funding and staffing for the health centre. (Example: Aug. 2024 announcement of the Cowichan Urgent Primary Care Centre in Duncan, a 10k sq. ft space for family physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, social workers, mental-health clinicians and clinical support staff.)  Scroll down this page for details as announced by the Province on March 16, 2023. Since then, of course, a disruptive new us president is waging a trade war, BC's debt has ballooned, and the Province is tightening staffing and its financial belt in the face of "fiscal headwinds" and a possible recession. 

* Most UPCCs operate from 8 AM to 8 PM year-round. Guidelines as per our nearest UPCC at 582 Goldstream Ave. in Langford: 

"Do you have a health concern that needs attention but isn’t an emergency? You can visit this clinic with these conditions, which should be seen within 12 to 24 hours:
​
Common Illnesses

• Coughs, colds, sore throat
• Ear infections
• Urinary tract infections (also available through pharmacy)
• Allergic reactions or asthma (if you have trouble breathing, call 911)
• Skin conditions (rashes, skin irritation, minor wounds or itchy spots)
• Stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and constipation
• Minor illnesses, fevers or infections in children
• Infections or abscesses
• Mental health concerns such as low mood, anxiety and depression

Minor Injuries

• Sprains and strains
• Stitches for cuts
• Suture removal
• Stabilizing you for hospital transport if needed

Reproductive and Sexual Health

• Pregnancy testing and options
• STI testing and treatment
• Support and care after sexual assault" 

* Seven UPCCs currently operate in the Island Health region: Westshore, Nanaimo, North Quadra (Victoria), James Bay, Downtown Victoria, Esquimalt and Gorge Road. 

The Gathering Place 
- Included here since shared spaces are critical for personal and collective health and wellbeing ...
 Update from Sooke Region Communities Health Network, July 2025 

<clip> "SRCHN originally envisioned a project that included 75 subsidized rental apartments for seniors with an integrated seniors’ drop-in centre to be built on Wadams Way’s Lot A, which is owned by the District of Sooke.  BC Housing was to provide the funding for the housing part of the project as well as provide a contribution to partially fund the seniors’ centre portion of the project. Unfortunately, prior to project approval BC Housing changed the project funding rules. This meant the seniors’ centre portion would cost an estimated $5.1 million. The SRCHN Board realized raising that amount of money for the seniors’ centre was not realistic.

SRCHN presented the District of Sooke with a more cost-effective option for the seniors’ centre to be built on Lot A. We proposed a stand-alone single story seniors’ centre with a threshold target for fundraising at $2 million. We requested that Sooke council approve in principle the construction of a Seniors Drop-In Centre as a stand-alone building on Lot A. Having land on which to build the centre is a critical component of our fund-raising strategy." 

Council received this request in-camera and it remains a priority now that the approved Development Permit for SRCHN's original proposal has lapsed and the full $250k in public funding for the project has been spent.

One critical mitigating factor is the size of the footprint on Lot A that will be required for the health centre. As stated above, the District provided an update on this BC Builds project in a press release dated Aug. 11, 2025. 

Foundry BC
* A Sooke satellite office of The Foundry West Shore to be based in Langford is on track for 2027. Led by Thrive Social Services, it will offer mental health and addiction counselling, physical and sexual health care, and peer support to youth and young adults aged 12-24. Foundries are a proven model already established in 16 communities across BC.

An exceptionally good application and the realities of a growing West Shore population ensured we were part of the next wave of these centres announced by the Province in March, 2024. Sooke's office (location TBD) will be a "spoke" of the Langford HQ, currently planned to be a 10,000 square foot space ideally near the new RRU Langford/John Horgan Campus and with adjoining office space for other youth-serving non-profits. Also in the plan is an affiliated Port Renfrew office.

The development team is led by former Island Health veteran Kathy Easton in collaboration with Thrive's Scott Bradford.  Thrive's Leadership Advisory Circle includes reps from Island Health, the Ministry of Child and Family Development, indigenous nations and local governments, The Village Initiative, two individuals with lived experience as youth with mental health or substance use issues, one individual as a parent/guardian of an impacted young person, and a representative from Foundry BC. I've been representing Sooke at these meetings, moved and highly impressed by the vision and work of all involved in their dedication to helping vulnerable young people meet their challenges and find their feet in these frankly insane times. 

* Foundry West Shore-Sooke Briefing Document + FAQ 
* Foundry Impact Report 2023/24 
* Foundry Service Model Guide (2024) 
* Thrive Resource Page 
* Foundry BC Virtual Services

* "Celebrating a decade of youth health care at Foundry" - St. Paul's Foundation, Vancouver 2025 

SKA'PEȽ I'SOT ALEṈ T'Sou-ke Community Complex and Health Centre
- T'Sou-ke Nation announcement upon centre's Sept. 15 opening. <clip> "The CCHC serves as a cornerstone for community life with a spacious hall for large gatherings and community events, a fully equipped kitchen for providing meals and training opportunities, and several meeting and community rooms to conduct business and host community activities. The building is home to the Nation’s administration, children and families, health, and lands and environment departments. A key highlight of the CCHC features brand new doctors’ offices and laboratory and medical equipment required to provide holistic health services to T’Sou-ke community members. It provides a well-equipped space to deliver programs to address the physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental health needs of the community ... The Community Complex and Health Centre stands as a powerful testament to the T’Sou-ke Nation’s strength, resilience, and vision. It will serve not only as a place for governance and health, but also as a vibrant heart of culture, learning, and connection for generations to come." 

- News Mirror coverage of opening
​- T'Sou-ke website health centre page 
- "$14m T'Sou-ke Nation Centre Takes Inspiration From Sooke River" - Journal of Commerce 


Ayre Manor Seniors' Housing 
Expansion Plans for a new 56-bed wing (2012) at Ayre Manor stalled in 2017 but Island Health recognizes that Sooke needs more long-term care beds. Sooke currently provides 40 beds per thousand people over the age of 75 in our community. This ratio is well below the current provincial average of 58 beds/thousand (and well short of the 77 beds/thousand in 2015).  

[As of the 2021 census, there are 2,215 individuals aged 65+ in Sooke, with 880 of them aged 75+.  Ayre Manor operates 31 long-term (complex care) rooms in addition to its 25 assisted living units and 18 independent living cottages. It's recommended that future residents file applications at least two years prior to anticipated occupancy.]
 
In recent years Colwood, Nanaimo/Lantzville and Campbell River have had the lowest such ratios on Vancouver Island, and it was those three communities that received funding in 2023 for new long-term care facilities due to open in 2027. We're among the communities next on the list for new beds, Island Health's VP of Community Clinical Operations & Support Programs James Hanson acknowledged at a UBCM meeting arranged by Sooke council. He intends to work with Ayre Manor to develop a business plan that could logically be based on the shovel-ready plans developed a decade ago. 

Ayre Manor qualifies as a "campus of care" given that it "provides a range of housing, meals, support and care options, including independent living, assisted living and residential care." (see Ministry of Health page on residential care options). The website Senior Care Access explores why these "continuing care retirement communities" or "continuum-of-care environments" are so effective.  

BC's Seniors' Advocate Dan Levitt pointed out the urgent future needs for new beds provincially in a report titled From Shortfall to Crisis: Growing Demand for Long-Term Care Beds In BC that his office released this summer. <clip> "Over the past ten years, the waitlist for long-term care in B.C. has ballooned. Between 2016 and 2025, the number of people waiting to be admitted to long-term care rose from 2,381 to 7,212, an increase of 200%. The provincial average wait time has grown by 98% over the past eight years, from 146 days in 2018, the first year data was collected, to 290 days in 2025." Levitt renewed his concerns in a recent Times Colonist article. ​

- Seniors' Advocate: Long-Term Care and Assisted Living Directory 2024
<clip> "The British Columbia Long-Term Care and Assisted Living Directory contains information on 298 long-term care facilities that have 28,364 publicly-subsidized beds, 112 facilities (9,250 beds) are operated directly by a health authority and 186 facilities (19,114 beds) are operated by a contractor (for profit or not-for-profit) with funding from a health authority."  Includes data on wait times and quality-of-care indicators. 

Advocate's report page includes ... 
* Annual Report 2024/25 
* Aging Matters: Listening to BC Seniors (June 2024) + PDF 
* Reframing Ageing: British Columbians' Thoughts on Ageism (March 2025) + PDF 
* Resourceful and Resilient: Challenges Facing BC's Rural Seniors (Feb. 2024) + PDF 

[Following council's meeting with Levitt at the 2024 UBCM convention, I invited him on a Sooke tour this spring that featured stops at the Food Bank, Meals on Wheels, the Contact Loan Cupboard, Ayre Manor and the library, where SRCHN reps shared their work on the Gathering Place and Community Health Centre. Cllrs. Pearson and St-Pierre attended alongside reps from all these organizations.  Levitt expressed strong support for these grassroots, largely volunteer-driven initiatives. Writing after the fact, he said: "I was very impressed with the array of services offered for seniors and the dedication of many people involved in serving older persons. Sooke is exemplary in offering seniors with the supports needed to age with dignity in a community that truly values older adults."]


The Village Initiative: Sooke/Westshore 
Launched by SD 62's tireless and inspiring Healthy Schools, Healthy Communities Coordinator Cindy Andrew in 2020, The Village Initiative (TVI)  is "is an inter-disciplinary network of more than 70 organizations sharing a commitment to the vision of healthy and thriving children, youth, and families across the Sooke and West Shore communities ... it recognizes that their health and wellbeing is best supported through an all-hands-on-deck approach – a Village."  

* 2024 Annual Report and Looking Ahead to 2025
- Current priority: Securing stable, three-year or more funding for a full-time TVI coordinator from regional local governments and other partners as recommended by the organization's Municipal Leaders Advisory Team. This team includes elected reps from Sooke, Langford, Colwood, Metchosin, the JDF Electoral Area, SD #62, Island Health and the Community Social Planning Council, among others. (I'm Sooke's representative on behalf of Mayor Tait.) 

Sooke-based TVI members include the District of Sooke, Rotary Club of Sooke, SEAPARC, Sea to Tree Health and Wellness, Sooke Family Resource Society, Sooke Food Bank, Sooke Region Communities Health Network, Sooke School District, Sooke Shelter Society, Vancouver Island Regional Library and WorkLink Employment Society. See the complete list here. 

Upcoming events
- Third Annual Child and Youth Service Providers Networking Event (speed-date format, Oct. 16, 2 PM at City Centre Park in Langford + participating organizations include EMCS Society, Sea to Tree, SEAPARC and Sooke Family Resource Society. 
- Child & Youth Mental Health Conference - Nov. 20/21 at Royal Roads University + conference program 

A recent TVI membership survey revealed the following results that align with TVI's priorities: 

"What’s Working … 
~ Cross-sectoral networking and relationship development that involves the public, private and non-profit sectors.
~ Convening events like the Art of the Possible, annual gathering of Child & Youth Service Providers, Youth Health Symposium (Adolescent Health Survey) enable members to come together to learn about the latest data impacting their work, exchange views and share solutions which benefit community.
~ Community of Practice for frontline service providers.
~ Serving as a catalyst in helping to develop a Foundry model to serve our unique region.
 
What’s Not … 
~ Whether it’s enabling cross-sectoral collaborations or finding more affordable, accessible and appropriate programming spaces, Village network members need help to move from ideas to concrete actions. 
~ Most network organizations lack the extra leadership bandwidth to coordinate new opportunities, so work needs to be done to provide the organizational capacity to support meaningful action.
~ 61% of survey respondents are concerned about the financial sustainability of their community service organizations."

- Project Plan for Sooke-Westshore Shared Space Network and System (March, 2022)
- Space survey results (2021)
- See full list with links of member organizations at end of this post 
​- Sooke/Westshore Community Health Profile (2022) 

​
Saunders Family Foundation 
Work is underway to develop a Sooke Region Resilience Plan as coordinated by Dave Saunders, health care consultant Valerie Nicol (South Island Division of Family Practice, South Island Primary Care Network) and West Plan Consulting Group's Mark Holland following an initial community meeting in December, 2024. This is being done independently of the District. I was invited to sit in on a small group online meeting in the spring and await word about what's next. 

- Recruiting and Retaining Healthcare Workers - Island Social Trends, June 12, 2024
- Developing a Sooke Region Resilience Plan - Sooke News Mirror, Dec. 10, 2024

- The Foundation's Healthy West Shore initiative has led to publication of its Playbook and affiliated documentation encouraging municipalities to support healthcare and emergency workers in BC communities. BC Health Minister Josie Osborne noted at the UBCM conference this year that the Ministry is endorsing this work and will be urging local governments to explore its recommendations. 
- Local Government Community Healthcare Support Policies for Consideration 
- Creating a Municipal Healthcare Committee 
- Community Healthcare Support Pilot Project (2022) 


Miscellaneous 
* Carol Fenton has been appointed Chief Medical Officer for Island Health's South Island region, replacing retiree Dr. Murray Fyfe + Medical officers across province (listing as of June 2024)

* Minister of Health Josie Osborne appointed Nov. 18, 2024 + mandate letter from Premier Eby​

* Bill 19 introduced in legislature on Oct. 7 
- Legislation Would Let School District's Provide Child Care - Times Colonist (Oct. 8) 

* Sooke is part of the Western Communities Primary Care Network ~ "a community-based network of health care professionals and clinics who plan and deliver the health care needs of a community." + listing of associated clinics (includes West Coast Family Medical Clinic) 

* Island Health: Western Communities Health Profile (updated June 2025; mental health and substance use stats on pg. 23/24) 
 
* Mental Health, Substance Use and Addictions Report (Hermione Jefferis, March 2023 for Sooke Region Communities Health Network) 
 
* Challenge and Change: A Public Health Response to Our Perplexing Relationship with Psychoactive Substances (Dr. Reka Gustafson, Island Health Chief Medical Officer, 2024) 

* Better At Home website, Sooke region services through SRCHN  ~ "Helping older adults with simple non-medical, day-to-day tasks so that they can continue to live independently in their own homes and remain connected to their communities. United Way British Columbia Healthy Aging administers the Better at Home program throughout BC, supporting over 85 non-profit organizations who deliver Better at Home in over 260 communities. This community-based approach ensures that local agencies are responding to local needs." 

* Trendsetting first: City of Colwood's municipally funded The Colwood Clinic at 346 Latoria Dr. opened in Feb. 2025 with family physicians recruited and employed by the City itself + CBC news story + Victoria News update, June 2025 + CBC interview with Mayor Doug Kobayashi 

* Province of BC international doctor recruitment program through the Provincial Health Services Authority + Province secures 780 applications in two months from qualified US physicians (July 2025 Ministry press release) 

* Emergency room closures across the Province remain a top concern. Between 2023 and mid-April 2025, BC ERs were closed for over 16,453 hours, with 29 of the province's 77 ERs experiencing at least one unplanned closure. Encouraging news from the Minister of Health: There's been a 37% reduction in closures this year compared with 2024. Keeping ERs open is a top provincial priority. 

* Island Health, as directed by Province, has reducing its expenditures by 1% while cutting 117 non-contract jobs from its roster of 2,500 such employees - Times Colonist, July, 29, 2025 

* United Nations: "More than 1 billion people are living with mental health disorders, according to new data released by the World Health Organization (WHO), with conditions such as anxiety and depression inflicting immense human and economic tolls." (Not sure if these reports was released before or after a certain malevolent, blowhard us president’s toxic address to the assembly).  + World Health Today annual report + Mental Health Atlas 2024 

* The BC Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions updated its resource page on Sept. 25 ... links to emergency call lines and counselling services for youth and adults. 

Recent Reports 
Healthy Aging CORE BC resource page (updated frequently) 

* The Real Face of Men's Health - UBC and Movember Institute of Men's Health (Sept. 25, 2025) + PDF 
* National Volunteer Action Strategy - Volunteer Canada (July 2025) 
* Understanding the Factors Driving the Epidemic of Social Isolation - Canadian National Institute of Aging 
* Elements for the Successful Community Engagement with Older Adults - Healthcare Excellence Canada (2025) 
* Navigating Home Care and Seniors Housing - Seniors First BC (Aug. 2025) 
* Aging In Place Toolkit - United Way British Columbia (July 2025) 
* From Loneliness to Social Connection - World Health Organization (June 30, 2025) + Plain Language Summary 
* Elder's Guide 2nd Edition - BC First Nations Health Authority (Aug. 2024) 
* Benefits Wayfinder: A Tool for Low and Modest-Income Citizens - Prosper Canada (2025) 
* Greater Victoria Hoarding Education and Action Team Infographic - Island Health (June, 2025) 
​* Changemaker Wellbeing Index - Future For Good (2025) 
* World Happiness Report 2025 - Oxford University 
* BC Summit on Aging 2024 Final Report - United Way BC (Nov. 2024) 
* Enabling Aging In Place - Better At Home Program Promising Practices - United Way 
* Malnutrition in Canada - Canadian Malnutrition Task Force (Oct. 2024) 
* Sharing Our Space: A Toolkit for Developing Intergenerational Spaces - Generations United (2024) + Toolkit
* United Way Healthy Aging Reports Archive

Mental Health 
* The Attention Economy - Centre for Humane Technology 
* My Social Truth - website with youth submissions detailing "the biggest challenges young people are facing on social media platforms that profit from our outrage, confusion, addiction and depression." 
​* United Nations report on the Attention Economy 
​* Information Overload - The Decision Laboratory biggest challenges young people are facing on social media platforms that profit from our outrage, confusion, addiction, and depressio



Updates - October 2024
* BC Health Coalition ~ BC Election 2024 -  A Platform for Public Health Care
- Primary issues: anti-privatization, primary health care reform, seniors’ care. 
- “Six Solutions” infographic (Oct. 2024) 
​
April 29, 2024 - BC Builds program to pair CHC/UPCC with middle-income affordable (CMHC definition) housing
- SRCHN announcement + District of Sooke press release 
- Public Opportunity Notice – Sooke
- Video of the May 9, 2024 BC Builds Housing Development Opportunity presentation led by Lisa Helps 
​
November 1, 2023 District press release re: new Standing Committee on Community Health Care featuring three members of the Sooke Region Communities Health Network (SRCHN) and Council appointees Beddows, McMath and Pearson. 
 
May 2023: SRCHN releases its Mental Health, Substance Use and Addictions report authored by consultant Hermione Jefferis. See the four-page summary and the full report. Conclusions and recommendations on pp. 51-53. One disturbing finding: "Sooke Region’s community members, youth especially, are experiencing higher rates of depression and mood and anxiety disorders than the rest of BC.” 


March 16, 2023: Red letter day!  
New Integrated Health Care Centre Coming to Sooke (BC Ministry of Health press release) 

"Improving access to health-care services for people in B.C. is a key priority for our government. This centre will be critical to meeting the health-care needs of people living in Sooke and surrounding areas, now and in the future, and I am proud that people in the region will soon benefit from being able to access the care they need, close to home." - Premier John Horgan, MLA, Langford-Juan de Fuca  

“Approval of the proposed community health centre/urgent primary care centre is fantastic news for Sooke! The proposed health centre will undoubtedly increase access to primary-care services for people living in Sooke and the surrounding communities. A big thanks to Mayor Maja Tait for initiating discussions between the District of Sooke, Island Health, the Sooke Region Communities Health Network, and the Sooke family physicians that ultimately led to the development of this proposal; to the volunteers of the Sooke Region Communities Health Network who did all the hard work in drafting the proposal; and to the Honourable John Horgan, who was willing to listen to our concerns and advocate on our behalf for improving the delivery of primary health services in Sooke.” - Dr. Anton Rabien, West Coast Family Medical Clinic

"Today’s announcement is a culmination of the work of many people who remained steadfast to ensure the residents of Sooke have access to the health-care services they deserve. Thank you to all project partners, including the Province of British Columbia, Island Health, the Sooke Region Communities Health Network, the Primary Health Care Service Working Group, and the doctors and care providers of the West Coast Family Medical Clinic, who, through collaboration and innovation, are working together to ensure our residents have access to medical services closer to home.” - Mayor Maja Tait 


Original post: Nov. 28, 2022
The Mayor will be in Ottawa for Federation of Canadian Municipalities meetings next week, and I've been enlisted to be her stand-in at a meeting involving the Island Health Board of Directors and representatives from the Sooke Region Communities Health Network, Sooke Shelter Society and West Coast Family Medical Clinic, among others. 

This will be followed by an Island Health public information session at the Community Hall from 2:30 to 4 PM on Thurs. Dec. 8. All are welcome as per this invitation: 

- Get an update on health and care delivery from Island Health President & CEO Kathy MacNeil and meet local Island Health leaders.
- Meet your local Medical Health Officer, Dr. Murray Fyfe, for an update on public health and wellness.
- Enjoy a presentation from local Island Health staff and community organizations.
- Have your questions answered. Questions can be submitted in advance by emailing [email protected] or asked by those attending the in-person event.

At time likes this, of necessity, interest and the fact that I'm a relative know-nothing on the subject, I do what I always do: Pull all that's health-themed from my groaning file cabinets, pepper Google with inquiries and trust I'll reach some fake-it/make-it degree of armchair knowledge by the time I'm required to say a few words on behalf of the boss next week. 

The critical need identified long ago and very much front-and-centre now: A hybrid Community Health Centre/Urgent Primary Care Centre for the Sooke region. Outside of limited weekday hours, residents without their own local doctors and sometimes even so must trek a half-hour to the west shore when emergencies strike, braving unpredictable traffic in the process. CHC's continue to open in BC, including this clinic in Colwood. Ours would provide significantly expanded quarters for the West Coast Family Medical Clinic team of physicians, nurses and nurse practitioners now operating from its current Evergreen Mall location. They'd be joined by an additional cohort of health-care professionals who'd provide emergency services. 

The District has reserved the southeast quadrant of the nearby Lot A for this purpose (as per this paragraph from the 2019 Lot A Charette final report: "5-or-6-storey Health Centre with limited-size independent commercial retail units on the base and market housing units on the upper floors. This quadrant would include an underground parking component  ... conceived as a wood-frame building with a total floor area of approximately 7,000m2.")  That's the concept, which would be subject to variation based on real-world negotiations as the Sooke-owned property is integrated with the rest of Evergreen Mall (owned by Guelph-based Skyline Group of Companies.) 

Dedicated planning and advocacy work by the District's Primary Health Care Services Working Group (PHCSWG) has kept this vision on the front-burner with Island Health and the Ministry, and there it remains. Meeting routinely, the group pairs the Mayor, local physicians, reps from the Sooke Region Communities Health Network (SRCHN) and other health professionals. 

The CHC/UPCC project on Lot A is being coordinated by SRCHN's Mary Dunn, Rick Robinson and Annemieke Holthuis  with Island Health, BC Association of Community Health Centres, West Coast Family Medical Clinic and West Communities Patient Care Network. West Coast Family Medical Clinic would be based in this space, which would be governed by SRCHN, a registered charity.  

No wonder our MLA John Horgan is reputed to have said: "There is no community better prepared for this than Sooke." May it be so! 

More on the proposed facility ... 

"SRCHN’s work with West Coast Family Medical Clinic, the District of Sooke, Island Health, and the BC Association of Community Health Centres resulted in successful approval of our preliminary proposal for a Community Health Centre/Urgent Primary Care Centre in Sooke. We are currently working on the final proposal. The success of this proposal will allow us to work with a developer to build a new CHC/UPCC. The transitioning of West Coast Family Medical Clinic and addition of more staff will allow more access to urgent and ongoing medical care for Sooke residents." ~ SRCHN President Mary Dunn in the organization's 2022 Annual Report 

"In contrast to solo practitioner models, Community Health Centres offer high-quality primary care through a collaborative team approach. Social workers, family physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, dietitians, chiropodists, dental hygienists, therapists and other clinicians provide services in a team environment, based on patient needs. Community Health Centres integrate team-based primary care with health promotion programs, illness prevention programs, community health initiatives and social services focused on housing, food security and other inputs for health. This reduces silos and makes services more accessible. CHCs exemplify the World Health Organization’s definition and recommendations for “primary health care”. A SRCHN working group has been established to explore partnerships to advance the build of a much needed CHC in our semi-rural community." 

The BC Association of Community Health Centre's defines a CHC as "multi-sector health and healthcare organizations that deliver integrated, people-centred services and programs that reflect the needs and priorities of the diverse communities they serve. CHCs are created by not-for-profit organizations and co-operatives that are committed to providing comprehensive, accessible, affordable, and culturally-appropriate services through a collaborative team approach."

***************************************************************
​
The following is another hodge-podge of live links and direct quotations compiled for my education and reference. It's been a particularly useful and revealing exercise to chronicle the many, if by no means all, steps, forums, reports, motions and day-long workshops undertaken by so many in Sooke since incorporation who've organized and advocated for improved local health care.  

And yes, this subject doesn't vie with housing as the public's leading concern without good reason. This recent CBC town hall is as good a context-setter as any. Or read The Tyee's 2022 reporting here, here and here. 

Province of BC  
BC Ministry of Health 
"The Ministry of Health has overall responsibility for ensuring that quality, appropriate, cost effective and timely health services are available for all British Columbians."
- Medical Services Plan 
- Pharmacare 
- HealthLink BC (Call 811 for 24/7 health advice) 

- Primary and Community Care in BC: A Strategic Policy Framework (2015) 

BC Ministry of Mental Health & Addictions 
"The Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions was created in 2017 to build a seamless, coordinated network of mental health and addictions services that works for everyone in B.C., as well as lead the response to the toxic drug crisis."
​- A Pathway to Hope: 2018-28 ~ "This new strategy lays out government’s 10-year vision for mental health and substance use care, in which people living in B.C.’s mental health and well-being are supported from youth to adulthood and programs and services are available to tackle challenges early on."
- 2020 Update/Progress Report 
- Canadian Mental Health Association BC 2020-21 Annual Report 

BC Ministry of Children and Family Development
"The Ministry of Children and Family Development’s primary focus is to support all children and youth in British Columbia to live in safe, healthy and nurturing families and be strongly connected to their communities and culture. The ministry supports the well-being of children, youth and families in British Columbia by providing services that are accessible, inclusive, and culturally respectful."
- Annual Service Plan Report 2022 
- Mandate Letter 

Age-Friendly BC Program 
- Tools and Resources
- Becoming An Age-Friendly Community (2014, PDF) 
- Age-Friendly BC: Lessons Learned (2007-2010)

Federal Government
"The federal Minister of Health is responsible for maintaining and improving the health of Canadians. This is supported by the Health Portfolio which comprises Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency." 
​- Wikipedia 

First Nations Health Authority
"The FNHA is the health and wellness partner to over 200 diverse First Nations communities and citizens across BC.​ In 2013, the FNHA began a new era in BC First Nations health governance and health care delivery by taking responsibility for the programs and services formerly delivered by Health Canada."
- Governance model 
- 2020/21 Annual Report 


Vancouver Island: South Island 
Island Health 
"Through a network of hospitals, clinics, centres, health units, and residential facilities, Island Health provides health care to people on Vancouver Island, on the islands of the Georgia Strait, and in the mainland communities between Powell River and Rivers Inlet."  The authority covers four overall regions on Vancouver Island and the mainland. 

- Services offered and specialty clinic locations 
- Island Health President & CEO Kathy MacNeil
- Island Health Board of Directors
- Island Health ED, Clinical Service Delivery Sarah Crawford-Bohl 
- Medical Health Officer (Population & Public Health) Dr. Murray Fyfe 
- Medical staff website portal 
- Clinical Operations org chart (region including Sooke) 

- Local Health Area Profile: The Western Communities (2019 profile) are one of 14 health areas under Island Health's watch as defined by the Ministry of Health. Ours is comprised of Sooke, Langford, Colwood, Metchosin and Highlands. 
- Community Health Facts: Westshore and Sooke (2013) 

- Island Health Facebook page (notable at the moment for the chain of messages about temporary service disruptions at clinics in Port Hardy, Ladysmith and Chemainus due to a lack of physicians.)

Primary Care Network Steering Committee
(co-chaired by Sooke's Dr. Robin Saunders, who also co-chairs Partners for Better Health) 

South Island Division of Family Practice
- West shore and Sooke recruitment page 
- FETCH (For Everything That's Community Health) online listing of 2,200 resources in Greater Victoria (physicians, medical specialists, substance use/addiction, seniors, mental health counselling, low-income support, etc.) 


Sooke and Region 
(scan down for an overview of past initiatives and events leading to the present situation) 

T'Sou-ke Nation Health Care Centre 
- T'Sou-ke Nation Health
- New Community Care Centre Will Deliver Better Health Care to the T'Sou-ke Nation (Ministry of Municipal Affairs)
- T'Sou-ke Community Hall and Health Centre (Urban Arts Architecture) + TC article 

West Coast Family Medical Clinic, Sooke  
The busy Evergreen Mall base for medical care in Sooke. Created in the 2011 merger of Evergreen Medical Clinic and Harbour Medical Clinic. It is home to ten doctors, one nurse practitioner, a social worker, a dietitian and three registered nurses. Together they deliver family practice basics and collectively cover a diverse range of specialities: Maternity care, neurology, chronic pain management, oncology, cancer care, addictions, chronic pain, palliative care, chronic disease management and primary health care included. You'll find bios and individual skill sets/responsibilities for the 16-person-strong team here. 

- "Sooke's Creative Approach to Health Care" (Black Press, May 5, 2022)

* Vacancy notice: Nurse Practitioner (shared here since it explains the position) 
"West Coast Family Medical is looking for a Nurse Practitioner to fill a temporary one year term. In this sub-contracted position the nurse practitioner works within a Primary Care Network and, together with other members of an interprofessional care team, provides full scope team-based primary care for a panel of patients.

The nurse practitioner is responsible and accountable for the comprehensive assessment of patients/ clients/ residents including diagnosing diseases, disorders and conditions. The Nurse practitioner initiates treatment including health care management, therapeutic interventions and prescribes medications in accordance with the statutory and regulatory standards, limits and conditions, policy and guidelines. The Nurse Practitioner provides professional guidance to students and other health professionals and practices autonomously and interdependently within the context of an interdisciplinary health care team, making referrals to physicians and others as appropriate.

This position collaborates with patients/ clients/ residents and other members of the interdisciplinary team to identify and assess trends and patterns that have implications for patients/ clients/ residents, families and communities; develops and implement population and evidence based strategies to improve health and participates in policy-making and quality activities that influence health services and practices. The position participates in peer review and self-review to evaluate the outcome of services at the patient/client/resident, community and population level and to continuously improve quality and safety." 

LifeLabs Sooke (laboratory services)

West Coast Medical Imaging + Greater Victoria locations 

Ayre Manor Seniors' Housing 
Independent and assisted living, complex care and hospice beds. Opened in Jan. 2008. Owned by the Sooke Elderly Citizens' Housing Society (SECHS), a local non-profit charitable society formed in 1968 by the Old Age Pensioners Organization. Ayre Manor is supported by Island Health and the District of Sooke in association with SECHS. 
- Construction begins on Ayre Manor (March 2007)
- Expansion Plans for a new 56-bed wing (2012) 
- Expansion Plans Stalled (2017)
- Accreditation Canada acknowledgement (March 2021) 

Sooke Shelter Society 
Hope Centre Supportive Housing and Shelter (BC Housing website) 
- Who To Call infographic 
- BC Housing inquiry form and phone contact: "We welcome questions and feedback on this project through the Q&A tool on this page or to [email protected]. We look forward to welcoming the community to tour the building once renovations are complete (1Q 2023) and encourage you to contact us about a tour." 

​Sooke Homelessness Coalition 
A satellite working group of the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness 

Sooke Family Resources Society 

• Sooke Early Years Programs
• West Shore Early Years Programs
• Child Care Resource and Referral (CCRR)
• Counselling
• Youth Services
• Family Services
• Adults with Disabilities
• Bridging the Digital Divide

- Island Health Sooke Health Unit at Sooke Family Resources Society 

Sooke Region Communities Health Network 
"Since 2003, the Sooke Co-operative Association of Service Agencies (CASA) and the grassroots Sooke Region Community Health Initiative (CHI) have worked together to benefit the Sooke Region from Port Renfrew to Beecher Bay.  In 2016, the two merged their resources and officially became Sooke Region Communities Health Network (SRCHN). It operates as a cooperative non-profit organization with charitable status, which allows it to manage its own grant funding and to act as an umbrella organization for other voluntary groups." 

​SRCHN annual service agreement since 2014 with the District of Sooke. Island Health provides matching funds for a part-time coordinator position filled by SRCHN Executive Director Christine Bossi. The DOS agreement requires ... 
- Sooke Region Resource website
- Sooke Age Friendly Committee (meets monthly under the direction of chair Roy Brown and guided by Christine) 
- Achievement of BC Age-Friendly Committee status 
- Planning for Seniors/Youth Community Activity Centre (aka The Gathering Place) 
- Identify community needs, facilitate community activities 
- Create collaborations and partnerships
- Address issues identified by the Primary Health Care Working Group
- Maintain/develop relationships at regional and provincial levels
- Promote and bolster volunteer activities  

SRCHN Reports and Studies  
​* Youth Activities Report (2021)
* Sooke Region Homelessness Consultation (2021)
​* Sooke Region Food Security Report (2021) 

BC Healthy Communities Age-Friendly Action Guide (2020)

Sooke and Juan de Fuca Health Foundation 
Founded in 2018 to "make funding available to local charities who are working hard to provide health-related services to our local communities." Grants from its general fund have been used to purchase equipment for Ayre Manor and the West Coast Family Medical Clinic and Ayre Manor. The Mary Brown Memorial Fund was established last year specifically to address mental health and disability needs; to date its grants have funded counselling services at the Sooke Shelter Society and the Sooke Family Resources Society. A long-time Shirley resident, Mary Brown was a psychiatric social worker who supported people with disabilities and mental health challenges in Canada, UK, and Australia.

- Purpose
- Board of Directors
- How to Give donations options  + Canada Helps direct link 

Sooke Food Bank
Nov. 2022: "Sooke Residents Are Super Generous" (CTV News) 
- Canada Helps donation page 
- EMCS Leadership students' 10,000 Tonight food drives 
- Christmas Bureau 
- Sooke Fire Services campaign + Santa Run
- Grace Garden at the Sooke Baptist Church 

2018 Statistics (most recent on the website): 
Number of Hampers: 3,270
Average 96 families per week
Average 78 children per week
Average 143 adults per week
Cost to date: $229,069.70
Total Pounds: 118,947
Total Kilograms: 53,953

Sooke Transition House Society 
"Provides emergency shelter for women and their children who are in crisis resulting from family violence. Counselling, education, prevention and advocacy."

Sooke Hospice Society 
"The Sooke Hospice Society is a team of trained volunteers and professionals dedicated to the physical, emotional and spiritual care of individuals who are palliative, as well as their families and loved ones, within the community of Sooke." 

CONTACT: Community Assistance Society 
Low-cost loans of medical equipment (canes, crutches, wheelchairs)

ElderConnect
Sooke Region Community Portal data base for seniors. 

District of Sooke 
- Service agreements with annual funding to ...
* Sooke Region Communities Health Network
* Sooke Family Resource Society
* Sooke Food Bank 

- District grant-hosting for the Sooke Shelter Society's Strengthening Communities grant (2021/22)
 
- District support, council liaison and ongoing engagement via Sooke Bylaw, Sooke Fire Services and Sooke RCMP with the Sooke Homelessness Coalition and local homelessness. 
​
- Community Grants Program support for miscellaneous health-related organizations, including (in 2022) ... 
* SFRS Pre-Natal Program ($7k from the Covid-19 Safe Restart reserve fund)
* Sooke Shelter Society ($7k from the Covid-19 Safe Restart reserve fund)
* Steps to the Future Childcare Society ($5k from the Covid-19 Safe Restart reserve fund)
* KidSport Greater Victoria ($7k) 
* Take A Hike Foundation ($5k) 
* Victoria Brain Injury Society ($1k)


Sooke Service Gaps
Leading Service Gap: Community Health Centre/Urgent Primary Care Centre 
Sooke currently lacks and has long lobbied for a dedicated Urgent Primary Care Centre (UPCC) operating with sufficient staffing and hours common to other UPCCs in British Columbia. District land for this centre is reserved on Lot A.

Patients with doctors in Sooke can drop-in to the West Coast Family Medical Clinic during urgent care hours (M-F, Noon to 4:30 PM). Outside those hours (and for all those without local doctors), individuals are advised to book appointments at the Westshore Urgent Primary Care Centre in Langford. 

• Urgent care (same day) services are for people who need care within 12-24 hours but do not require an emergency department and who do not have access to a family doctor, nurse practitioner or walk-in clinic in a suitable time frame.
• Patients experiencing chest pains, severe head injuries or broken bones and any concerns requiring immediate blood testing, x-rays or other diagnostic tests cannot be treated at the UPCC and should attend their local hospital’s emergency department or call 9-1-1 during a health emergency.
• Patients will be assessed at the Westshore UPCC upon arrival and registered to be seen as capacity allows. 
• Please note that due to patient volumes, appointments are not guaranteed. Please check medimap.ca for wait times and capacity.

As the West Coast Family Medical Clinic website states: "Please note that the Westshore Urgent Primary Care Centre is the designated clinic for local residents without a Primary Care Provider ... We recognize that many residents of Sooke do not have access to a Primary Care Provider. West Coast Family Medical Clinic does provide limited, same-day access to a Primary Care Provider for local residents (Sooke to Port Renfrew) through our Urgent Care Clinic [open M-F, Noon to 4:30 PM]. Please note that demand for this service usually exceeds our capacity ... To help us better serve those in our community with urgent medical issues or without a Primary Care Provider, please make every effort to see your own Family Physician or Nurse Practitioner for your medical concerns whenever possible. Same-day appointments in the Urgent Care Clinic can be booked online (online booking only available to patients who already have a chart at our office) or by calling our office at 250-642-4233. Phones are answered from 8:30-12:00, and from 1:00-4:30 (3:30 on Fridays). Please note that it can be difficult to get through by telephone at times due to high call volumes." 

- New UPCC Will Deliver Better Health Care to the West Shore (Ministry of Health press release, Oct. 26, 2018) 
- West Shore Clinic Busiest in the Province, Health Minister Says (Times Colonist, Nov. 26, 2019)

Other Urgent and Primary Care Centres in Greater Victoria 

• James Bay Urgent Primary Care Centre – Victoria
• Esquimalt Urgent Primary Care Centre – Esquimalt
• Downtown Victoria Urgent and Primary Care Centre - Victoria 
• North Quadra Urgent Primary Care Centre – Saanich
• Gorge Urgent and Primary Care Centre – Victoria  

Community Health Centres

• Island Sexual Health Community Health Centre – Victoria 

X-Ray Services in Sooke 
- West Coast Medical Imaging Services (M to F, 11 to 4 PM) 
- "Sooke Mayor Pushing for Beter X-Ray Services" - Sooke News Mirror (Nov. 2015) 
- Advocacy statement 
- "In late 2017, West Coast Medical Imaging improved the X-Ray technology available in Sooke" 

Speech therapist? SRCH advocacy in 2017

More on CHCs: BC Association of Community Health Centres
"BCACHC exists to support and advance the Community Health Centre (CHC) model and engage, advocate for, and support CHCs as an integral part of health and social service delivery in BC communities." 
- What Is a Community Health Centre? 
- The Importance of Community Health Centres in BC's Medical Care Reforms (Canadian Centre Policy Alternatives, 2019) 
- Building Ties With The Health System (CARES, 2020) 
- Roadmap to a CHC 

"Sooke has very little capacity to support the growing needs for Island Health Mental Health and Substance Use (MHSU) services for our community. There is one free service -- Urgent Short Term Assessment and Treatment (USTAT) -- with capacity or  capacity to serve 16 sessions a week. As small as the free service is, it is currently (October 2022) experiencing challenges with a staffing shortage. The USTAT position has been understaffed for several months … There is no equitable access to MHSU services for people with low income or who lack insurance. There is not enough support available for people who have a low capacity to navigate complex access systems. We have to do better.”

Back Story: Sooke Health & Preventative Care Initiatives 

* Way Back: I'll browse the Sooke Story for clues when i get a chance. 

* Pre-2000: "Becoming an Age Friendly Community, a place where seniors, and all ages, are respected and supported has been the goal of community members long before the term was coined. As our community grew its members identified a need for seniors’ supports. As early as 1945 a Sooke Over 60’s Club was formed, which was the forerunner to the Old Age Pensioners Organization, Branch#88. From that group sprung the Sooke Elderly Citizens Housing Society and the Contact Community Assistance Society (Loan Cupboard and Contact Drivers). By 1975 another group was providing a ‘Meals on Wheels’ program as well as inexpensive lunches. This eventually developed into the Sooke Senior Drop-In Centre. The Sooke Elderly Citizens Housing Society worked tirelessly for over 40 years to acquire land and build an assisted living and extended care building in Sooke. The New Horizons Activity Society was formed in the 1980’s and later became the Sooke Seniors Activity Society which raised funds to purchase and operate a bus to assist with seniors’ transportation to events and shopping excursions." - from the Executive Summary of the Sooke Age-Friendly Action Plan (2015)

* 2005: The Sooke Youth & Adult Navigator Project, Dr. Ellen Anderson and Susan Larke. <clip> "In our rural and remote communities, challenged by MHA service access issues, a community-supported Navigator model was designed to increase access to comprehensive, strengths-based assessment, planning and referral facilitation ... Our model utilised the service of two navigators with complementary skills in social work and psychiatric rehabilitation. One navigator focused primarily on youth under age 19 years and one navigator worked primarily with adults. One navigator was female and one was male. However, it was very important for both of them to be able to work with clients of any age and either sex." 

* 2006/2007: Mayor Evans and her council continue advocacy with the Vancouver Island Health Authority, MLA John Horgan and others for improved health care, notably collaboration with the Sooke Elderly Citizens Housing Society re: the future Ayre Manor Lodge. Other health-oriented work included attendance at the Premier's Council on Seniors and Aging Forum, the Victoria Community Task Force on Cystal Meth, a BC Healthy Community Initiatives workshop, and a Planning Institute of British Columbia workshop.  

* Sept. 23, 2006: Sooke Community Health Initiative Forum at the Community Hall 

* Oct. 10, 2006: Announcement that VIHA had signed a $16.1 million contract to construct Ayre Manor. 

* Sept. 8, 2008: "What will it take to create a more age-friendly Sooke?" - day-long conference hosted by Sooke Economic Development Commission in partnership with Sooke Harbour Chamber of Commerce. Participants explored ideas on topics including Community Infrastructure, Safety & Security, Health Services, Active Aging, Lifelong Learning, Communication, and Transportation.

* 2009: Launch of Sooke Region Food CHI 

* 2013: Sooke Region Community Health Initiative (CHI) designated by the Province as the official Age-Friendly Committee for the District of Sooke

* Fall, 2013: The Primary Health Care Services Working Group (PHCSWG) was formed based on input from the community through Mayor Milne's Advisory Panel on Community Health and Social Initiatives. The working group included members from Sooke Region CHI, Sooke Volunteer Centre, the West Coast Family Medical Clinic, the South Island Division of Family Practice, Island Health and the District of Sooke. 

* Dec. 2013: "A GP for Me" forum. (Britt Santowski's Sooke News Mirror story linked here notes that the BC Liberals made a “2010 Government commitment to provide a family physician for any BC resident who wants one by 2015.”)

* 2014: District Service agreement with SRCHN to fund Age Friendly work and meet senior and volunteer goals outlined in the Official Community Plan. (hence the first service agreement; see details at end of this post)

* Highlights of 2013/14 work by PHCSWG
(Nicky Logins, Marlene Barry, Dr. Ellen Anderson, Emma Isaac, Linda Nehra, Wendal Milne)
- Joined Island-wide initiative for a "physician recruitment navigator" position 
- Highlighted gap in X-ray and ultrasound servcies in Sooke. Four UVic Master of Business Administration students develop a business plan for diagnostic services in Sooke
- "Managing At Home: Support Needs for Sooke Seniors" study funded through BC Age-Friendly grant to assess needs of seniors who are medically at risk and facing social isolation.  
- Worked with Island Health to fund two additional hospice beds for Ayre Manor 
- Advocate for support of the Integrated Health Network in Sooke 

* Nov. 2014: Island Health Board of Directors meetings in Sooke hosted by Mayor Tait and the District 

*  Dec. 15, 2014: Sooke council appoints a liaison (Mayor Tait) to the PHCSWG. States the Committee of the Whole report: "By focusing on buiding not just the physical infrastructure of our community but also the social infrastructure, local elected officials work hand-in-hand with health care professionals to contribute to citizen's health and social needs." At this time, 74% of Sooke residents do not have doctors in Sooke. Waiting list of 800 for new patient uptake at West Coast Family Medical Clinic. 

* October 2015: Release of District of Sooke Age-Friendly Action Plan 
"A strong commitment to supporting our seniors, volunteering and caring for others has helped Sooke to become the place it is now. Sooke is an Age Friendly community with a vision and many citizens have the desire to make it more so. We’ve come together to make things happen in the past and will continue to do so far into the future. We understand that when we build to ‘Age Friendly’ we build to accommodate all ages and abilities." 

- 2015: The Province and BC Healthy Communities recognized the District of Sooke as a community that has demonstrated "incredible commitment to supporting older residents to remain healthy and active in their communities." 

* May 28, 2016: Sooke Region Health Summit at the Community Hall hosted by Mayor Tait. Organized around four topics: Healthy Food Accessibility; Special Populations; Medical Services & Infrastructure; Social and Physical Activities. Gaps that were identified in these areas informed the ongoing work of the PHCSWG and the District of Sooke. Read the final report here. 
 
* Nov. 2016: "No Easy Fix for Doctor Shortage" - Kevin Laird, Sooke News Mirror 

* April, 2017:  The CRD Hospitals and Housing Committee endorsed Mayor Tait’s motion entitled, “Support for Pilot Project: A Regional Health Care Facility in Sooke”. Discussion ensued regarding:
"- the similar challenges regarding healthcare for residents of Victoria and Sooke and if they are more acute in Sooke,
- the different needs perceived by the public versus healthcare professionals, 
​- being a part of the CRD means that residents of Sooke are requested to use the facilities in the region that are not necessarily local,
- any facility would be open to residents of Victoria and reduce the load on services in Victoria, and
- the challenges of the highway to Sooke."

MOVED by Director Tait, SECONDED by Director Helps, That the Hospitals and Housing Committee recommends to the Capital Regional District Board that: The District of Sooke and the Sooke Region Primary Health Care Services Working Group calls on the Capital Regional Hospital District, the Province of British Columbia, Island Health, and all levels of government to support a regional health care facility in Sooke. CARRIED

* Summer/Fall 2017: The Sooke Planning Steering Committee was subsequently formed. Committee members include Mayor Tait as well as representatives from the CRD, Sooke Family Physicians, SIDFP, Island Health and the CHN.  See agenda package for: 1. Sooke Region Health Summit – Final Report (Draft); 2. Sooke Fire Rescue Department – Emergency Call Statistics; 3. Correspondence regarding Health Care Services in Sooke; 4. Island Health – 2014 Sooke Local Health Area Profile; 5. Sooke Pocket News survey – Medical Services in Sooke, April, 2017. 

* Nov. 2017: Sooke Community Heath Care Stakeholders Consultation. Five identified needs: 

Quote: "1. Improved Access to Primary Care: Participants identified the desire for more primary care providers (GPs and Nurse Practitioners), citing limited clinic space and incentives to attract more GPs as barriers. The desire for access to longer primary care hours in the evenings and on weekends, including Sundays and holidays, was expressed. Same-day access to primary care in urgent circumstances was also desired. Many participants indicated that co-located space would be desirable with all-primary health services integrated (virtually or by physical co-location).
2. Care provided by a team of health care providers (team-based care): Participants indicated that having a care team focused on seniors would be valuable. Also, having Nurse Practitioners or Registered Nurses attached to the Physician clinic would be desired to improve access to primary care.
3. Access to more specialized, locally accessible services: Participants identified the need for more access to Mental Health and Substance Use services, including walk-in services. Also, increased services for isolated seniors were suggested, along with the idea of having a drop-in seniors’ activity centre.
4. Improved access to other key enablers: Currently x-ray services in Sooke are available 7.5 hours/week (Tuesday 8:30am-11:00 am, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9am-11:30am) and laboratory services are available on weekdays (8am-4pm Mondays to Fridays). The community identified more service hours are desirable to improve access and reduce the need to travel outside the community for these services. Maximizing the use of electronic medical/health records was also cited as a key enabler to bolster service provision.
5. Supporting population wellness: Improved health literacy (access to information on wellbeing and how/where to access services) was deemed a priority for participants. Improved transportation (both within Sooke and to destinations outside Sooke) was also cited by participants as needed, particularly on weekends (note: transportation issues are considered out of scope for this plan). Road improvement needs were also identified."

* May 18, 2018: Aging With Grace: Sooke Region Age 55+ Summit 
Keynote speech by Dr. David Docherty, School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education, University of Victoria + Overview of the 2018 Provincial Seniors' Summit by Doni Eve, Senior Manager, Healthy Aging, for the Population and Public Health Division of the BC Ministry of Health + talk by Sooke Registered Clinical Counsellor Janet Raynor Thorn titled "The Croning Years: The Later Life Transformations" + break-out groups re: ElderConnect Seniors' Info Hub. 

* June 16, 2018:  Sooke Community Health Service Engagement with stakeholders at Community Hall 

* Aug. 2018: Sooke Community Health Service Planning Report (Island Health/District of Sooke) 

* Winter/Spring 2018/19: Lot A Charette Concept Plan identifies best possible uses of the town-centre, District-owned property's southeast quadrant as a "5-6-storey Health Centre with limited size independent commercial retail units on the base and market housing units on the upper floors. Second floor office space is also appropriate. This quadrant would include an underground parking component ... conceived as a wood-frame building with a total floor area of approximately 7,000m2." 

-  April 26, 2019:  "Expanded Primary Care Coming to Sooke" (Ministry of Health press release) 

- June, 12, 2020: Official opening of expanded West Coast Family Medical Clinic; "Sooke Clinic Aims to Connect More Patients With Doctors" (Times Colonist)

- 2020/21/22: Advocacy continues with the Ministry of Health for a hybrid Community Heath Centre/Urgent Primary Care Centre on the southeast quadrant of Lot A. 


Miscellaneous 
Media Coverage: BC Health Care Issues 
~ "BC's Health-Care Crisis Is Unrelenting: What Can Be Done To Fix It?" (CBC, Sept. 19, 2022;  includes link to the Situation Critical town hall with Minister Dix and others) 
~ "BC Liberals Call for Audit of Urgent and Primary Care Centres" (Times Colonist, July 27, 2022) 
~ "BC Health Care System Strengthened by New Payment Model for Doctors" (Ministry of Health, Oct. 31, 2022)
​~ "BC Health Minister Calls for Trudeau to Engage on Health Funding" (CBC, Nov. 6, 2022) 

Reports 
- Family Doctors Care: The Role and Value of Family Physicians in BC (BC College of Family Physicians, 2020) 

* BC 211
Free, confidential hot-line consultation 24/7 in 150 languages 

* BC Centre For Disease Control 
- Covid 19 page 
- Business protocols 
- Link to current Province-wide regulations 

* Canadian Mental Health Association: BC Division

* Doctors of BC website + Advocating for family physicians 


Greater Victoria Hospitals 

Capital Regional Hospital District 
This CRD corporation "partners with Island Health and community stakeholder agencies to develop and improve healthcare facilities in the region and provide capital funding for infrastructure such as acute care, residential care and hospital equipment.
- 10-Year Capital Plan (through 2032) 

Victoria General Hospital 
"Victoria General started as St. Joseph’s Hospital in 1876. The name was changed when the Sisters of St. Ann gave it to the province in 1972.t The new VGH opened in 1983 on Hospital Way off Helmcken. A 368-bed community-based acute- care facility, it provides general adult & pediatric surgery including orthopedics, endoscopy, maternity & neo-natal ser- vices, sexual assault nurse examiner, as well as mammography, asthma, dia- betes, & respiratory clinics, cancer care, icu, rehabilitation, and much more."

Royal Jubilee Hospital 
Founded in the 1860s and now featuring 500 beds. It offers critical care, surgery, diagnostics, emergency facilities, with a special focus on cardiac medicine. 

Victoria Hospital Foundation 
Supporting care teams at Royal Jubilee, VGH and Gorge Road hospitals.  


Third United Way of British Columbia Provincial Aging Summit (2022) 


"The District of Sooke has entered into a Service Agreement with the SRCHN to provide the following services:
 
• Sooke Region Resource website:
o website improvements, updates and maintenance;

• Age Friendly Committee for Sooke:
o develop planning and/or activities to achieve official provincial status for Sooke as an Age Friendly Community

• Seniors/Youth/Community Activity Centre:
o Identify the needs of the community
o Initiate and facilitate community forum/s or other opportunities to discuss development of a community activity centre, and to inform Council on this initiative
o Solicit partnerships and engage support from interested potential partner organizations
o Goal of September 30 2014 completion date for these services

• Primary Health:
o address issues identified through the Primary Health Care Working Group and Mayor‘s Panel, Community Health and Social Initiatives
o maintain and further develop relationships at regional and provincial levels for community health initiatives
• Volunteer Initiatives:
o Explore funding opportunities to implement OCP identified Volunteer initiatives and activities that promote Sooke‘s claim as the Volunteer Capital of Canada

VIHA has been an avid supporter of SRCHN, matching funds provided by the District of Sooke to fund our activites. As of 2014, VIHA has provided funding for a part-time coordinator's position to futher collaboration and increase opportunities for the region. This was very appreciated by SRCHN as grants often do not provide the possibility to pay indirect costs such as services rendered."

Addendum
Here's an excerpt (shared by permission) of the speaking notes read by Roy Brown at a memorial concert for his late wife Mary Brown held at the Anglican Church in December, 2022. The concert was a Sooke and Juan de Fuca Health Foundation fundraiser for Mary Brown Memorial Fund, which supports local charities delivering services to people with mental health and/or disability needs.  A social scientist and practitioner, Roy is Chair of the Sooke Age-Friendly Committee and recipient of the Dr Robert E; Cooke Lifetime achievement award-American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry. 

"The following are some of the challenges faced by the relevant families where there are challenging and serious life issues.  If one compares life satisfaction characteristics between families with disability issues with a random sample of the population of the same age without mental health and disability concerns, there are great discrepancies in the following:

- Health issues
- Financial wellbeing
- Family relations
- Support from other people 
- Support from Disability related services - Over 50% of those responding are dissatisfied or very dissatisfied.
- Spiritual and cultural needs.
- Careers and preparation for careers.
- Leisure and enjoyment of life. 
- Community and civic involvement.

The more severe the conditions the greater the discrepancy between the control group (no major mental health or disability issues) and those with disabilities. This data was collected in BC and is consistent with other studies. 

I want to make such concerns more concrete and exemplify one simple technique that can be introduced. In one sense light hearted but serious. My mom was celebrating her 100th birthday and was at a party with care staff from the day program she attended. She had severe Alzheimer’s. She brought  along a book of photos representing her life. Staff asked to look at it. Mom wanted to know what the staff were talking about.  Well Mom, the staff say you were a beautiful woman.  Yes,I was She said!  banging her walking stick on the ground!

Then  I realised: The staff did not know the broad details of her life and were learning it for the first time. I now recommend that end of life programs should ensure that families have a book of their loved one’s life. It broadens staff knowledge of the person they are caring for. It is also a visual aid for their patient or client. Remember one is more likely to lose recall skills and retain recognition for longer." 

I wanted to point you to today's Times Colonist article in case you've not seen it  - https://www.timescolonist.com/local-news/seniors-advocate-says-province-has-no-action-plan-to-increase-long-term-care-beds-11297464

"The seniors advocate’s report found the long-term care system has gone from providing 77 beds per 1,000 people a decade ago to 58 beds today. Levitt said that number will fall to 41 beds by 2035/36 if beds continue to be built and replaced at the current rate."