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.”
~ 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.”
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