| District of Sooke | |
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| Coordinates: 48°22′34″N 123°44′16″W / 48.37611°N 123.73778°W | |
| Country |  Canada |
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| Province |  British Columbia |
| Region | Vancouver Island |
| Regional district | Capital Regional District |
| Incorporated | December 7, 1999 |
| Area | |
| - Total | 50.01 km2 (19.3 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 50 m (164 ft) |
| Population (2006) | |
| - Total | 9,704 |
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) |
| Highways | 14 |
| Waterways | Strait of Juan de Fuca |
| Website | District of Sooke |
Sooke is an incorporated district municipality situated on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Canada. About a 45 minute drive from the city of Victoria (the capital of British Columbia), Sooke is considered the westernmost of the Capital Regional District's "Western Communities." It is situated to the north and west of the Sooke Basin, an ocean inlet often mistaken for a lake by first-time visitors.
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Population
The population of The District of Sooke is approximately 11,000. The town core straddles the Sooke Road for about one kilometer. Off the highway, Sooke is a mix of growing residential subdivisions, small hobby farms, larger working farms, light industry, and wilderness.
Sooke is proud of its past and fishing community, and All Sooke Days has been a popular annual event featuring lumberjack sports and competitions. Logging is still an important activity in the areas north and west of Sooke, and a small fishing fleet is still operated out of the Harbour. Many residents, however, are active in the local hospitality industry, operating small retail businesses, and running online and/or home-based businesses. A good number of residents are commuters to jobs in the Greater Victoria area.
Municipal Government
The current members on the District of Sooke Council (elected Nov.15, 2008 for 3 years) are:
- Mayor Janet Evans
- Councillor Bev Berger
- Councillor Sheila Beech
- Councillor Ron Dumont
- Councillor Herb Haldane
- Councillor Maja Tait
- Councillor David Bennett
The District of Sooke's stated Top Ten priorities for 2009-2011 are:
- Sewer Expansion
- Alternate Highway Route
- Adopt Official Community Plan
- Town Centre Plan
- Beautification Sidewalks
- Rate & Quality of Growth
- Industrial Site
- Compost Recycling
- Highway 14 Beautification
- Galloping Goose Connector
Regular Council meetings are held as well as public meeting for the purpose of receiving community input to the plans and work of the District of Sooke Council and staff.
Education
Sooke is a part of the School District 62 Sooke.
There is one high school in Sooke, Edward Milne Community School and a junior high school, Journey Middle School.
Efforts at community/adult education are delivered by the Edward Milne Community School (EMCS) with day, evening and weekend programs.
Tourism and recreation
Sooke's popularity as a scenic tourist destination has existed for generations. Well-known destinations in Sooke, such as the Sooke Harbour House, Whiffin Spit Park, and the Sooke Potholes Regional Park and adjacent Sooke Potholes Provincial Park attract visitors both locally and from around the world. The area's popularity has increased as a base for visiting the wilderness parks of Vancouver Island's southwest coast — the West Coast Trail and the Juan de Fuca Provincial Park which includes the now highly popular Juan de Fuca Marine Trail.
Mountain biking is growing in popularity in British Columbia, and Sooke is establishing itself as a destination for the sport. Local advocacy groups are working to have areas such as Broom Hill set aside as parkland.
The Galloping Goose Regional Trail, part of the Trans-Canada Trail, runs through Sooke and is a popular cycling route to Victoria.
Recreational fishing and boating have been popular for many years in the Sooke area.
There are many local bed-and-breakfast establishments in Sooke which play a large role in the local tourism business sector, notably Sooke Harbour House, Salty Towers, and others.
The Arts Community in Sooke
The vibrant arts community of Sooke enjoys the annual Sooke Fine Arts Festival (in its 23rd year in 2009) which brings hundreds of tourists to Sooke each summer by featuring the adjudicated art of local and regional artists. Sooke is known for its plethora of painters, writers, sculptors, potters, fabric artists, jewellery crafters, and more. The Sooke Community Arts Council plays a large role in fostering art in the region. The Sooke Harbour House art gallery is a main display opportunity for many local artisans.
Real Estate in Sooke
Housing prices in Sooke are among the lowest in British Columbia. According to the Greater Victoria Real Estate Board the 6-month average in Sooke (as of May 2009) was $372,994 compared to the Greater Victoria area's overall average of $550,756. Real estate is the main driving force that brings new residents to Sooke.
Neighbourhoods of Sooke
(in order from east to west)
- North Sooke
- Saseenos
- Milne's Landing
- Sunriver Estates
- Sooke Town Centre or "UpSooke"
- Broom Hill
- Whiffin Spit
- Otter Point
- Kemp Lake
Neighbouring Communities
- Metchosin - East of Sooke
- East Sooke - South of Sooke
- Otter Point - West of Sooke
Publications in Sooke
The weekly newspaper is the Sooke News Mirror published by Black Press. The quarterly news magazine is MapleLine Magazine published by Brookeline Publishing House Inc. The Rural Observer is a non-profit newsletter published by the Juan de Fuca Rural Publication Society. Several tourism publications are distributed in the region.
External links
- Travel and Tourism information for the Sooke area
- The District of Sooke municipal government website
- Sooke Organizations & Community Info
- Sooke Business Directory
- Sooke Community Website
- Sooke Chamber of Commerce
- Sooke News Mirror newspaper
- MapleLine Magazine - quarterly Sooke news issues magazine
- Rural Observer
- Sooke Community Arts Council
- SEAPARC Leisure Complex
- Information on recreational fishing in Sooke
- The 642 Blog - Sooke's Only Community and Real Estate Blog
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This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
