Sooke, British Columbia

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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, a large ocean inlet often mistaken for a lake by first-time visitors. Most people who live along the edge of the basin self-identify as Sooke residents, even though the District of Sooke's political boundary is limited to its northern edge. The unincorporated area to the immediate east of Sooke, and on the peninsula of land separating the Sooke Basin from the Juan de Fuca Strait, is referred to as East Sooke. Recent changes have led to some privately owned properties in East Sooke legally joining Sooke.

[edit] Population

The population of Sooke is roughly 12,000. 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 as a logging 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, or are commuters to jobs in the Victoria area.

There is one high school in Sooke, Edward Milne Community School, with 700 students. The junior high school, Journey Middle School, has a student base of around 500. There are four elementary schools in the Sooke region. These schools are all part of School District 62 Sooke.

[edit] Tourism and recreation

Sooke's popularity as a scenic tourist destination has existed for generations. Famous destinations in Sooke, such as the Sooke Harbour House, Whiffen Spit, 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 new Juan de Fuca Provincial Park.

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 runs through Sooke and is a popular cycling route to Victoria.

[edit] Neighbourhoods of Sooke

• Broom Hill
• Kemp Lake
• Otter Point
• Saseenos
• Whiffen Spit
• Milne's Landing
• North Sooke
• Sunriver

[edit] External links

• The District of Sooke municipal government website
• Sooke Organizations & Community Info
• Sooke Community Website
• Sooke Chamber of Commerce
• Sooke News Mirror newspaper
• Muir Creek Preservation Society

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