Parks & Trails Master Plan: Implementation

After weather delays, several milestones will take place this week and next to allow for a soft opening of the Stickleback Dog Park, located at 2276 Church Road, later this month.

Surfacing, waterline installation and preliminary parking enhancements on Church Road will take place starting tomorrow and continue until Friday (March 11, 2022).

Next week (March 14-17, 2022), the installation of the pet and person water fountain, dog bag dispenser, garbage bin, benches and signage will take place.

Provided there are no further weather delays, the public can anticipate a soft opening of the park on Friday, March 18, 2022.

Future milestones for the park include:

• additional trees being planted in partnership with a local school during Earth Week (April 18th-23rd) and;
• a gazebo being installed in the fall.

A grand opening event will be planned for a later date.

Construction is set to resume on the community multi-use sports box at 2430 Phillips Road the week of March 14th after weather and impacts from the pandemic caused several delays.

It is currently anticipated that a soft opening will occur in May and a grand opening event will take place in June. The facility will be operated by SEAPARC.

Upcoming project milestones:

• Week of March 14, 2022 – Form and concrete pouring (weather permitting) - The concrete pour scheduled for the week of March 14 (weather permitting) must be completed in one continual process from concrete pouring to levelling with a motorized trowell unit. Crews will mobilize by 8:00 a.m. and proceed with this work, which may take up to 16 hours. Many thanks to park neighbours for their patience and understanding while this milestone is met.
• Week of March 14, 2022 – Form and concrete pouring (weather permitting) - An additional trail (with waterline underneath) will be installed connecting Cedarview Place to the site. Distribution to neighbours during construction should be minimal. This work will begin mid-March and take approximately 1-month to complete
• April 2022 – Rink Board Installation - The crew will mobilize for rink board installation after the concrete has cured sufficiently. The boards and fencing will be installed over one week. There should be minimal disruption to neighbours during this phase.
• Fall 2022 - Tree planting

The sports box will be operated by SEAPARC. Please contact 250.642.8000 with questions about facility operations.

The District is receiving $353,449 from the Province’s Community Economic Recovery Program Grant to enhance the Sooke Potholes.

The project will include constructing two accessible toilets, widening staircase access to the beach, installing wayfinding signage and visitor information kiosk, and parking improvements. Construction will begin this fall with anticipated completion by May-long weekend 2023.

Sooke is known for its access to the natural environment and the Potholes are a signature natural landmark and popular destination for locals and visitors alike. The lower lot, District property, provides access to a freshwater beach and trail system which also connects to the Sooke Potholes Regional Park, maintained by the Capital Regional District.

Atop the Potholes, the Spring Salmon Place (KWL-UCHUN) Campground is operated by the T’Sou-ke First Nation. It operates seasonally each summer, from mid-May to mid-September.

Alongside the Sooke River and Potholes, is the Galloping Goose Trail – providing exceptional wilderness scenery and easy biking terrain along a former rail line.

The Sooke Potholes Enhancement project is one of more than 50 new tourism projects throughout B.C. that are receiving a total of $21.3 million for shovel-ready infrastructure projects from the province’s Community Economic Recovery Infrastructure Program’s (CERIP) Destination Development funding stream.

Learn more

• Province of BC News Release: More investments made in B.C.’s tourism infrastructure
• Province of BC Backgrounder of approved funding projects
• Sooke Potholes Regional Park, Captial Regional District Website

After experiencing supply chain delays, construction of the Stickleback Dog Park will begin on Tuesday, December 14th. Fencing will be installed this week. CRD Water has connected the water-line for the pet and person water foundation that will be installed in the new year. Additional amenities also set for installation in the new year include surfacing, gazebo, signage, the garbage bin and dog bag dispenser, and parking on Church Road.

It is anticipated an opening event for the park will take place in the late winter/early spring. Please stay tuned!

Construction of the Bluffs Staircase is complete!

At the June 28, 2021 Council meeting, Council reallocated funds from the Solid Waste Strategy Business Plan to repair the treads and railing using the staff tradesperson carpenter. It is anticipated this work has given the stairs an additional 10-15 years life expectancy.

Many thanks to our parks crew, led by Steve, Tradesperson/Carpenter, for their efforts in completing this project (once resources were identified) on time and on budget.

The Little River (Demamiel Creek) Crossing Project is included in the new Parks Development Cost Charges (DCC) Bylaw that is currently with the Province for approval. The short/mid-term strategy to fund the project is to continue to apply for grants and/or use Parks DCC funds and/or property taxes or reserve funds - most likely a combination of these funding sources in order to complete this much-needed project.

Funding has been identified in 2023 of the five-year financial plan to continue with design work and determine a timeline for completion.

October 18, 2021 - Unfortunately, the District was not successful with its funding application for Little River Crossing and is looking to have this project incorporated into 2023-2024 of the five-year financial plan.

As reported on March 8, 2021 the District was unsuccessful with a grant application earlier this year to repair the Bluffs Staircase and address parking concerns in the area. In light of this, staff would seek alternative funding solutions to restore this valued waterfront access.

At the June 28, 2021 Council meeting, Council carried unanimously reallocating funds from the Solid Waste Strategy Business Plan to repair the treads and railing using the staff tradesperson carpenter. This is anticipated to give the stairs an additional 10-15 years life expectancy.

Construction on the stairs will begin late summer 2021 with anticipated completion in fall 2021.

Learn more:

• Parks & Trails Master Plan Implementation page
• Parks & Trails Online Map Finder

Sooke Bluffs Park is located off of Highway 14 in the Whiffin Spit neighbourhood: travel down Whiffin Spit Road, turn right onto Francis Road, continue left onto Bethany Place. Please note: parking is limited.

The community joined forces this weekend, led by Wild Wise Sooke with support from the District and local business, Sooke Gutter, to install twelve purple martin nesting boxes at the Sooke Pier (located on the waterfront at the Prestige Oceanfront Resort).

Wild Wise President, Sam Webb, describes one of the biggest projects the organization has undertaken to date and remarkable efforts of the community:

“We are pleased to say it went very smoothly thanks to the organization and expertise of those involved. Special thanks to volunteer Mike Pretty for loaning his carpentry skills to the project, building boxes and leading the install today, Kelly Chartier for initiating the project last year and for her involvement in the planning and construction process, Shane Robertson and Sooke Gutter for purchasing the lumber and for continued assistance with the project, Evey Chartier for allowing us to recruit you into constructing boxes, Wallis Moore Reed for introducing us to PUMA nest monitoring and for answering our many many questions, Jessica Boquist and Laura Hooper from the District of Sooke Parks Department for overseeing and supporting this project, and all the volunteers who came out today to help with the full day of installing the beams and boxes.”

Webb notes that educational signage will be next for the project. “We will continue our citizen science project by checking to see how active the boxes are. If you get a chance, take a walk down the pier and see if you can spot members or the new Wild Wise Purple Martin colony!” Webb adds.

Purple Martins are Canada’s largest swallow, averaging 17 to 20 centimetres in length with a wingspan of 9-41 centimetres. They consume a variety of the larger flying insects, including dragonflies, moths, house flies, horse flies and deer flies. The Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks describes the Purple Martin as a Species At Risk; however, they note the species is increasing in numbers due to nest-box programs.

Learn more

• Purple Martin Page (Canadian Wildlife Federation)
• Purple Martin Species at Risk Information (BC Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks)
• Parks & Trails Master Plan

The District's Parks & Trails Master Plan highlights the need for public education and environmental stewardship initiatives.

The Parks and Trails Master Plan identified "Encourage and support stewardship efforts to remove invasive species" (p. 63). While this work is ongoing, through a partnership with the CRD, the District of Sooke has been chosen as a successful applicant on a Stronger BC invasive species project.

In a brief, the Invasive Species Council of B.C. explains about the program:

"The Invasive Species Council of BC is rolling Stronger BC Action Teams in 10 regions of the province. The main goal of the Stronger BC program is to provide training and employment to individuals who have lost employment opportunities due to the current pandemic. Indigenous people, women, youth, and applicants from economic sectors impacted by Covid-19 are encouraged to apply for Action Team positions. Action teams learn how to use ISCBC’s remote communications (virtual) platform, participate in remote (virtual/online) orientation and training and perform all duties according to the Provincial Health Orders with health and safety practices as a priority.

Action Teams are learning new skills and gaining experience in the natural resource sector by participating in formal training sessions and on-the-ground invasive species management projects. Each team has a supervisor and 3 crew members. Each team works for 3-4 months in their project area."

What this means for Sooke:

Action Teams will assist with invasive species removal in several key areas:

Residents can expect the action team to be working in these areas during the summer months. As you see a team at work, please join us in thanking them for making a significant contribution in caring for our local environment.

Interested in assisting with invasive species removal?

Post-COVID, the District is looking to offer seasonal education opportunities to participate in community invasive species removal events. Complete this form to be added to a participant interest list.

Links to learn more:

• Caution Nature and Invasive Species information page on the District of Sooke website
• Stronger BC
• Invasive Species Council of BC

Pictured: Policeman's Helmet. What does it threaten? This plant spreads aggressively along riverbanks and may replace native perennials, possibly resulting in erosion. Significant nectar stores may draw native pollinators away from native flowers. Dense stands may exclude native plants and wildlife.

Policeman's Helmet