Sooke 2030 Climate Action Plan: Implementation

Thanks to the District of Sooke Community Climate Action Seed Funding Program and helping hands in the community with the Friends of Sooke Parks Society, Pineridge Parks is now home to two new trees and a few less invasive plants!

On Friday, December 1st, residents came together to plant two Cornus Eddie’s White Wonder dogwood trees in Pineridge Park.

Besides beautification – white flowers in the spring and fantastic fall colours – dogwoods have an interesting shape and are one of the few trees that will survive in a forest understory. These trees are a great option to reduce fuel hazard – low hazard itself, rapidly decaying leaf-litter, and shade the ground and lower bows of trees with higher fuel hazard ratings. Dogwoods are also moderately slow-growing and well-behaved “good neighbour” trees that can live over 100 years.

Additionally, volunteers cleared several invasive plants and potential wildfire hazards from the forest understory during the December 1st stewardship day. Again, a huge thank you to the volunteers for their efforts in caring for our community!

The combined efforts of residents and extending the financial resources through the provincial local government climate action to the District’s “made in Sooke” climate action plan is making a favourable impact in several Sooke neighbourhoods.

What’s next?

• Join the Friends of Sooke Parks Society for the Solstice Lantern Walk on December 21st at John Phillips Memorial Park.

The District of Sooke's Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan (CWRP) has been recently completed which will be Sooke's roadmap for risk reduction activities over the next five years. The CWRP presents 41 recommendations to enhance the community’s wildfire resiliency.

Key recommendations include maintaining funding for a full-time FireSmart coordinator position and launching a public education campaign. This plan was developed following the 2022 Community Resiliency Investment program template and standards. Each year, through the District's budget process priority areas for plan implementation will be confirmed.

Follow the approval of the District's budget at letstalk.sooke.ca/budget and see the Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan in action at letstalk.sooke.ca/firesmart.

The holidays are a time for giving and sharing, and what better way to show your holiday spirit than by swapping decorations with friends and neighbours! Zero Waste Sooke is hosting a community event on Sunday, November 26 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Sooke branch of the Vancouver Island Regional Library to bring residents together to exchange items and provide a social opportunity to meet like-minded members of Sooke!

The holiday decorations swap is a great way to give and receive unique decorations that add a special touch to your holiday décor and keep waste out of the landfill.

Join the fun and bring an extra sparkle to your holidays!

The event is funded in part through the District of Sooke’s Community Climate Action Seed funding program.

John Phillips Memorial Park will soon be home to nine new trees thanks to the Friends of Sooke Parks Society and a District of Sooke Community Climate Action Seed Funding Grant.

The trees will be planted along the Stickleback Urban Trail on the Nott Brook Pond side of the park during a tree planting event at 9am on Wednesday, November 22nd.

Trees help improve air quality, provide habitat for wildlife, and reduce the effects of climate change. They also provide a beautiful and calming atmosphere for visitors to the park.

Anyone interested in joining the Friends of Sooke Parks Society with their efforts can reach out to the group through their website:

• Friends of Sooke Parks Society Website

The District of Sooke is pleased to announce that it has recently been awarded a successful UBCM FireSmart Community Funding and Supports Grant through the Community Resiliency Investment program for $198,000. This grant will fund FireSmart activities in the District, including the implementation of FireSmart mitigation strategies to help reduce our local wildfire risk and support community resiliency.

The FireSmart Community Funding and Supports program provides funding to local governments and First Nations in BC to increase community resiliency by undertaking community-based FireSmart planning and activities that reduce the community’s risk from wildfire.

“On behalf of Council and the community, I extend my appreciation to UBCM and the provincial funding partners to support Sooke’s FireSmart efforts,” says Mayor Maja Tait.

With the funding, the District will continue FireSmart education and community-based programs including the free FireSmart home assessment program, and initiate two new programs — a FireSmart Rebate program and new opportunities for yard waste/disposal events for residents. Details on each of these new programs are being finalized with more information anticipated early in the new year.

“Such program expansions provide an exciting opportunity for a new level of engagement and support. I look forward to a successful FireSmart program in collaboration with residents that will reduce the risk of wildfire and improve the safety of our community,” Tait says.

On Friday, November 10th, the rain brought a chill to the air, but it was warmed by the spirit of community as 150 children gathered for a Community Story Walk supported by the Vancouver Island Regional Library, the Military Family Resource Centre, and the Friends of Sooke Parks Society.

The event was well received by children of all ages and included a card-making station where notes made by the children would be shared with Canadian Forces Members currently serving. Children were delighted to walk along the path and stop at each reading station to hear a page from the story and explore the illustration.

We would like to extend a huge thank you to the Vancouver Island Regional Library, the Military Family Resource Centre, and the Friends of Sooke Parks Society for their support and hard work in organizing this event. Their passion for children’s literacy and love of the outdoors made the Community Story Walk a memorable experience for everyone involved.

Thank you to all involved for making the Community Story Walk a success and for bringing joy to the children of Sooke.

The event was funded in part through the District of Sooke’s Community Climate Action Seed funding program.

To discover more of Sooke’s parks, use the Sooke Park Finder map:

• Sooke Parks Finder (arcgis.com)

To learn more about the Friend of Sooke Parks Society, visit their website:

• Friends of Sooke Parks Society | Sooke Parks for a more vibrant, connected community. | Friends of Sooke Parks Society

Today, the community came together in celebration of a new WorkBC Centre at 2096 Church Road. The event recognized the opening of the state-of-the-art facility and the people who continue to do so much in serving residents and businesses in Sooke!

The Centre and Work BC Team provides a variety of services including skills assessments and workshops, job search training, and one-on-one job search and resume assistance. Additionally, the facility offers meeting spaces for community groups, local wayfinding services, and so much more.

The new WorkBC Centre is a welcome addition to Sooke and will offer much-needed assistance to those looking for employment, employers and the community as a whole.

Among the speakers at today’s event included Deputy Mayor Al Beddows. “I am delighted to be here today to celebrate the opening of this new WorkBC facility on the traditional territory of the T’Sou-ke Nation. This opening marks an important milestone for our community and the efforts of WorkBC to ensure that everyone has access to the skills, training and job opportunities they need to succeed,” Beddows shared.

“While being equipped with technology and a caring team, the space is designed to be a source of support, connection and collaboration for our community. The much-needed bookable meeting spaces and open workstations offer critical tools to support our community as we grow. I extend my appreciation, on behalf of Council and the community, to WorkBC for their efforts not only in celebrating the opening of this facility but for the many decades supporting Sooke.”

The WorkBC Centre is now open and ready to serve the community. For more information, please visit www.workbc.ca or call 250-642-3685.

The popular provincial CleanBC Go Electric EV Rebate Program has returned, offering incentives for residential and workplace charging. Townhouses are now eligible for funding under the program. Visit the CleanBC Go Electric EV Charger Rebate Program for details.

Many thanks to the Friends of Sooke Parks Society who hosted a “Spooky Pumpkin Walk” at Pineridge Park on November 1st and provided an avenue for residents to compost pumpkins following Hallowe’en as we continue our efforts in co-existing with wildlife.

Earlier this year, the Society organized a community clean up and FireSmart stewardship gathering at the park. The team will also be planting two trees at the park entrance off of Rhodenite.

Pineridge Park is an approximately 1-acre park, accessed off of the path on Pineridge Place, as well as from the 6600 block of Rhodonite Drive, and is home to a combination of a diverse forest canopy and gently sloped greenspace.

The efforts of the Friends of Sooke Parks Society are funded in part through the District of Sooke’s Community Climate Action Seed funding program.

To discover more of Sooke’s parks, use the Sooke Park Finder map:

• Sooke Parks Finder (arcgis.com)

To learn more about the Friend of Sooke Parks Society, visit their website:

Friends of Sooke Parks Society | Sooke Parks for a more vibrant, connected community. | Friends of Sooke Parks Society

In collaboration with local community partners, Farm to School BC (F2SBC) works to empower and support schools in building comprehensive farm-to-school programs that support vibrant, sustainable, regional food systems, develop student food literacy, and enhance school and community connectedness. In Sooke, this opportunity was expanding thanks to funding from the District of Sooke Community Climate Action Seed Funding Program.

Patrick Gale received $4,040 for his project “Growing Community in the Edward Milne Community School Garden” which helped him reach 200 students and more than 60 community members through several initiatives taking place in recent weeks.

Such events included:

• Hosting a public apple pressing and tasting session with locally gleaned apples from heritage trees and discussing local food systems change;
• Hosting Nature Kindergarten and EMCS garden workshops with assistance from community volunteers;
• Planting winter cover crop and saffron bulbs with community volunteer support (with garlic planting taking place later this week);
• Starting to winterize gardens with some community volunteer support;
• Collaborating with EMCS Society Cultural Community Kitchen to host two community cooking sessions with garden-grown produce;
• Collaborating with Flourish! School Food Society to support community learning and engagement; and
• Harvesting over $1000 worth of school-grown produce, which in turn supports student and community food security!

Now, Patrick is looking to the next season of workshops and working days for early 2024 which he sees will include a seed exchange, garden planting, introduction to permaculture, water and soil management, and much more!

Stay informed about local climate action initiatives that are building connections and community through sustainable practices at letstalk.sooke.ca/sooke2030.