Yesterday, 61 youths participated in “Setting Sail to Invasive Species", a new community program through the implementation of the Sooke 2030 Climate Action Plan. The team honed in on English Ivy surrounding cedar trees and litter in the area.

A huge thank you to teachers Mr. Gale, Ms. Mullin and Mr. Clark from EMCS and their remarkable students for their active participation and engagement.

If you are interested in stewarding your neighbourhood, please contact cmoog[at]sooke.ca. Equipment is available on loan to assist with neighbourhood stewardship events.

At the May 23, 2023 Regular Council Meeting, Council will receive a staff report on a Community Climate Action Seed (CCAS) Funding Stream Pilot Project.

The District of Sooke has up to $40,000 available to support individuals, community groups and neighbourhood champions within the 2023 budget for this program.

The intent is to engage members of the community to facilitate activities that support Sooke residents in meaningful action that aligns with the Sooke 2030 Climate Action Plan with a goal of fostering local vibrancy, connection, and area stewardship and care through a collaborative, community-minded approach.

• See the report here >>

By inherently applying consideration for the environment, we will enhance the quality of life in Sooke – for generations to come. It will take all of us, working together, to reach an emission reduction target of 50% by 2030.

We're hearing from residents about how changes they are making are helping save them money. With the current economic realities many are facing, this is welcome news! So, we're putting together videos from residents for residents. Coming soon! Hear from your neighbours as they share their stories.

Do you have a story to share?

Please contact Christina at cmoog[at]sooke.ca.

Sooke residents can bring scotch broom to a complimentary drop-off station at the District of Sooke Parks Yard at 2070 Kaltasin Road on Saturday afternoons, 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm from May 27^th to June 17^th.

After a two-day pilot in 2022 and significant positive feedback, along with funding through the Province’s Local Government Climate Action Program, the District is extending the hours for this service for 2023.

“We hope to eventually extend the program to more yard waste, but for now are focusing on the species that is easily recognizable and poses a considerable risk to native plants and our wildfire hazard,” Jessica Boquist Parks and Environmental Services Coordinator says. “We have a limited capacity at the yard and we need to ensure we can dispose of all that is gathered appropriately.”

Scotch broom is an invasive woody shrub first introduced to southern Vancouver Island in the 1850s, was previously sold at Greater Victoria plant nurseries and grows throughout the region. It presents a wildfire hazard and competes with native plant species, even changing the chemistry of the soil. The district encourages residents to remove broom on their property or participate in a local “broom busting event” hosted by Sooke Broombusters or Juan de Fuca Community Trails Society.

“Ideally, remove broom when in bloom by cutting at the base of the plant instead of pulling, to limit soil disturbance and prevent weed seeds from germinating,” advises Boquist. “It’s helpful to restore sites where broom has been removed with native plants such as Oregon grape or red currant,” she adds.

In addition to the community-wide Broombusting event on April 21^st, support Sooke Broombusters and Juan de Fuca Trails Society with local broom-busting events and the complimentary drop-off program for Sooke residents, the District is also partnering with Edward Milne Community School on neighbourhood invasive species community events during the months of May and June.

Learn more:

• Sooke Broombusters
• Juan de Fuca Community Trails Society
• Sooke FireSmart Program
  • Ashlene Akatarian, FireSmart Coordinator: 250.642.5422, ext. 688

Book a Free FireSmart Home Assessment:

• Book online or call 250.642.5422 to book your appointment by phone

The District of Sooke invites residents to a community clean up and broom-busting blitz at 2280 Pyrite Drive on Friday, April 21^st from 10 am to 1 pm! Equipment and complimentary refreshments will be provided.

The event is taking place in celebration of Earth Day and provides an opportunity for residents to come together with a common cause – removing invasive scotch broom, clearing litter and enjoying time in nature.

“This event is a great way to meet like-minded members of the community,” says Jessica Boquist, Parks and Environmental Services Coordinator. “It’s incredible to see the amount of invasives we can tackle by coming together with this sort of area-specific blitz.”

Along with District parks staff, volunteers from the Sooke Broombusters and Juan de Fuca Trails Society will be on hand to guide participants. No experience is necessary.

While tools will be available on loan for the event, supplies are limited. Residents with broom-cutting loppers are encouraged to bring them if they have them. Those attending are asked to dress for the weather – the event will be a go, rain or shine!

Get FireSmart!

Also at the event, a FireSmart Information Station. “Broom is a keen ignition source. Working to remove the species can have a big impact on mitigating our wildfire risk,” shares Ashlene Aktarian, the District’s FireSmart Coordinator. “Sooke’s wildfire risk is more significant than many realize. I’m hoping to connect with residents to help the community be more proactive in the face of our (wildfire) risk,” Aktarian says.

When interviewing residents to inform the development of the Sooke 2030 Climate Action Plan, residents shared that a barrier to transit ridership included the lack of covered bus shelters with benches.

We're listening and committed to taking action. To start, improvements have been made at the Grant Road and French Road South Stop. This stop has been transformed from a simply telespar market to covered seating with a garbage receptacle.

More to come throughout 2023. Take a seat and enjoy the ride!

Join us for a FREE fire education session specific to living in the Sooke region!

Living in a fire-prone ecosystem means we must implement wildfire mitigation strategies to reduce our wildfire risk and protect our community here in Sooke. Fires on the coast can be vigorous, especially in steep/difficult terrain and/or drought-stricken areas. Lightning storms and water shortages are becoming more common during the summer months and impact both fire behaviour and response operations on the coast.

Learn more about how you can help increase our community resiliency to wildfire. Topics include:

• Sooke’s wildfire risk;
• Fire behaviour;
• Wildland urban interface zone;
• FireSmart principles, and;
• How to protect your home and community.

Presented by Ashlene Aktarian, FireSmart Coordinator, District of Sooke.

• WHEN: Monday, April 17, 2023, 7pm to 8pm
• WHERE: Sooke Branch of the Vancouver Island Regional Library

On March 17, 2023, Council through the Committee of the Whole, received a staff report identifying action items for 2023. The items are foundational in nature, were selected from community input obtained informally throughout the year, and are intended to optimize the use of the Provincial Local Government Climate Action Funds.

The selected are captured in the 2023 project list here.

The community can expect reporting on the progress of this work through updates on this page and through quarterly reports delivered to Council through Committee of the Whole taking place on/around:

• June 2023 (for work completed April to June 2023)
• October 2023 (for work completed July to September 2023)
• January 2024 (for work completed October to December 2023)
  
  

The District's Climate Action Plan recognizes how we move as our biggest struggle and greatest contributor to GHG emissions. Increasing the availability of critical amenities in Sooke and bringing an estimated 25 jobs to Sooke lessens the need to commute from Sooke to Victoria.

The "7% solution" offers the removal of 250 combustion engine vehicles per year as a key indicator to help reduce Sooke's emissions by 50% by 2030. As such, the DIstrict is sharing this release from the Province of British Columbia and acknowledges the project's alignment with our Climate Action and Community Economic Development goals.

New integrated health-care centre coming to Sooke

People living in Sooke and the surrounding area will benefit from a new integrated health-care centre offering team-based services in the heart of Sooke village.

The new centre is the latest in a series of investments over the past six years to build capacity and improve health-care services for residents in Sooke.

“Improving access to health-care services for people in B.C. is a key priority for our government,” said John Horgan, MLA for Langford-Juan de Fuca. “This centre will be critical to meeting the health-care needs of people living in Sooke and surrounding areas, now and in the future, and I am proud that people in the region will soon benefit from being able to access the care they need, close to home.”

The new facility will combine the community health centre (CHC) and urgent- and primary-care centre (UPCC) at a future development planned for 6671 Wadams Way.

Once open, the CHC/UPCC centre will consolidate local primary-care services from West Coast Family Medical Clinic and other local community services into a single location, making it easier for people to access the health services they need. This will be done by better connecting more people to integrated health-care services in the community, such as primary care, culturally safe supports and mental-health and substance-use services.

“This new integrated health-care facility will connect people in the community to a range of health-care services, including primary care, urgent care and community health services all under one roof,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “Integrating physicians into a community based primary-care model means more time for patients, more patients accessing health-care services and less administrative burden for practitioners. This is part of our continuing work to build increased and improved access to primary health care for people in Sooke.”

The team of clinical providers is expected to include family physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, mental-health and substance-use workers and other allied health providers. The new staff will supplement the existing staff working at West Coast Family Medical Clinic.

The ministry is also providing funding to hire an Indigenous cultural safety liaison to support the project while planning is underway.

Over the past six years, government has made significant investments in building health-care service capacity to support growing demand and the high-use rate of health services in the Sooke region. Investments include increased mental-health counselling and home support services, $1 million in funding to further support team-based care and $600,000 in funding to expand and improve the West Coast Family Medicine Clinic, and $10.5 million to establish the Western Communities Primary Care Network. These investments were made based on
significant local engagement.

The new facility will be community-governed and operated by the Sooke Region Communities Health Network and is expected to join the provincial rostering system to ensure patient care continuity and attachment initiative announced in 2022 as part of the new payment model for family physicians.

Quick Facts:

• The new centre will be part of the Western Communities Primary Care Network and provide extended hours for urgent and non-emergency health care and better same-day access to primary care to help meet community demand.
• The team of clinical providers is expected to include family physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, mental-health and substance-use workers and other allied health providers.

Learn More:

• To learn more about the Province’s primary health-care strategy, visit:https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2018PREM0034-001010
• To learn more about the Province’s health human resource strategy, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2022HLTH0059-001464

What people are saying about the Sooke Region CHC/UPCC

Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions –

“People need access to high-quality mental health and addiction care close to home. With the opening of the new blended community health centre, and urgent and primary care centre, more people in Sooke and the surrounding area will now be able to connect to the local mental-health-and-addiction supports they need and deserve.”

Leah Hollins, board chair, Island Health –

“We are delighted that the first-ever community health centre/urgent- and primary-care centre in the Island Health region will be owned and operated by the Sooke Region Communities Health Network. The Sooke CHC/UPCC will increase access to same-day, team-based primary care to residents of the Sooke region.”

Mary Dunn, president, Sooke Region Communities Health Network –

“For many years, we have been collaborating with the District of Sooke, the South Island Division of Family Practice, the West Coast Family Medical Clinic and other local organizations to establish a community health centre in Sooke. We are excited to have the opportunity to expand community health services for everyone in the Sooke region.”

Dr. Anton Rabien, West Coast Family Medical Clinic –

“Approval of the proposed community health centre/urgent primary care centre is fantastic news for Sooke! The proposed health centre will undoubtedly increase access to primary-care services for people living in Sooke and the surrounding communities. A big thanks to Mayor Maja Tait for initiating discussions between the District of Sooke, Island Health, the Sooke Region Communities Health Network, and the Sooke family physicians that ultimately led to the development of this proposal; to the volunteers of the Sooke Region Communities Health Network who did all the hard work in drafting the proposal; and to the Honourable John Horgan, who was willing to listen to our concerns and advocate on our behalf for improving the delivery of primary health services in Sooke.”

Dr. Randal Mason, board co-chair, South Island Division of Family Practice –

“The Sooke Region CHC/UPCC is a great example of advocacy and collaboration between government and community organizations. The unique nature of a blended CHC/UPCC will provide access to urgent medical services, while focusing on longitudinal needs of individuals and the broader community. Community governance will allow the people of Sooke to develop, deliver and adapt services that reflect the needs of the community. The Sooke region CHC/UPCC will be a much-needed resource within our broader Western Communities Primary Care Network. The South Island Division of Family Practice is grateful for the opportunity to provide support and input in planning and development of the centre.”

Maja Tait, mayor of Sooke –

“Today’s announcement is a culmination of the work of many people who remained steadfast to ensure the residents of Sooke have access to the health-care services they deserve. Thank you to all project partners, including the Province of British Columbia, Island Health, the Sooke Region Community Health Network, the Primary Health Care Service Working Group, and the doctors and care providers of the West Coast Family Medical Clinic, who, through collaboration and innovation, are working together to ensure our residents have access to medical services closer to home.”

Rose Dumont, administrative health co-ordinator, T’Sou-ke First Nation –

“Building a new health-care facility such as the Sooke CHC/UPCC is more than just bricks and mortar. It’s an opportunity to forge new relationships with us as First Nations neighbours through collaboration, mutual respect and enhanced services. By working together, we all can create a welcoming, culturally sensitive environment that promotes healing, wellness, and improved health outcomes for all members of our community.”

Alix Arndt, interim CEO, Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of B.C. –

“Nurses and nurse practitioners of B.C. are pleased to see that the knowledge, skills and expertise of the entire health-care team will be utilized to improve access to health care for all British Columbians through urgent- and primary-care clinics. We believe that this approach will be pivotal in ensuring B.C. families can access health-care services, and we are excited to see the opening of another urgent- and primary-care clinic in B.C.”