Independent. Local. Checked.

The Locals.

100 independent places across the West Shore: who runs them, when they’re open and how long they’ve been at it. No chains, and every fact has a source.

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Start with a list

A day out · 5 stops

A Sunday in Metchosin

Five stops within a few minutes of the village, all open on a Sunday. Start at the café and end in the lavender.

A day out · 6 stops

West to Jordan River

Sooke Road and West Coast Road in one day, east to west. Leave early: the cafés out past Sooke close mid-afternoon.

A day out · 7 stops

Station Avenue on foot

Records, tarot, games, books, guitars and fabric, all within a few blocks of downtown Langford.

Every place

2 of 100 places.

Ask about it

One thing to bring up on a first visit. A different set every day.

The long view

Who opened when.

44 places have an opening year we could source. The oldest goes back 175 years.

Before 1980

  1. 1851Woodside FarmSooke
  2. 1855Six Mile Pub & EateryView Royal
  3. 1889Metchosin Community HallMetchosin
  4. 189417 Mile PubSooke
  5. 1912Sheringham Point LighthouseJuan de Fuca
  6. 1930Metchosin Country StoreMetchosin
  7. 1950Glenwood MeatsLangford
  8. 1969Cloth CastleLangford
  9. 1974Royal Bay BakeryColwood
  10. 1976Sooke Veterinary HospitalSooke

Since 1980

1980s 7

  1. 1983Caleb Pike Heritage Park
  2. 1984Richard's Landscaping & Excavating
  3. 1984Sooke Family Resource Society
  4. 1987Alloy Music
  5. 1987My-Chosen Café
  6. 1989Goldstream Bicycles
  7. 1989Loghouse Pub

1990s 4

  1. 1994Galloping Goose Sausage Co.
  2. 1994Westshore Dance Studios
  3. 1997Sooke Philharmonic
  4. 1998Lighthouse Cake Company

2000s 5

  1. 2004Metchosin Farm
  2. 2005The Broken Paddle Coffee House
  3. 2006Akemi Sushi
  4. 2006Equilibrium Therapeutics Eagle Creek
  5. 2006Sabhai Thai

2010s 10

  1. 2012Floyd's Diner
  2. 2013Satinflower Nurseries
  3. 2013Shirley Delicious
  4. 2014Cold Shoulder Cafe
  5. 2014Everything Games
  6. 2016BoulderHouse Langford
  7. 2017Bad Dog Brewing Company
  8. 2017The Rising, Victoria Centre for Circus Arts
  9. 2018Burger Crush
  10. 2019Metchosin ArtPod

2020s 8

  1. 2021The Hermit's Path
  2. 2021The Wholesome Hound
  3. 2022Jones Bar-B-Que
  4. 2023Café Vosino
  5. 2024Flying Dutchman Market
  6. 2024Masala Roots Indian Cuisine
  7. 2024Terrier Books
  8. 2025Ryes & Shine Craft Distillery

For the people behind the counter

Run a place out here.

A listing in the Locals is free and it stays free. Nobody pays to be in it and nobody pays to be described kindly. If your place is independent and on the West Shore, it belongs here.

  1. Add your place

    Name, address, hours and a line in your own words. An editor checks it and writes it up.

    Add a place →

  2. Fix or fill in your listing

    New hours, a better photo, the number that actually gets answered. We change it within a few days.

    Update a listing →

  3. Answer five questions

    What a first-timer should ask for, what nobody knows about the place, why out here. Good answers go on your page.

    Tell your story →

Know a place we missed? Nominate it. Want to reach the readers of The Westshore? See advertising.

How the Locals works

Independent only
No national chains or franchises. Small local businesses with more than one location are in.
Every fact has a source
Hours, years and stories come from each place’s own site, municipal records or local press, linked on the page. Nothing here is a review and nothing is firsthand. Last full check: November 8, 2026.
Free to be listed
Paid placements are labelled Promoted and never change what we write. Photos are credited to the place they came from and come down on request.
Something wrong?
Tell us and a person will fix it.