Good morning, Westshore! We're due for several days of sunshine, though still at cool temperatures, before the rain comes back. That means students at the newly opened Centre Mountain Lellum middle school will have a great week to start scuffing up the new build before a week of inside days.
Reporter, The Westshore
PS. If you're interested in Victoria's tech scene, be sure to subscribe to our sister publication Victoria Tech Journal
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Sooke's inauguration a chance to reflect
Sooke council (L-R) Al Beddows, Maja Tait, Jeff Bateman, Dana Lajeunesse, and Tony St-Pierre. Not pictured are Megan McMath and Kevin Pearson. (📸 Contributed)
Sooke’s re-elected council (including one returning councillor from two terms ago) will pick up a lot of unfinished business at the next meeting, but at the inaugural meeting Nov. 7, Mayor Maja Tait asked that they take the opportunity before the next meeting to reconsider what works and what hasn’t been effective—such as the committees, which have all been suspended and will be reorganized.
“We’ve advanced many projects and adopted many policies and bylaws [over the last term], however through all of this we may have inadvertently created some red tape, some delays, some unnecessary tasks or steps,” she said.
Glad to be re-elected, but disappointed at the poor voter turnout—29%, down from 42% in 2018—Tait has dubbed every Monday henceforth Municipal Monday. Every council meeting, public hearing, and town hall will be held on a Monday. By concentrating municipal affairs on one day of the week, she hopes Sooke locals will participate more. In January she’ll start hosting Monday coffee chats, and plans to restart the collaboration with local schools to expose students to municipal affairs.
Her final point was to call out systemic racism in Sooke. “I'm asking all of you to stand with me to be brave, have courage, call it out when it happens whether deliberate or offhand comments that eat away at one's self-esteem. It hurts our children and we need them to be strong, resilient, and confident to rise to the challenge that we know lies ahead,” she said.
“Truly all [people] have a place within our Sooke. We all belong and certainly that is what has made this community, welcome, unique, friendly, and maybe a little bit weird sometimes.”
First municipal Monday
Last night was the first full council meeting of the new term. It included a public hearing for 6519 Throup Rd. where owners have asked to change the shape of the commercial neighbourhood zone. Staff resubmitted plans for Silver Spray Marina near East Sooke. This was one of the last agenda items before the agenda, and resulted in a lot of confusion about changes to a right of way trail that crosses the property. Staff and the applicant clarified their plans and resubmitted to council.
A second lingering item from last term was about what businesses are allowed in commercially zoned buildings. A building owner complained to council they couldn’t rent vacant space—the old Sooke Family Resources Society thrift store on Sooke Road—to several interested tenants because their businesses—a yoga studio, workshop, and dentist— weren’t allowed in the zoning rules. Council agreed to expand permitted uses for commercially zoned properties.
Sorting out Metchosin's committees
At first glance, financial planning and environmental initiatives don’t have a lot in common. Except in Metchosin where they’re in the same committee, until now—but still… sort of. The committees and advisory councils are being rearranged, but in a small town with an engaged council, it’s all connected.
The Finance and Environment Committee has been separated into a Finance Committee and an Environment and Natural Areas Committee. But finance is still affiliated with the Environmental Advisory Select Committee, perhaps because Environment and Natural Areas has two advisory committees: Agricultural and the Parks and Trails.
Planning has been renamed Community Planning, and does not have an advisory committee. Public works now includes protective services, and will liaise with the Healthy Community and Heritage Advisory Select Committees.
Metchosin’s second meeting of the term is tonight, where council will discuss the committee structure.
EDUCATION
Latest school opens, many more planned
These drummers sang the paddle song for students as they entered the school for the first time. (L-R Na'tsa'maht Indigenous Education principal Jon Carr, Chief & Trustee Russ Chipps, Brother Rick, Elder Henry Chipps, and Centre Mountain Lellum principal Darren Russell.) (📸 SD62)
Langford’s quickly-growing population has been a major challenge for the school district, as it struggles to keep pace with rapid development.
Between 2011 and 2016 the Westshore grew by nearly 10,000 people. In that time the school district opened Royal Bay Secondary School, its first new school since Ecole John Stubbs opened in Sooke 12 years earlier. Royal Bay was immediately bursting at capacity, so the district expanded the school to nearly double how many students it could hold.
By 2021, the Westshore had absorbed another 17,000 people and schools all over the district were depending on portables to fit all the new students.
Two new schools opened this year in Langford’s Westhills neighbourhood on a shared campus. PEXISEN Elementary opened on schedule in September, but Centre Mountain Lellum Middle school was delayed by labour shortages and supply chain backups. It opened yesterday (Nov. 14) with a capacity of 700 students.
The district already has plans for five more schools in the district: two more elementary schools in Langford and a secondary school, and new elementary schools in Colwood and Sooke. The district owns the land, but is waiting for the provincial government to commit to the funding. One of the Langford schools has already been approved—an elementary school on Latoria Road.
Around the 'Shore
🪖 Children of Langford private reservist follow his lead by joining cadets. Narender Tirukovela enrolled four years ago in the reserves, following his own father’s lead who was a cadet in India. Now Tirukovela’s two children have signed up for the Army and Navy Cadets in the Westshore. [Chek]
🍁 As your Member of Parliament, Alistair MacGregor can assist you with federal agencies, and help explain how he’s bringing Langford and Westshore voices to Ottawa.*
**🚧 Sooke Highway work delayed, but government hasn’t said why.**The highway has been under construction since 2020 and was supposed to be finished by now. The new competition date is fuzzy, but the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said the majority of the work will be done by spring 2023. [Sooke News Mirror]
🏠 Live in style and enjoy elevated amenities: Centennial Court offers one year of free strata payments on its studio, one-, and two-bedroom homes. Move-in ready this spring! Sales start soon from low $300,000s.*
*Sponsored Listing
SPONSORED POST. CONTACT US TO ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS WITH THE WESTSHORE.
TOGETHER WITH COLOURFUL BUSINESS
Victoria is hosting a new extraordinary and inspirational expo!
Colourful Business 2022 is a first-of-its-kind expo of IBPOC- and new immigrant-owned businesses, putting the vitality of Victoria's most vibrant communities on display.
Accompanied by impressive live entertainment, the free event will treat the public to the richness of diverse businesses in the area.
The show takes place at the Victoria Conference Centre on Saturday, Nov. 26.
Community Events
**🧶 All Sooke Arts & Crafts 2022 Christmas craft fair:**Free admission to one of the oldest and best craft fairs on the island. More than 50 vendors on two floors. Shop for unique and handmade gifts and enjoy a delicious meal. Community hall is wheelchair accessible. This weekend: Friday noon-7pm, Saturday, 10am-5pm, Sunday, 10am-4pm.
**🎅🏼 Joy to the Arts: a show and sale hosted by Metchosin Arts & Culture Association.**This weekend, from 10am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday at 4495 Metchosin Rd., upstairs.
☕️ Friday Socials with Metchosin Seniors’ Association. Drop by the Metchosin Community House for coffee and conversation. Hosted by Baha'is of Metchosin, with music guests. Nov. 25, 1-3pm and the Metchosin Community House.
🚘 The Metchosin Seniors’ Association also hosts regular Zoom eventsas part of the Seniors’ Centre Without Walls. Nov. 17, 11am, ICBC tips for mature driving, and on Nov. 22, 3pm, for fall prevention month will talk tips for preventing falls.
What’s Offshore?
Esquimalt Lagoon looking towards Washington State, taken on Nov. 14, 2022 (📸 Zoë Ducklow)
🚢**#1**The Venus Heritageis a bulk carrier built in 2010 sailing under the Cyprus flag. It sailed from 🇯🇵 NAGOYA, JAPAN ➡ 🇨🇦 VICTORIA. It arrived early Monday morning.
⛴#2The AP Libertasis a bulk carrier built in 2008 sailing under Malta's flag. It arrived from 🇭🇰 HONG KONG ➡ 🇨🇦 VANCOUVER.
🛳**#3**The SM Ningbo****is a container ship built in 2006 sailing under the South Korean flag. It stopped in 🇨🇦 VANCOUVER ➡ 🇺🇸 SEATTLE, WA.
SPONSORED POST. CONTACT US TO ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS WITH THE WESTSHORE.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH EMOTIONALLY ALIGNED COUNSELLING & COACHING
Find your inner peace
Feeling stressed out, burnt out, riddled with anxiety, or right out depressed? When life gets to the point that you dread getting out of bed, it may be time to do something about it.
Emotionally Aligned Counselling & Coaching works with you to get you out of your rut and enjoying life.
Westshore Snaps
With the fern in the light, I figured despite the chill the wind made it look like we were tropical rainforest instead of temperate rainforest. — Nick Dickinson-Wilde, Sooke
📸 Snapped a photo you’d like to share? Send it with a caption and don’t forget to add where you live.