Hello, Westshore! The first time I visited Sooke, long before I lived on the Island, my family stayed at a little house in the woods. My dad heard about The Land Conservancy, which had bought a forested property to protect the land and rented out the house to vacationers like us.
That trip was where I learned to throw a Frisbee, which I did with my brother all the way up and down Whiffin Spit and even through the sections of the Juan de Fuca trail we visited. All these years later, TLC is still at it—though they're nowhere near the only ones—this time contributing towards a new community park in Otter Point. Maybe this fall I'll bring a frisbee to those trails to bring it full circle. 🥏
Reporter, The Westshore
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
View Royal approved a raise with 4-1 vote
View Royal's council chambers were renovated to include two extra seats after the council of five voted to increase its size to seven. (View Royal staff, Contributed)
In the final weeks before View Royal council will dissolve and reform with an expanded slate of seven, the current councillors approved an increase to remuneration, to take effect in 2023.
The increase will cost taxpayers $80,442 annually, including the addition of two new councillors. The mayor will make $44,687, an increase of $10,996, and councillors will make $22,343, an increase of $6,190.
Coun. Ron Mattson unsuccessfully advocated for only a smaller cost-of-living increase and for a public referendum on raises, and voted against the larger final increase. He argued that the job is not very time-intensive, noting that back when he started as a councillor in his 30s he also worked full time and coached baseball. He made a similar argument against increasing council size last December.
View Royal is not alone in increasing its own pay; it’s a conflicted situation that every council faces, given the lack of hard guidelines in the province, something Capital Daily recently investigated.
Sooke and Colwood also voted to increase remuneration for the next term.
Two councillors get UBCM recognition
Couns. Mattson and John Rogers were both recently awarded certificates of appreciation from the Union of BC Municipalities conference last week in recognition of long and faithful service for their years on View Royal’s council. Mattson has served for 23 years (with a two-term break in the middle), and Rogers has served for 26.
All five of View Royal’s councillors have registered to run for re-election. New candidates include Sid Tobias for mayor and Don Brown, Judy Estrin, and Allison MacKenzie for council.
Fire engine replacement cost has risen
Tonight, View Royal will hold its last meeting for this term. On the agenda is an ask from the fire department to increase its budget to replace a 1992 fire engine. The new truck will cost $1,353,402.34 (after a GST rebate), which is $280,000 more than anticipated when council initially agreed to the equipment budget in 2018.
Fire Chief Paul Hurst wrote in his report that, “There are no alternatives to replacing this vehicle. The life of this particular fire engine was extended beyond its serviceable viability and needs to be replaced with a modern, reliable truck.” The funds will come from Elements Casino tax revenue, which is shared between Westshore municipalities.
View Royal’s CAO reported there will be no properties up for sale as a result of delinquent taxes this year. Staff worked throughout the summer to connect with any property owners who were late, and all cases were resolved.
PARKS & RECREATION
Admiral’s Forest to become an Otter Point wilderness community park
A trail already on the newly acquired parkland in Otter Point. (📸 Joyce Mackinnon, Contributed)
Good news for park lovers in Sooke: Admiral’s Forest in Otter Point has been acquired by the Juan de Fuca Community Parks Service for $650,000.
Back in April, The Westshore reported on a pledge drive the Juan de Fuca Community Trails Society was running to make the purchase possible, and now the deal is done.
The landowner offered it for sale to the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission—a long name without a great acronym like SEAPARC, its counterpart in Sooke. They're both subsidiaries of the CRD.
But JDF Parks & Rec—a better short form than JDFEAPRAC, yes?—has limited funds, so the JDF Community Trails Society jumped on board to help supplement the purchase.
More than $130,000 was donated through The Land Conservancy (TLC), locals living in Otter Point, the trails society, and others. Some of the money came through a park transfer between JDF Parks & Rec and CRD Regional Parks. Wigglesworth Lake Community Park, which was owned by the electoral area, is now a regional park. The change of ownership won’t change the park, which is adjacent to the Sooke Hills Wilderness Trail that’s already managed by CRD Regional Parks.
The land is 58 acres, and has been eyed as a community park for at least a decade. There are several unofficial walking trails that already traverse the land, winding through undeveloped second-growth forest and wetland. It’s one of the last undeveloped large acreage lots in Otter Point.
Around the ’Shore
🍟 17 Mile Pub sticks it to the Leafswith a menu offering that leaves no doubt how the pub feels about the Toronto team. On the menu you'll see a Habs poutine, standard pub fare, but the Leafs poutine is “a cold, overpriced dish served with underperforming gravy, ice-cold fries, and a side of disappointment” that costs $67. In my opinion, the real tragedy is the ice-cold fries; 17 Mile Pub’s fries are legitimately the best around and I hate to see them involved in a brawl. [Victoria Buzz]
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**✋ Roundabout fears prompt funding for crossing guard.**Parents with students at the newly opened PEXISEN Elementary School have raised safety concerns about the nearby roundabout intersection at Langford and Westshore Parkways. The roundabout was already busy with commuter traffic, and now has school traffic added. The Sooke Parent Advisory Committee (SPEAC) raised the issue with the district, and on Thursday, Langford promised funds to hire a crossing guard. It will also work on installing an overhead warning light.
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🍄 **You probably noticed campaign signs pop up last weekend like mushrooms after a rainfall.**That’s because Saturday was the official start to the campaign period. Here’s a quick primer on the financial rules that candidates, supporters, and advertisers must follow. [Capital Daily]
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Community Events
😎 HeroWork’s ’80s-themed fundraiseris this weekend in Colwood Creek Park. Sept. 24, 10am-2pm.
🧘🏽 ♀️ Last session of yoga in the park at Meadow Park Green in Royal Bay is happening this Thursday at 6pm Bring your own mat, all levels welcome.
🌳 Sooke Lions' open house about its proposal for John Phillips Memorial Park. Its hope is to build a multi-purpose building with a parking lot, but the idea has been controversial. Sept. 25, 11am-3pm at the Sooke Community Hall, 2037 Shields Rd.
🚒 The Colwood Fire Department is hosting an open housethis Sunday, Sept. 25, 10am-2pm. Meet your community firefighters, tour the fire trucks, learn about emergency preparedness, and more. Hot dogs and refreshments by donation to support Colwood Volunteer Firefighters’ Association community initiatives.
What’s Offshore?
Esquimalt Lagoon looking towards Washington State, taken on Sept. 19, 2022 (📸 Tom Gierasimczuk)
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Westshore in your Words
After the story about hunting invasive (and hungry) American bullfrogs, one reader shared a poem he wrote while trying to sleep beside a lake full of the deep-throated frogs. It's not your typical reader comment, and I'm thrilled to share it with you as the first poem published in The Westshore. Thank you to Chris Lihou for sharing it with us. 🐸
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