Good morning! 

Sooke is receiving more affordable housing options for Indigenous people, as the city partnered with a number of groups to help move the project forward. Read all about it, and more in today’s edition of the Westshore.

— Emma

HOUSING

Indigenous people in Sooke now have more affordable housing options

Indigenous families, elders and people now have access to 75 below-market homes, with the opening of a new purpose-built rental building this past October.

BC Housing provided approximately $5.6 million for the project; $4.5 million through the Provincial Investment in Affordable Housing and $1.1 million from the Investing in Housing Innovation Fund. Other sources of funding for the project include the M’akola Housing Society, which provided more than $5 million in equity as well as the capital region’s investment of $330,000.

The Charters Road housing project is the result of a partnership between the province, the federal government, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the Capital Regional District, and M’akola Housing Society. It is also a clear manifestation of the central aim of the Stronger BC for Everyone plan, which is “that B.C. be a place where everyone has a home and community.”

The project will prioritize Indigenous individuals, seniors and families for the homes but non-Indigenous residents are also welcome. The building is also pet-friendly and allows residents to have cats and small dogs.

Head to the Westshore to read what local officials had to say about the new development.

SPONSORED BY INTERTIDAL WELLNESS

Wondering what to expect from psychotherapy?

The friendly therapists at Intertidal Counselling & Wellness want to give Westshore readers a sneak peek. Let's dive right in:

🌟 Setting goals: Together, you’ll explore why making a change is important and imagine how life could be different.

🌟 Understanding stress: Ever wondered how your brain and body respond to stress? Their therapists will share fascinating insights and provide you with practical tools to calm your nervous system.

🌟 Harnessing neuroplasticity: They’re all about promoting positive change in your brain! Through mindfulness and compassion, they’ll help you piece together your emotions, sensations, impulses, thoughts, and memories, creating a foundation for lasting transformation.

🌟 Meeting you where you're at: No judgment! They'll meet you with genuine curiosity and a desire to understand, without any pressure to "fix" you. You're amazing just the way you are!

Excited to learn more? Check out Blair and Lorilee's innovative approaches at their website. And, they're offering a free consultation! Don't miss out—book yours today and embark on your journey to wellness.

COMMUNITY

Christmas carol sing-along supports Sooke Food Bank

The Choral Evolution choir is performing in Sooke for a festive event on Dec. 20, and they’re adding something special in support of the food bank. Looking to spark comfort and community, the concert will be a sing-along and feature popular Christmas carols for the audience to join in on, while giving all donations to the Sooke Food Bank. 

“I made a recommendation to the board that it would be great to give something back to the community,” says Joscelyn Gagnon, a member in the choir. “We decided to do a sing-along for the food bank in Sooke to give us some Christmas spirit.” 

According to Food Bank BC, usage of food banks has shot up 57% since 2019 in comparison to donations, which have had a significant decrease of 30%; the most recent statistics in 2018 show the Sooke Food Bank averaged 96 families a week. With food banks needing supplies, Gagnon says this is a great way to get donations. 

“At this point we've gotten a lot of support in doing the event, and we're hoping to get a couple hundred people out and some cash donations.”

Hosted at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church, the event welcomes any cash donations to give to the food bank, and it will also accept online donations. With another concert coming up in January, Gagnon says this is a good opportunity for the choir to reach out to the community and find warmth this holiday season. 

“We have had extra rehearsals, for some people it's learning new songs and for others it's just bringing back old songs that we’ve sung for years and it's a feeling of camaraderie,” says Gagnon. “It’s not just the idea of giving the money to the food bank, but also the sense of community getting together and singing; there's people who are very lost this time of year, so it's such a wonderful heartwarming thing to share with the community.” 

The Choral Evolution Christmas Sing-Along will be hosted at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church Dec. 20 at 7pm, and admission is through cash donation in support of the Sooke Food Bank. 

Around the 'Shore

🚔 Police looking for suspect in jewelry theft: West Shore RCMP are looking for any information on a suspect who stole around $20,000 worth of jewelry from West Shore Jewelry in Langford. The theft occurred on Dec. 9 after a male aged 25-30 tried on several necklaces and fled the store without paying for them; the suspect is described as a male with medium skin tone, dark hair and a moustache, and was wearing a dark coloured hoodie and baggy dark pants.

🏞️ Park naming to honour Langford councillor delayed: Langford City Council has delayed naming a park after former city councillor Winnie Sifert, who dedicated her time to the city for more than 20 years. Council rejected the vote and has not discussed the incident since its meeting on Dec. 5 in 2022. Sifert’s daughter, Sandy, has been pushing council to officially name Kettle Creek—the park in question—after her mother. City council says they intend to address park naming in the new year, but did not mention Winnie Sifert in the statement. [Vancouver Island Free Daily] 

🏫 Langford school gifted a First Nations name: A Langford secondary school that recently opened inside of the Eagle Ridge Community Centre has just received a SENĆOŦEN name—being named QELEṈSEN Á, LEṈ (K-wuh-Lun-Sun, Eh Lun) Secondary School. After consultations with five local First Nations, the Sc’ianew Nation gifted the school its new name roughly translating to Eagle House. [Times Colonist]

Community Events

🎅🏻 Skate with Santa: Enjoy a fun evening with Santa at SEAPARC this Dec. 17 for the annual skate with Santa event. Going from 11:30am-12:45pm, residents can partake in plenty of crafts, enjoy refreshments, and of course skate in this family-friendly event. 

🎶 Victoria Symphony: The Victoria Symphony is coming to town with their show “We Need a little Christmas” featuring tenor Ken Lavigne. Hosted at the Dogwood Auditorium at Royal Roads University on Dec. 18 at 7:30pm, the event will feature well-loved holiday music coupled with Lavigne’s singing; tickets are available online. 

☃️ Darcy’s final art night of 2023: Head over to Darcy’s Pub on Dec. 18 for the final art evening of 2023. Starting at 7:30pm, the two-hour art lesson will teach you how to paint a holiday-esque painting. With tickets available for purchase, all supplies needed will be provided for you.

What’s Offshore?

No ships today!

Westshore Snaps

“Watch the waves guys!” taken in Cox Bay, Tofino. —Richard Steward, View Royal

That’s it!

If you found something useful, consider forwarding this newsletter to another Westshore local.

And before you go, let us know: