Good morning!

Yesterday, Sooke city council met to discuss the heavily debated Sooke Official Community Plan, a meeting that drew lots of community engagement. Today, we also have a reminder to take the time on June 21 to celebrate and honour National Indigenous Peoples Day.

NEWS

Contentious Sooke Official Community Plan revamp returns to council

The district chose last fall to wait to make a decision on the new community plan until after the election, with some members including Mayor Maja Tait arguing that not enough public consultation had been done. New public input has been gathered in sessions this spring, and the June 19 afternoon meeting was intended to have council hear additional public information (beyond the 70+ correspondences already collected in the agenda).

The 200-plus-page OCP report was received a year ago from contractor DIALOG, with some councillors objecting that the $200,000 project has typos and other flaws after a lengthy two-year process made difficult by the pandemic.

Changes since original proposal

Items changed in response to public concerns included the 30m buffer zone for the foreshore (a provincewide best-practice that Sooke reduced to 15m in response to homeowner concerns), the Community Residential designation of Whiffin Spit (now changed to Rural Residential), and the rural designation of Farrell Estates and West Ridge Trails areas (now changed to Comprehensive Development and Community Residential, respectively).

Staff want to dispel concerns

This agenda from Sooke staff attempts to tackle continued objections, saying that misinformation has gone around. Key points it lists as misunderstood or overlooked include:

• That foreshore work such as landscaping, removing invasive species, building retaining walls will not need approval.

• That even where density is increased from 50 to 70 units per hectare, individual projects will still need approvals and have to go through rezonings. Those certain areas are eligible for higher density, which has been contentious, but not pre-zoned for it in the way that some in Victoria are.

The committee of the whole meeting 

According to Chris Moss, the representative for 606 Water Group, many locals had concerns about their own individual projects and houses. With the confusion, 606 Water noted that there were no changes to the document since Sept. 27, 2022, but listed exemptions to the 15m buffer zone for clarity. Exemptions include:

• Structural alterations within existing footprint

• Planting of native species trees, shrubs or ground cover for soil stability and habitat enhancement

• Removal of invasive species

• Yard or garden work within existing landscaped areas

• Maintenance of permanent infrastructure not impacting drainage

• Repair or maintenance of shoreline protection works or beach access

Individuals with properties like single-family homes are also exempt from the 15m buffer zone. As well, with the concerns of taxes, Moss clarified that tax rates will remain the same within the same use classification depending on land and waterfront property value—while many locals complained about extortion, Moss maintained that in no part of the document is extortion a part of the agenda.

“The 15m setback is included in the development as well because it will mostly be applicable for large scale projects like a hotel, it speaks to protection and restoration so the applicant can understand the community vision,” said Moss. “In most instances, single-family dwellings are exempted from the development permit guidelines.”

NEWS

Royal Roads University making steps towards reconciliation on National Indigenous Peoples Day

Royal Roads University will hold a celebration of National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21 to spotlight Indigenous history and culture that lies on the traditional lands of the Lekwungen-speaking families and ancestors of the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations.

“The heart and spirit of this event has just grown and grown, and I cannot tell you the pride that I have in working with so many partners, and so many people who want to join in such a great celebration,” says Asma-na-hi Antoine, the director of Indigenous engagement at Royal Roads University. “I couldn't believe how many people kept wanting to come to it.”

Royal Roads has been putting on a celebration for National Indigenous Peoples Day for the past decade—an opportunity for locals to gain more knowledge about Indigenous history and culture.

“It's really an opportunity to pull community together and say, ‘OK, what are we going to do that's going to leave a lasting imprint?’ ” says Antoine. “Show up and get a better understanding around the impact that has been based on colonization, and based on the impact, work towards truth and reconciliation, remembering that we can't have reconciliation without the truth.”

With the theme for this year being love, joy and unity: embracing community on National Indigenous Peoples Day, Antoine hopes locals will come together with open minds and open hearts.

“[The theme] of love, joy, and community is also recognizing it’s Pride Month as well as National Indigenous Peoples Day; we wanted to ensure that everyone feels that connection and inclusion within this event, not just on one day, but throughout every day,” says Antoine. “All of those pieces don't just merge on their own, you really have to have that love and you really need to be and come together.”

With the event running from 10am to 3pm, the National Indigenous Peoples Day activities will be scattered throughout the grounds with opportunities to gather, play, learn, and enjoy food.

“We can celebrate and we can have fun and we can be together within the community,” says Antoine. “Look at the ripple effects in and around the community—the more people that show up, to me, is evidence that it's going to make a better world in boardrooms, a better world in classrooms, and a better world in organizations that support Indigenous people.”

Around the 'Shore

⚽️ Pacific FC walks away with a win on Father’s Day: York United’s Martin Nash, whose family is well-renowned in the Westshore for their sports success, was excited to celebrate Father’s Day by bringing his father and PFC head coach James Merriman’s father out onto the field. Pacific FC won 1-0 over York. [Vancouver Island Free Daily]

⛳️ Étienne Papineau wins the Royal Beach Victoria open: The Pro Golf Alliance tour came to the Westshore this past weekend and saw a Quebec local take the win. This is the first event of the 10-tournament 2023 Canadian season, and is an exciting step in pro Canadian golf. [Times Colonist]

🚧 New section of Highway 14 almost open to public: The new four-lane section between Langford and Sooke is nearing completion after construction started in 2020. The expansion includes streamlined access to East Sooke, an underpass below Highway 14, as well as a park-and-ride. [Citified]

✨ Coastal Shores Window Cleaning has you covered! From pressure washing, moss removal, gutter cleaning, and window cleaning, Victoria’s best exterior cleaning company is the “clear” choice!*

⚠️ Water quality warning at Central Saanich Beach: After a nearby wastewater discharge, the Capital Regional District has issued a water quality warning for Central Saanich Beach and advised visitors to not get in the water. Warnings will remain in place for about a week.

👐 Help build stronger communities on Southern Vancouver Island. Support United Way's vital programs and services with your donation today. Together we can make a difference, give today!*

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Community Events

🎩 Sculpture Splash! Sand Castle Edition: Esquimalt’s art scene is getting sandy this week, as Esquimalt sculptor Fred Dobbs and his crew will create a sand sculpture called Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. With a tea party all day on June 25, locals can watch the process take place throughout the week of June 19 in Gorge Park.

🎭 PoSH Improv: On June 20 and 27, enjoy watching the Players of Sooke Harbour’s improv performance from 7-9pm at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch in Sooke. Admission is through donation.

🦷 Free Dental Day: Starting at 9am, Sooke’s Otter Point Dental is offering a variety of free services to help people get their teeth taken care of. Until 3pm on June 23, visitors can get dental work done on a first-come-first-served basis.

🎤 Annie Jr. The Musical: From June 23 to 25, the Sooke Youth Show Choir is putting on its version of Annie Jr. The Musical at the Sooke Community Theatre. With a range of show times, tickets are available for purchase online.

What’s Offshore?

No ships today!

Westshore Snaps

Orange dragonfly in my garden. —Paul Young, Langford