A look through the Sooke News Mirror archives

November 5, 2008

Council disappointed with escalating OCP costs

An outpouring of public interest and support has put a twist in the process of an Official Community Plan (OCP) review for the District of Sooke.

Award-winning planner Felice Mazzoni from the District of Ucluelet had been commissioned to complete the 10-month task for a fee of $86,500.

Costs have since climbed.

The matter was brought up at the regular council meeting of Oct. 27 in the form of a report from the CAO describing the situation as being 85 per cent complete, and recommending council ante up another $30,000 to finish the job.

Council decided on a motion to arrange a meeting with Mazzoni to seek assurance as to when the project may be completed and at what cost.

November 3, 2004

Shirley chief: Boundary issue resolved

The fire caused by the changing of the Shirley and Otter Point fire department boundaries seems to have been extinguished.

After consultation with interested parties, Juan de Fuca Electoral Area Director Erik Lund announced the old boundaries will remain in effect, according to Shirley fire chief Steven Healey who told the Sooke News Mirror “This is very good news. It’s good to see that Erik is willing to listen to the general public.”

In the letter announcing the change, it was indicated the idea was to have the fire district and Official Community Plan boundaries the same. Previously the OCP for Shirley and Otter Point was together. Now OCPs for Otter Point and Shirley/Jordan River are in the works. The final boundary for the OCPs has not been established, Healey said.

November 3, 1999

T’Sou-ke to sell crab

The T’Sou-ke First Nation plans to test its disputed right to sell fish Thursday.

Band members will sell crab from an undisclosed location in the presence of Sooke News Mirror staff, a First Nations lawyer, and Department of Fisheries and Oceans inspectors.

The decision to challenge the courts by selling crab, rather than salmon came after it was decided Sooke Basin did not contain enough salmon.

“Sooke is suffering poor returns this year,” said Chief Jim Cooper. “There’s not too many fish and we’re environmentalists. It’s very important to us.”

The planned sale comes in the wake of a Supreme Court of Canada decision giving First Nations in New Brunswick the right to sell fish.

The T’Sou-ke band wants to implement its Douglas Treaty rights which allow it to “fish as before.”

November 2, 1994

Help centre faces funding crunch

The Sooke Crisis and Referral Centre is facing a crisis of its own after a major government contract was awarded to another organization.

The Sooke Residents in Need Society, which operates the crisis centre, was told in early October it would lose a $30,000 grant at the end of the year.

The decision to redirect the funding to the Sooke Family Resources Society follows a survey by the Sooke Social Planning Council for the Ministry of Health’s Mental Health Branch.

“What came out of that is the people said they felt there was enough service through the day, but there was no service on evenings and weekends,” council chair Lorna Barry said.

November 1, 1989

Great opportunity for artists

The Sooke Festival Society has been offered participation in an arts incentive program initiated by the Province of B.C.

Through this program, funding is available to the society to partner with funds raised in this community for the purchase of local artists’ work. The work thus acquired will be retained in a permanent collection as an asset to our community.

Although the Festival Society will itself be raising funds to assist with this project, the group has been fortunate to have also been offered corporate sponsorship by Village Food Markets.

A five-person jury will be appointed to make the artwork selections.