History
Sooke is a village named after the
T'Sou-ke Nation, a Coast Salish band that lived off the land and
bountiful sea produce of the area. The name T'sou-ke is said to
be that of a stickleback fish found at the mouth of the Sooke River.
In the early 1860s, gold-rush fever
hit the area when a few precious nuggets were found inland at the
confluence of the Sooke, Leech and Wolf rivers. As often happened
in British Columbia at the time a town of 3,000 sprang up but quickly
waned as the gold finds were sparse. The Sooke Regional Museum displays
First Nations exhibits to archival photos of early settlers and display
cases dedicated to the logging and maritime industries
In June, 1990, Sooke celebrated the
bi-centennial of the first European contact in these waters made
by the Spaniards in 1790. A statue of Spanish commander Manuel Quimper
was unveiled on a grassy point at the start of the Whiffin Spit breakwater
and is a favorite spot for photographers.
Location
Sooke is located 28 miles (45 km) west
of Victoria on the southwest coast of Vancouver Island, a 40-minute
drive along the scenic West Coast Highway 14. It is the start of
Vancouver Islands rugged west coast the gateway to the scenic West
Coast Road (Highway 14), which winds 74 km along the coast to Port
Renfrew. This is one of the South Island's most spectacular drives
- it winds through coastal rain forest and along the jagged coastline
along the way are some amazing beaches and ocean viewpoints.
Places to See
- Sooke Visitor Centre and Sooke Region
Musuem
The Sooke Visitor Centre shares
a log building with the Sooke Region
Museum. Find a wealth of information
from the staff, absorb the history
of the area, browse the Gift Shop
featuring local arts and crafts or
enjoy a picnic on the grounds.
- Lighthouse
Museum staff offer tours of a classic
red-and-white west coast lighthouse,
brought here in 2005 from Triangle
Island off the fierce northern
tip of Vancouver Island (entry point to the infamous
shipwreck alley known as the "graveyard of the Pacific" that
extends into local waters). It's
a sister to the dramatic lighthouses
at nearby Sheringham
Point and Race Rocks.
- Moss Cottage
Moss Cottage, an 1870-era
working class home relocated to the
museum's grounds from the pioneering
Muir family farm (known as Woodside
and still standing in the 7100 block
of the West Side Road across from
Sooke Baptist Church).
- Sooke Potholes
The potholes
are a series of deep rock pools, carved
in the river bed of the Sooke River
bed. The potholes are a favourite
swimming hole and a place that many
people go for an afternoon on a hot
day. They are also a great place
to watch salmon when they spawn in
the fall. Photograph by Angela H.
Bailey.
Things to Do
- The Pacific Marine Circle Tour
The tour
is an
excellent way to explore
the historic West Coast of Vancouver
Island. The wilderness route traces
the coastline from Victoria
through Sooke and Port Renfrew, continuing onto the Cowichan Valley
and looping back down the
Trans-Canada Highway via Duncan
to Victoria.
- Golf
Golfers can tee off at the 9-hole
public John Phillips
Memorial Golf Course in Sooke. Nearby courses include the Metchosin
Golf Course, Olympic
View Golf Club, the Royal Colwood Golf Club, and the Bear Mountain Golf
and Country Club.
Golf Packages in Victoria.
- Hiking
The Juan de Fuca Marine Trail begins
at China Beach
and continues a tough but accessible 47-kilometre hike along shoreline and
through forest to Botanical
Beach
near Port Renfrew. This ambitious trail has been open since 1995
and is intended
to
be an alternative to the increasingly popular West Coast Trail.
The Kludahk Forest Recreation Trail
runs along
San Juan Ridge for 18 miles (30 km). The trailheads are located at the western
terminus of the Galloping
Goose
Trail in Sooke and at Parkinson Creek Provincial Park on the Juan
de Fuca Marine
Trail east of Port Renfrew. The trail, much of which is composed of former
logging roads, follows
San
Juan
Ridge through the Jordan Meadows in a subalpine region dense with
avalanche lilies in springtime
and four varieties of blueberries later in the summer.
Events
- Museum Annnual Open
House
and Salmon
Barbecue
Held
the fourth
Sunday in June this
is an
opportunity for old
friends to come
together,
catch up on the news,
see what's happening at
the museum, check out the
new exhibits,
and get tickets
to feast on
barbecued
salmon. Get a sampling
of Sooke's history,
try the "goldrush",
and check out the
new art in the Giftshop
and Upstairs Gallery.
Contact Information
The Sooke Region Museum and Visitor
Centre is open
throughout the year 9 am - 5 pm.
2070 Phillips Road, Sooke, BC V9Z 1H7
Telephone: 250-642-6351
Toll free 866-888-4748
E-mail: info@sookeregionmuseum.com
Website: http://www.sookeregionmuseum.com/
