Sooke

• Lodging in this community
• Camping in this community 

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.

• Zipline
  Adrena Line Zipline Adventure Tours, offer people the chance to experience an exhilarating ride up to 60km/hr on eight scenic ziplines ranging from 150 feet to an unforgettable 1000 feet.

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.

Nearby Communities

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/