How our Official Community Plan was shaped — and how we keep improving it together

Yesterday's post generated a lot of comments about Sooke's Official Community Plan (OCP). Thank you to everyone who took the time to comment.

One thing we'd like to clarify is the process itself.

Our community plan wasn't written behind closed doors. Over more than five years, more than 2,000 residents helped shape it through the Picture Sooke engagement process.

There were open houses, neighbourhood pop-ups, workshops, online surveys, mail-outs, highway signs, community events, public meetings of the Official Community Plan Advisory Committee, and multiple Council meetings where every major draft was discussed publicly before moving to the next phase.

Our planning consultants described Sooke's level of public participation as well above average.

Before the Plan was adopted, staff repeatedly corrected misinformation circulating in the community, including claims that the 15-metre marine setback was new (it wasn't) and that private land would be expropriated for a waterfront trail (it wouldn't).

Staff also worked through the Sooke Builders Association's recommendations point by point, accepting some changes and explaining others.

The final Public Hearing showed just how deeply people care about Sooke and its future.

A community plan is built by listening to many different perspectives and making decisions that best serve the long-term interests of the whole community. That means not every recommendation will be adopted, and not everyone will agree with the final plan.

No community plan is perfect. That's why Sooke Together supports the scheduled review of the OCP in December 2026. Planning in the public interest means continuing to listen, improving what needs improving, and building on the good work our community has already done.

If you participated in the OCP process, what's one recommendation or concern you'd like Council to revisit during the 2026 review?