Helen’s Vision for Sooke: Bringing Our Town Centre to Life

When I moved to Sooke, I chose to live downtown. The realtor asked, “Are you sure?” I like walking to the grocery store, library, coffee shop, restaurants and parks. I like running into people I know and leaving my car at home. But I look around and think: our town centre could be so much more beautiful, welcoming and interesting. Our shops and services are scattered, with gaps that don't invite you to keep walking. Let's connect the pieces with trees and landscaping, lighting, public art, places to gather, better walking connections, and spaces for small businesses.

And let's make more of our waterfront. We're a marine community with an extraordinary harbour, yet sometimes you'd barely know it from downtown. Tourists ask me where they can get fish and chips on the water. I know, right? I want that too. I want to go for an evening walk and see other people out. Stop into a new shop. Sit somewhere pleasant. Run into a neighbour. A downtown with some life in it, where people want to linger.

It won't happen all at once. Every improvement helps create the next one. A nicer street encourages someone to invest in a business. More people downtown support that business. More activity brings more people. Bit by bit, downtown gets better. New MRDT tourism revenue gives us money to start making some of these improvements now.

And yes, we want new development – but at a scale that supports Sooke, not overwhelms it. Fill in the gaps thoughtfully with housing and businesses while respecting the families and neighbourhoods already here. Let's dust off our Town Centre Plan and use new 3D mapping to see how the pieces fit together. We don't want to become Langford. We want to become a better version of Sooke, with a downtown that invites us to explore and stay awhile.

- Helen Ritts