Sooke

Sooke Harbour House is an inn and restaurant located in Sooke, British Columbia, Canada, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. The establishment has been owned by Frederique and Sinclair Philip since 1979. Sinclair is the Canadian representative for Slow Food in Italy and some years ago was a Slow Food Vancouver Island Convivium leader. He has a doctorate in political economics from the University of Grenoble in France. In 2000, a writer for The New York Times called Sooke Harbour House "one of Canada's half-dozen best restaurants".In May 2012, Sooke Harbour House was put up for sale, at $5.9 million. The Philips cited financial pressure from a decline in the tourism industry, along with stress, as reasons for the decision. The establishment ultimately did not sell. In 2015, it was reported that the Business Development Bank of Canada initiated a foreclosure action against the inn for owing $2.9 million on a mortgage from 1997. Denying that they were in foreclosure, the Philips eventually agreed with new investors to sell the property, pay back the mortgage, and begin expanding the property. However, this led to protracted legal battles between the Philips and the investors. Timothy Durkin, the investor, sued Frederique and Sinclair for control of the business, which resulted in an interim order from a judge to the Philips to "immediately quit and leave the business premises". Amidst the ongoing legal battle for ownership, Sooke Harbour House was put up for sale for $5.63 million in April 2020 as part of a foreclosure sale ordered by the courts. In June 2020, it was announced that the real estate company IAG Enterprises would purchase the property for $5.6 million. IAG COO Alex Watson noted that the company wants to reopen Sooke Harbour House in 2021, after renovating different areas of the site.In September 2020, after a 56-day trial, British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Jasvinder Basrann awarded Frederique and Sinclair Philip "more than $4 million for the 'six-year odyssey of lies, excuses, threats, intimidation and bullying' they suffered at the hands of Timothy Durkin and his partner Rodger Gregory." In a 94-page ruling, Basran concluded the Philips' "reasonable expectation of a comfortable and well-deserved retirement has been effectively stolen from them because they unknowingly put their future in the hands of these two fundamentally dishonest individuals." The Philip's attorney stated that his clients are unlikely to collect the $4 million in damages, because "Durkin has no assets listed in his name—no car, no property, no Canadian bank account". Durkin filed a notice of his intent to appeal Basran's decision. After the Philips paid legal fees and lenders, and the federal, provincial, and municipal governments collected what was owed for late and unpaid taxes, the brothers were left with nothing from the sale.

Broom Hill is a hill and eponymous rural neighbourhood in Sooke, British Columbia. Its residential subdivisions surround Broom Hill proper, which is composed of gabbro which rises to an elevation of 283 metres (928 feet). Above the subdivisions, most of the terrain has a forest cover dominated by Douglas-fir.

The Sooke Region Museum is a museum in Sooke, British Columbia, Canada, which explores the human and natural heritage of the region from East Sooke to Port Renfrew on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Started in 1977, the museum is open year round. The museum is unusual in Canada as it receives core funding as a result of a referendum where 83% of local residents voted to raise their property taxes to provide operating funds, subsequently the local governments decided to make funding more stable by making the museum a service. The museum also operates the official Visitor Information Centre for the area and a temporary exhibit space. There are outdoor exhibits and a main museum building. One of its most visible attractions is a lighthouse that was originally on Triangle Island, off the north tip of Vancouver Island. The museum averages over 40,000 visitors a year. The museum operates a gift shop and does special tours, including traditional salmon BBQ's. The museum is also the location of the annual Sooke Summer Night Market. The museum has been involved in both commemorating and exploring the heritage of the region, including helping in the discovery of a historic bake oven in the wilderness and another they have located on their grounds. The museum is currently working on restoring two small rail engines, which they hope to soon have on display. The museum also publishes books, most recently Bringing Water to Victoria. There is also an archival collection housing documents and photographs. The museum has been upgrading its facilities with the support of various agencies, including the federal government. The museum has programs for children.The museum founded the annual Sooke Fine Arts Show, the largest juried art show on Vancouver Island. They ran the show for 20 years, it is now operated by a separate society. The museum is operated by the Sooke Region Historical Society, which is incorporated under the BC Society's Act and is also a federal registered charity. The first curator of the museum was Elida Peers, for this and other works she received the Order of British Columbia, which is the highest honour that the Province of British Columbia gives. She continues to volunteer at the museum as the historian.

East Sooke is an unincorporated community south and east of Sooke, British Columbia, Canada. It consists of over 500 houses (and one volunteer fire department), along with the headquarters of the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCMSAR) organization on the south side of the Sooke Basin. East Sooke borders on East Sooke Regional Park, an area of 14.3394 square kilometres (3,543.3 acres), with views south to Olympic National Park in the United States. East Sooke does not have a town council. Instead it is governed by a regional director who is also responsible for other unincorporated areas in the Capital Regional District (the regional district of Greater Victoria). East Sooke's general character is rural, although it is a bedroom community of Victoria, British Columbia. Its close proximity to Victoria, its character as a bedroom community, and its large tracts of undeveloped land have made it an attractive location for recreation and retirement developments. Political scuffles over the development of the community have led to two large sections of East Sooke splitting off and joining Sooke. The population of East Sooke is roughly 1,500 (2001 census: 1434). There is no town core, but there is a single convenience store. East Sooke is a mix of small residential subdivisions, small hobby farms, and wilderness. There are currently no schools in East Sooke, although there have been plans for an elementary school for a number of years. Some children are bussed to Sooke schools. This community is part of School District 62 Sooke. Some families in East Sooke homeschool their kids, negating the need to travel to Sooke for school.

Sooke Potholes Regional Park is a 63.5-hectare (157-acre) nature park along the Sooke River, near Sooke, British Columbia. It is known for its rocky pools and canyon-like features and is a popular destination for hiking and swimming. The Land Conservancy of British Columbia (TLC) and the Capital Regional District (CRD) purchased the Sooke Potholes property from private owners in 2005 and 2007. The two organizations work together to manage, plan and develop the park's resources. The 67-site Spring Salmon Place Campground (KWL-UCHUN), located at the northern end of the park, is operated seasonally by the T'Sou-ke Nation. The smaller Sooke Potholes Provincial Park abuts the southern boundary of the regional park. The westernmost portion of the Galloping Goose Regional Trail can be accessed from the park. The Sooke Flowline, constructed in 1915, snakes through the nearby hills around the Sooke Potholes and travels all the way to the Humpback Reservoir near Mt. Wells Regional Park. It can be found east of the Sooke River.

Sooke Potholes Provincial Park is a 7.28 hectare provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It is adjacent to the Sooke River and Sooke Potholes Regional Park, near Victoria, B.C. Intended primarily to provide access to the Sooke River and the associated potholes, it also offers wildlife viewing and other day-use activities.

Otter Point is a rural forestry district between other rural district of Shirley and town of Sooke. It references the immediate area around Otter Point Road, a 10 km (6 mi) crescent-shaped thoroughfare beginning and terminating on West Coast Road as well as the area towards Shirley boundary too. The rural district itself is generally considered to begin past the extensive residential subdivisions of Broom Hill, past Helgesen Road. The character of Otter Point is predominantly rural lifestyle, with many small hobby farms and pockets of forest. The housing ranges from small, modest cottage-type structures and mobile homes to more extensive, upscale residences. Most of the lots are large, consisting of 1-acre (4,000 m2) or more.

Sooke Basin is a small (10 km²) body of water on the southern end of Vancouver Island in southwestern British Columbia. It is connected to the Strait of Juan de Fuca by Sooke Harbour, a 4 km long narrow natural harbour.

Sooke Mountain Provincial Park is a Class B provincial park located at the southern end of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. The park was established on June 25, 1928, to protect local wildlife and preserve the scenic wilderness of the area. Sooke Mountain is now part of the larger Sea to Sea Green Blue Belt surrounding Greater Victoria.

Leechtown is at the confluence of the Leech River into the Sooke River in southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The ghost town, off BC Highway 1 is about 59 kilometres (37 mi) by road northwest of Victoria.

Mount Matheson, at 292 metres (958 ft), is the highest point in East Sooke, British Columbia. From the top there are panoramic views from Cape Flattery to Mount Baker. The bedrock is Eocene-era basalt.

Mount Helmcken is a large hill in Metchosin, east of Sooke, in British Columbia, Canada. It is also just west of Colwood. The mountain is accessed via Neild Road which runs all the way to the top where it joins Zanita Heights. The mountain is named for John S. Helmcken, a surgeon for the Hudson's Bay Company who opposed the province's entry into Confederation, preferring annexation by the United States.