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Event report and photos by Mary P. Brooke |
First posted: Dec.5, 2009
The Sooke Spirit Fest town centre festivities and parade drew a
large crowd of local Sooke residents and maybe some visitors too.
Parade floats made their way down Sooke Road in
town centre.
Click to read a story about the
parade. Decorated boats made their way around the
harbour after dark.
 Parade with floats, streets lined with booths and displays,
a lit-up tree, plenty of decorative seasonal lights and
a sailpast in the harbour -- primarily focussed in the Sooke town centre area
plus the harbour.
| Activities began in
town centre. |
2 pm |
| Parade went down Sooke Road in town centre. |
2:30 pm |
| Tree Lightup Ceremony with
Mayor Evans and the Sooke Community Choir ~ at
Evergreen Centre. |
4:30 pm |
| Sailpast began in the
harbour, with lighted boats against the dark night
sky, lasting til 6:45 pm. |
5:00 pm |
| SOOKE SPIRIT FEST
photo contest |
Take photos during the Sooke
Spirit Fest |
| 1st prize - $25 The Edge Restaurant; 2nd
prize - $20 The Stick Coffee House |
Send photos up to Dec.23, 2009 to
contests@maplelinemagazine.com |
This was the Sooke Harbour Chamber of Commerce's
renewed effort to draw tourism business to Sooke in the cold of winter
during the holiday season. Organization was spearheaded by Sooke Harbour
Chamber of Commerce president, Gwen Fisher. Businesses and the District
were behind
this venture all the way.
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Early Sat. Dec. 5 booths
and activity tents were in the process of being set up
by dedicated organizers in the cold weather. |
Booth setup was taking place Dec. 5
a.m. in the vacant parking lot across from Home
Hardware. |
Gwen Fisher helps put up Christmas
decorations in the outdoor tent area, Dec.5. |
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Local residents gathered along Sooke
Road in front of Evergreen Centre, to see the parade. |
The parade started with the Sooke
Harbour Chamber of Commerce float at 2:30 pm. |
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Judithe Ann Gatto of the Sooke Canada
Day Society was in red and white for the parade! |
Many floats made their way up Sooke
Road. |
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Tickets were on sale to buy
refreshments outdoors in town centre. |
This cool canine (a Miniature Pincher) was dressed warmly for the
occasion. |
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Wares for sale and a pot of coffee on, outside of A Sea of
Bloom on Sooke Road. |
Father Christmas paid a visit to the
Reading Room Cafe in Evergreen Centre. |
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Trophy winner for best float in the
parade (for Best Representing Spirit of Sooke) was Gary Sidsworth, owner of Ground Effects
Landscaping. The trophy was sponsored by the District of Sooke
and presented by Mayor Janet Evans during the tree
lightup ceremony in town centre, Dec.5. |
District of Sooke councillor Sheila
Beech with granddaughter Lily, join the carollers
through Sooke town centre. |
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The tree has new lights (anyone who
can take a better photo of the low-emitting LED lights against the night
sky -- please send in
your photo to the contest
by Dec.23/09). |
Mayor Janet Evans walks and sings with the carollers
as they headed down West Coast Road to Ed Macgregor Park. |
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SEND US YOUR PHOTOS of the DEC.5
SPIRIT FEST EVENT. CONTEST CLOSES on DEC.23.
SEND TO:
contest@maplelinemagazine.com |
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All of the 1,200 feet of ramp-style
walkway in Ed Macgregor Park, down to the water, was
strung with LED holiday lights. The lighting
setup was a tremendous effort by Gwen Fisher and her Spirit
Fest team. |
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Carollers braved the cold on the Ed
Macgregor boardwalk, entertaining a crowd of about 75
people who awaited the lighted sailpast of boats on the
harbour. |
Two young carollers keep each other
warm on the boardwalk after dark. |
Photos of the boats in preparation for the sailpast
(photos by Donald C. Mills).
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Boat from this past summer's Salmon Classic was
adorned with a bow and lights for the sailpast. |
A total of 16 boats were decorated for sailing in
this year's Spirit Fest sailpast. |
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The speedy whale-watching boat from Sooke Coastal
Explorations was docked and ready to sail. |
Russ Nicks of Sooke Coastal Explorations
and the Coast Guard Auxiliary Station #37 Sooke headed up
the 16-boat sailpast event. |
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Boats in the 2nd annual sailpast after dark
(photos by Mary P. Brooke): |
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Sunset on the Sooke Harbour as seen
from the Ed Macgregor boardwalk. |
A rainbow glow lit up the water as The
Reefseeker (winner
of the District of Sooke's Sailpast trophy) went past the Government docks around
6:30 pm. |
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Each boat had its own style of
decorations. The 16 boats started at the Sooke Harbour
Resort docks, made their way over to Whiffen Spit, came
back around past the Ed Macgregor boardwalk then sailed
past the Government docks at the foot of Maple Avenue
South. |
Several of the sailpast event boats
were seen clustered past the Government docks on their
way back to shore. The District of
Sooke will be awarded a trophy for the best sailpast
entry (i.e. Best Representing Spirit of Sooke) during their Dec.7/09 District's 10th anniversary
celebration, to: Kel Phair for the decorative
presentation of his boat Reefseeker. |
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Photos submitted by Neil Flynn: |
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The Reefseeker team headed by Kel
Phair prepares to set sail at the cusp of nightfall. |
The Reefseeker (winner
of the District of Sooke's trophy) for
representing the spirit of Sooke) is ready to push off. |
MM |
