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by Kim Restall | November 4, 2009
The great outdoors offers many activities for youth in Sooke.
Our beautiful area awaits outdoor exploration and offers ample
opportunity for on-water sports, fishing, and hiking. There are
also several outdoor parks such as the SK8 Park, tennis courts
and spoke ball parks (all located on Throup Road), which are
unsupervised and used by youth for skateboarding, wheel jumping
and rollerblading. All good for summer. But when the weather
starts to turn, the nights hit sooner and become cooler. Options
dwindle when it comes to youth recreation.
SEAPARC Leisure Complex offers a variety of options to teens,
but according to Dan Ovington, SEAPARC recreation programmer,
“there often isn’t a great turnout and so programs don’t run due
to lack of interest”. However, Ovington also says that Sooke
youth do seem to be drawn towards leadership courses offered by
SEAPARC, such as lifeguarding, child care and first aid. SEAPARC
does offer a Friday night teen program (ages 11-16) at their
Phillips Road location for swimming, rock band, Wii sports and
night basketball. On Saturday nights they open the doors free
for a youth drop-in (ages 13+) at the Sooke Community Hall with
Wii sports, skate videos, billiards and guitar hero are offered.
Outside of these organized events, Ovington hears a general
consensus from his participation on the Sooke Youth Council that
teens simply want an area where they can get together and “hang
out”. Specifically Sooke youth are hoping for a Tim Hortons
coffee shop, a movie theatre or a bowling alley.
Mayor Janet Evans agrees that resources are not adequate for
youth in Sooke. But the Mayor feels that "improvements can
be achieved" with the help of the Sooke Youth Council. In
response to the specific desires of youth, there have been
rumours circulating about the possibility of a Tim Hortons
franchise coming to Sooke. Mayor Evans says that would be a
private endeavour, not something arranged by the Council.
However the District Council has been attempting to arrange a
small scale movie theatre run from the EMCS theatre. So far this
has not been achieved as there are legality and liability issues
to sort through, as well as the fact that refreshments are not
allowed in the theatre. There was also talk of turning the gym
at Sooke Elementary (when it was proposed for closure) into a
movie theatre, but enrolment has increased in the past year and
so the school will stay open. The Council has learned that many
youth feel SEAPARC is too far away to travel by bus at night and
that they want a resource centre in town. Mayor Evans feels that
a youth centre is a possibility and that it should be located in
the core where there are “eyes on the street, it is safe, well
lit and easily accessible”. Obstacles include a lack of finances
and land for development.
Whether or not these ideas come to life and are put into action,
Mayor Evans feels that the “Youth Council is the right way to
go”. Youth are encouraged to come forward, singly or in a group,
with ideas about ways to improve recreational options. They have
the opportunity to speak with the council members, present their
ideas, and work together towards a solution.
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