Looking at Sooke’s growing economy, influence in the region and thriving sectors, it’s easy to forget that it’s one of Southern Vancouver Island’s smallest and newest municipalities. Yet, with Sooke’s track record of success, this small but mighty municipality — the westernmost of Greater Victoria’s 13 municipalities — is turning challenges into opportunities through strategic partnerships and innovative projects, even in the face of natural disasters.
Recent wildfires in summer 2024 posed a major threat to Sooke’s community. But as the self-proclaimed volunteer capital of Canada, Sooke’s challenges only strengthened the community’s giving spirit. Sooke received so many donations from community members to support firefighters that they put out a call to stop donating.
This generosity extends beyond Sooke as well.
“We’re appreciated as a municipality for partnering and communicating with neighbouring smaller communities within our region. Offering a hand up if it is needed, and keeping them informed and aware of developments by inviting them to participate in engagement workshops and planning sessions” says Gail Scott, Community Economic Development Officer for the District of Sooke.
Find out how celebrating Sooke’s sense of place and holistic community well-being is key to economic development in the latest Changemakers profile.
Q+A with Gail Scott, Community Economic Development Officer for Sooke
What approach or innovation sets your organization apart in today’s economic landscape?
At the District of Sooke, we recognize the need for creative solutions in the face of limited funding and land resources from a municipal standpoint. Our approach has been to form collaborative partnerships and network with supportive organizations. This helps us fill some of our economic development service gaps. We’re one of the newest and smallest municipalities within the CRD, so we must be creative.
By doing this, we clearly understand our strengths and our limitations. By aligning ourselves with our official community and business plans, we can focus on areas with the most impact. Our unique geographic features, such as our stunning coastline, abundant natural spaces, remarkable arts community and strong interest in local food systems, position us for prosperity. Historically, Sooke has been known as a rural bedroom community. However, our landscape is changing fast as we seek to become a self-sustaining community embracing a circular economy closer to home.
What motivated your organization to join South Island Prosperity Partnership. How does this align with your vision for impact?
Sooke’s motivation to join SIPP stemmed from our understanding of the importance of connecting with like-minded economic development organizations. This membership allows us to engage in forward-thinking think tanks and learning opportunities, which align with our vision of fostering economic growth and sustainability in the Sooke region. Collaboration is key as it collectively addresses regional challenges and drives positive change.
“The region will be a hub for innovation and raise the bar to attract talent and investment worldwide. Our communities will be more connected, resilient, and inclusive, with a high quality of life that attracts families, businesses and visitors alike. “
Gail Scott
In light of current global challenges, what strategies do you believe are essential for cultivating thriving businesses for Greater Victoria?
Businesses must have robust risk management plans in today’s rapidly changing global landscape. That’s apparent as we go through all these climate change situations. We also need emergency recovery strategies and talent attraction and retention plans, which include being agile and adapting quickly to business trends. Technology advancement is crucial. We’ll also need proactive businesses that can change gears at a moment’s notice.
With global competition for talent and investment intensifying, what unique advantages does Greater Victoria offer to stand out?
We have several advantages that set us apart from the global competition for talent investments. We’ve consistently been voted one of the world’s most livable cities and regions. This includes our openness to international recruitment and investment and our status as a port city, helping attract visitors and relocate families and business interests. Our significant advancements in the Blue Marine economy also distinguish us from many other competing communities.
Sooke’s proximity to the wilderness and ocean offers an unparalleled lifestyle that attracts creative and entrepreneurial talents. The region’s commitment to sustainability and the development of local food systems further enhances its appeal to those seeking a balanced and community-oriented way of life. We have a very interesting collection of people here who are clearly supportive of both the slow tourism and slow food movements.
People make up the fabric of any community. And Sooke redefines that. We are the (self-proclaimed) volunteer capital of Canada. Everybody wants to be a part of something, and everybody wants to be a part of helping out. That was evident last week with our wildfires. We actually had to put a call out to stop donating because we had more supplies than we could even use for our firefighters. That’s not a one-off situation. We run into it time and time again, which is truly remarkable as far as the people and place are concerned.
Looking at the hurdles facing our region, which challenge is your organization most dedicated to addressing?
Sooke is dedicated to addressing transportation challenges. This includes road upgrades, improvements, and the development of creative green economy transportation services to alleviate gridlock and improve the quality of life for working families and students. Around 72% of all our residents work and travel down towards Langford, Saanich and Victoria for jobs. Our one road highway 14 is very busy. We regularly track data on our transportation and use Google Maps as a primary data source. At the peak we understand the Sooke portion on Highway 14 contributes to about an 18-minute delay.
That in itself isn’t, arguably, too significant in a growing region, but recognizing people are commuting from Victoria in the town core, this is potentially the third gridlock you’ve encountered traveling from the capital city through the West Shore and into Sooke, it has an impact. Traffic flows nicely through the new four lanes. But then, as it merges, there’s a bottleneck, so you’re almost home, and then hit that congestion again.
The Province recently announced a $95 million investment in rapid transit lanes. If these lanes could extend to Sooke, it would make a significant difference. It could also foster more community spirit by allowing people to ride the bus together instead of sitting in traffic alone. Simply put, we are committed to finding innovative solutions to our traffic issues.
What upcoming initiatives or projects within your organization are you most enthusiastic about for impacting the economy?
As Sooke’s Community Economic Development Officer, I’m always looking at projects that will grow and sustain our region. The regional, regenerative, community-first tourism destination development project is one of our more exciting upcoming initiatives.
We’ve looked at the Juan de Fuca corridor, which goes from Beecher Bay all the way up to Port Renfrew, and considered how we could create a responsible and vibrant tourism economy for this region. We’ve completed our plan for the South Vancouver Island side of the strait and now we’ve reached out to Washington State to establish their interest in partnering on a collaborative approach for regenerative community-first tourism development that will encompass both sides of the Strait.
Another project we have been working on is a Sooke Region Business Services Cooperative which is a partnership between the District of Sooke and WorkLink BC. Worklink BC is one of the District of Sooke’s strongest economic development partners. The Sooke Region has very few storefront business support programs that can be accessed locally. Our small and medium businesses are often frustrated by this. They don’t want to drive down to Victoria or up to Duncan to go to a Community Futures Office. The solution was to create our own business services cooperative. We’ve just finished incorporating it with the support of Cooperatives First.
Now we are initiating new strategic partnerships with like-minded organizations that provide needed support for SMEs. This solution addresses local business retention, business expansion, and identification of business opportunities. The key objective here is to create more local jobs and to reduce people from having to spend way too much time on the road which will lead to a much improved quality of life for them and their families.
Is there a particular mantra, individual, or reading fuelling your drive to make a difference in what you or your organization does?
Think globally. Act locally.
It’s about recognizing that connection to our sense of place and how our actions contribute to the broader sustainability goals and holistic community wellbeing. This includes celebrating our community’s vibrant character and diversity alongside Greater Victoria and B.C. as a whole. It’s a critical part of who we are. That global connection anchored in a sense of place and honouring our friendships and partnerships with the T’Sou-ke and Scia’new Nations is a testament to what we do.
Fast-forward two decades: how do you picture Southern Vancouver Island? Describe the transformations that will take place for our economic future.
Vancouver Island is a vibrant, sustainable and economically prosperous region. Transformations will include advanced transportation infrastructure, green economy initiatives and a thriving Blue Marine economy.
The region will be a hub for innovation and raise the bar to attract talent and investment worldwide. Our communities will be more connected, resilient, and inclusive, with a high quality of life that attracts families, businesses and visitors alike. The economic future will be characterized by sustainable growth, strong community partnerships and a robust entrepreneurial spirit that drives continuous improvement, adaptation and responsiveness to global changes. Sooke, in particular, will have evolved from a bedroom community to a self-sustaining hub and a vibrant space that embraces a circular economy, strong arts community, local food systems and stunning natural environment that will continue to draw people who value this high quality of life and that deep connection to nature and sense of place, again in friendship and cooperation alongside Indigenous peoples, including the T’Sou-ke and Scia’new Nations.
Find out more about the District of Sooke on their website.
