Sooke, British Columbia, is a district municipality nestled on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Canada. Located just 38 kilometres from Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, Sooke serves as the westernmost of Greater Victoria's Western Communities. It is a regional centre for residents in neighbouring communities, including Otter Point, Shirley, and Jordan River.
Sooke's popularity as a scenic tourist destination has existed for generations. Well-known destinations in Sooke, such as Whiffin Spit Park, the Sooke Potholes Regional Park, and the adjacent Sooke Potholes Provincial Park, attract visitors both locally and from around the world.
The Sooke Region Museum and its Visitor Centre offer brochures, flat maps, and in-person advice on how best to enjoy the region. The Charters River Salmon Interpretive Centre is another must-visit spot on Sooke River Road en route to the Potholes.
Sooke, BC, is also a base for visiting the wilderness parks of Vancouver Island's southwest coast — the West Coast Trail and the Juan de Fuca Provincial Park, which includes the now highly popular Juan de Fuca Marine Trail. Sooke is also famous for its beaches just on the outskirts of its neighbouring communities such as Shirley and Jordan River. These beaches include Sandcut, French Beach, Fishboat Bay, China Beach, Mystic Beach, and more. In fact, Mystic Beach was rated as one of the world's Top-50 beaches in 2022.
Mountain biking is growing in popularity in British Columbia, and Sooke is establishing itself as a destination for the sport. Local advocacy groups such as the Sooke Bike Club are working to have areas such as Broom Hill set aside as parkland. The Galloping Goose Regional Trail, part of the Trans-Canada Trail, runs through Sooke as far as Leechtown, the former site of a gold-rush town circa 1865. Once a rail line, the Goose is now a popular pedestrian and cycling route connecting Sooke to Victoria.
The vibrant arts community in Sooke is represented by the annual Sooke Fine Arts Show (established in 1987). It is renowned as Vancouver Island's premier such exhibition and attracts thousands to Sooke each summer by featuring the adjudicated art of local and regional artists. Sooke is known for its wealth of painters, writers, sculptors, potters, fabric artists, jewellery crafters, and more. The Sooke Arts Council plays a large role in fostering art in the region and showcases local artists at its Church Road gallery space.
The Sooke Fall Fair was first held in 1913 and continues on Labour Day weekends annually at the Sooke Community Hall. The latter was built by volunteers in the 1930s and is operated by the Sooke Community Association. The Sooke Music Festival was established in 2016 for annual late-summer weekend gatherings in John Phillips Memorial Park.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Sooke had a population of 15,086 living in 6,129 of its 6,431 total private dwellings, a change of 16% from its 2016 population of 13,001. With a land area of 56.6 km2 (21.9 sq mi), it had a population density of 266.5/km2 (690.3/sq mi) in 2021. A full summary of Sooke results from the 2021 Census is available from Statistics Canada.
Sooke has a Mediterranean climate, with warm summers and mild winters, defined by the Köppen climate classification as Csb. Although its precipitation is more like dry summer climates, its temperatures resemble oceanic climates as found in Ireland, for example.
Sooke, British Columbia, is home to several neighbourhoods, listed from east to west:
Sooke, British Columbia, is surrounded by several communities:
