Exploring Sooke
Created | Updated Jun 10, 2002
Sooke (pronounced sook, pronounce it as sook-ee and you'll just get laughed at) is a small town near the southern end of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It was named after the T'sooke tribe that lived and continues to live there. Though relatively small, Sooke is just twenty minutes away from two larger towns, Colwood and Langford*, and just half an hour away from the capital of British Columbia, Victoria.
Though it has no movie theater, or regular malls, Sooke does have a number of strip malls downtown. While we're on the subject, Sooke's "downtown" is actually called up-Sooke. Downtown generally refers to Victoria, or in some cases Colwood and/or Langford. There are two grocery stores in Sooke, Western foods and Village Foods. Next to Western foods is Sunset Video, the best video rental store on this side of the pacific. Just outside the parking lot there is an A&W, Sooke's first ever fast food joint. Just across the street and down a little is Village foods, THAT is where you should buy your groceries. In the same building, though a few stores down is McDonalds, Sooke's second and only other fast food restaurant. Sooke has an absolutely tiny public library, as they refuse to join the main branch. However, they do allow you to check out magazines there, which is nice.
If you like to take walks, then Sooke is the place for you! Wiffin Spit, for example, is a rocky spit sticking out into the ocean. You can find all sorts of cool shells and driftwood there, and sometimes you can even see seals, and once I think I saw an otter. But watch out, some really gross things wash up on the shore, a sea lion's body without the head for instance. Every year, who knows who started the tradition, but everyone brings Christmas ornaments and decorates an evergreen tree down on the spit. All around Sooke are the Sooke Hills, things that are really too big to be hills but too small to be mountains. You can go walking in the Sooke Hills, especially on the logging trails. But when doing so you must be CARFUL!!!! There are bears, and much more dangerously, cougars, all around Sooke. There are even some wolves, though they really try and avoid humans.
If you love to watch wildlife, then rent or buy a boat! With the proper directions, and if it's the right season, you can ride your boat out to a small grouping of islands, and see the sea lions. But, once again, be CARFUL!!!! If you drive too close the big males will charge into the water, and believe me; they are big enough to tip the boat.
Fishing is great in Sooke, if you like trout that is. Buy back roads map, and drive up to one of those ancient little dams and ravines sprinkled around the area, be sure to bring bait! Also, as a side note, I'd like to suggest that you fry your trout in flour, (skin on) pull out the backbone and ribs, and eat it with some rice and those little potatoes you can cook in the microwave.
For swimming, though Sooke has a pool, you should really try out the Sooke potholes. The potholes are like little ponds carved into the rock by the river. Though they can only be swam in in the summer, the potholes have really clear cool water, and the first one outside the gate even has a natural slide worn into the rock.
Once a year down by the flats there is All Sooke Day, with greased-pole climbing, axe throwing, log riding, games, food, and music. On July first, also down by the flats, there is a Canada Day celebration. There is food, music, and some kiddy games, but it really isn’t as fun as All Sooke Day.
Finally, there is one thing that you must absolutely try on the island: Chow Main. This is going to sound insane, but the Chow Main from a food court there is a million times better then chow main from a fancy restaurant any where else. Trust me on this.
Oh, and by the way, I don't work for the Sooke tourism board or anything. (If there is such thing...) In fact, I don't even live there any more, I moved away two years ago.
*Colwood and Langford are two towns that are so totally mixed together that not even the people who live there really know where one ends and the other begins. Though Colwood is a friend of Sooke's and site of the closest Movie Theater, Langford and Sooke are definite enemies. If you are a boy from Langford, you are simply hated, but if you are a girl from Langford, you are a "Langford Girl". Just guess what that means, it's not really appropriate to say here.
Though it has no movie theater, or regular malls, Sooke does have a number of strip malls downtown. While we're on the subject, Sooke's "downtown" is actually called up-Sooke. Downtown generally refers to Victoria, or in some cases Colwood and/or Langford. There are two grocery stores in Sooke, Western foods and Village Foods. Next to Western foods is Sunset Video, the best video rental store on this side of the pacific. Just outside the parking lot there is an A&W, Sooke's first ever fast food joint. Just across the street and down a little is Village foods, THAT is where you should buy your groceries. In the same building, though a few stores down is McDonalds, Sooke's second and only other fast food restaurant. Sooke has an absolutely tiny public library, as they refuse to join the main branch. However, they do allow you to check out magazines there, which is nice.
If you like to take walks, then Sooke is the place for you! Wiffin Spit, for example, is a rocky spit sticking out into the ocean. You can find all sorts of cool shells and driftwood there, and sometimes you can even see seals, and once I think I saw an otter. But watch out, some really gross things wash up on the shore, a sea lion's body without the head for instance. Every year, who knows who started the tradition, but everyone brings Christmas ornaments and decorates an evergreen tree down on the spit. All around Sooke are the Sooke Hills, things that are really too big to be hills but too small to be mountains. You can go walking in the Sooke Hills, especially on the logging trails. But when doing so you must be CARFUL!!!! There are bears, and much more dangerously, cougars, all around Sooke. There are even some wolves, though they really try and avoid humans.
If you love to watch wildlife, then rent or buy a boat! With the proper directions, and if it's the right season, you can ride your boat out to a small grouping of islands, and see the sea lions. But, once again, be CARFUL!!!! If you drive too close the big males will charge into the water, and believe me; they are big enough to tip the boat.
Fishing is great in Sooke, if you like trout that is. Buy back roads map, and drive up to one of those ancient little dams and ravines sprinkled around the area, be sure to bring bait! Also, as a side note, I'd like to suggest that you fry your trout in flour, (skin on) pull out the backbone and ribs, and eat it with some rice and those little potatoes you can cook in the microwave.
For swimming, though Sooke has a pool, you should really try out the Sooke potholes. The potholes are like little ponds carved into the rock by the river. Though they can only be swam in in the summer, the potholes have really clear cool water, and the first one outside the gate even has a natural slide worn into the rock.
Once a year down by the flats there is All Sooke Day, with greased-pole climbing, axe throwing, log riding, games, food, and music. On July first, also down by the flats, there is a Canada Day celebration. There is food, music, and some kiddy games, but it really isn’t as fun as All Sooke Day.
Finally, there is one thing that you must absolutely try on the island: Chow Main. This is going to sound insane, but the Chow Main from a food court there is a million times better then chow main from a fancy restaurant any where else. Trust me on this.
Oh, and by the way, I don't work for the Sooke tourism board or anything. (If there is such thing...) In fact, I don't even live there any more, I moved away two years ago.
*Colwood and Langford are two towns that are so totally mixed together that not even the people who live there really know where one ends and the other begins. Though Colwood is a friend of Sooke's and site of the closest Movie Theater, Langford and Sooke are definite enemies. If you are a boy from Langford, you are simply hated, but if you are a girl from Langford, you are a "Langford Girl". Just guess what that means, it's not really appropriate to say here.
