Zoe Ducklow

Thriving Toots Wilderness School is trying to buy a 98-acre plot of undeveloped land from the Boys and Girls’ Club of Greater Victoria in Metchosin. (Contributed/Thriving Roots)

Hopeful buyers of Boys and Girls’ Club land in Metchosin would keep it wild

Nature-based school, partners trying to secure financing to buy 98-acre property: school director

Thriving Toots Wilderness School is trying to buy a 98-acre plot of undeveloped land from the Boys and Girls’ Club of Greater Victoria in Metchosin. (Contributed/Thriving Roots)
Kara Lebold, left, is teaching her mother Korrey Laberoute to drum. The family is hosting an informal song and drum gathering at Ed Macgregor Park on June 21, at 7 p.m. (Zoe Ducklow/News Staff)

Metis daughters teaching mother to drum, reclaiming their culture in Sooke

In response to the grief of the Kamloops school discovery, the family is digging into culture

Kara Lebold, left, is teaching her mother Korrey Laberoute to drum. The family is hosting an informal song and drum gathering at Ed Macgregor Park on June 21, at 7 p.m. (Zoe Ducklow/News Staff)
EMCS Concert Band performing last year at Band Fest at the University of Victoria. (Neal Beattie photo)

Sooke youth bands hit high notes at MusicFest

Gold standard music coming out of Sooke schools, according to national judges

EMCS Concert Band performing last year at Band Fest at the University of Victoria. (Neal Beattie photo)
Lake Forgie, left, and Tyson Robinson play Mrs. and Mr. Jabinksy the parents of the groom in Scenes from a Wedding, in which Kinsey D’Archangelo is the bride, Lizzie Wellington. (Zoe Ducklow - Sooke News Mirror)

Lights, camera, COVID compliance

How Sooke high school students staged a musical during a pandemic

Lake Forgie, left, and Tyson Robinson play Mrs. and Mr. Jabinksy the parents of the groom in Scenes from a Wedding, in which Kinsey D’Archangelo is the bride, Lizzie Wellington. (Zoe Ducklow - Sooke News Mirror)
Edward Milne Community School graduates will celebrate together, apart on June 29 and 30. (File - Black Press Media)

EMCS graduates to cross the stage June 29, 30 in live streamed ceremonies

Grad ceremonies have pivoted several times, but will go ahead with subdued aplomb

Edward Milne Community School graduates will celebrate together, apart on June 29 and 30. (File - Black Press Media)
Willow, Rowan and Monkey (camp names) wrestled through the complex issues of civil disobedience and protesting logging when each of them feels very pro forestry — except for old-growth. They’d just come back from a night operation of building hard blocks at a blockade. (Zoe Ducklow/News Staff)

Behind the line at Fairy Creek: Inside B.C.’s old growth forest battleground

There’s surprising activity happening behind the lines at the Fairy Creek old-growth protest sites

Willow, Rowan and Monkey (camp names) wrestled through the complex issues of civil disobedience and protesting logging when each of them feels very pro forestry — except for old-growth. They’d just come back from a night operation of building hard blocks at a blockade. (Zoe Ducklow/News Staff)
Saanich Coun. Nathalie Chambers (second from left), Metchosin Coun. Andy MacKinnon (third from left) and other local politicians went to the Fairy Creek blockades this week on a fact-finding mission. (Photo courtesy Nathalie Chambers)

Greater Victoria councillors visit Fairy Creek blockades, none were arrested

Elected officals were allowed to enter the exclusion zone, along with journalists

Saanich Coun. Nathalie Chambers (second from left), Metchosin Coun. Andy MacKinnon (third from left) and other local politicians went to the Fairy Creek blockades this week on a fact-finding mission. (Photo courtesy Nathalie Chambers)
Neighbours have complained for years about commuter traffic that routes through unlined residential street Alouette Drive. City of Langford staff are recommending two solutions to city council to alleviate the problem. (Zoe Ducklow/News Staff)

Alouette Drive residents in Langford fed up with commercial traffic, speeding

Traffic worse in Westhills neighbourhood since Google Maps began showing route as fastest

Neighbours have complained for years about commuter traffic that routes through unlined residential street Alouette Drive. City of Langford staff are recommending two solutions to city council to alleviate the problem. (Zoe Ducklow/News Staff)
VicPD is investigating the cause of the midnight crash that sent four to hospital, two with potentially life-altering injuries. (Black Press Media file photo)

Potentially life-altering crash under investigation by VicPD

Driver arrested at the scene and four people sent to hospital, two with serious injuries

VicPD is investigating the cause of the midnight crash that sent four to hospital, two with potentially life-altering injuries. (Black Press Media file photo)
A hummingbird mother feeds her babies insects and nectar. (Contributed/Gary Wilson)

Hummingbird family captivates Langford seniors lodge

A mother and two babies were the star of the lodge this spring

A hummingbird mother feeds her babies insects and nectar. (Contributed/Gary Wilson)
View Royal council inquiring about justice system delays caused by COVID-19. (Town of View Royal)

View Royal wonders if COVID-19 court delays are negatively affecting communities

Mayor David Screech to write letter to Minister of Public Safety about issue

View Royal council inquiring about justice system delays caused by COVID-19. (Town of View Royal)
Andreea Pirvu, 26, sat on a tripod for about four hours on Wednesday. Sgt. Elenore Sturko said Pirvu started getting drowsy from the heat, which is one reason why they chose not to extract. (Zoe Ducklow/News Staff)
Andreea Pirvu, 26, sat on a tripod for about four hours on Wednesday. Sgt. Elenore Sturko said Pirvu started getting drowsy from the heat, which is one reason why they chose not to extract. (Zoe Ducklow/News Staff)
Marlene Clifton says all Canadians need to learn the whole awful truth of residential schools. (Zoe Ducklow/News Staff)

Sooke School District responds to heartbreak of residential schools with learning opportunities

The Gazette offers some Indigenous learning resources for readers to start with

Marlene Clifton says all Canadians need to learn the whole awful truth of residential schools. (Zoe Ducklow/News Staff)
Chris Forbes moved from Nanaimo to Sooke to start Fuca Cycles, with retail bikes and a full service repair shop. (Zoe Ducklow/News Staff)

New businesses booming in Sooke, despite pandemic

New business licences doubled this year over the same time last year

Chris Forbes moved from Nanaimo to Sooke to start Fuca Cycles, with retail bikes and a full service repair shop. (Zoe Ducklow/News Staff)
View Royal Fire Rescue has been concerned about alcohol consumption and safety issues at Thetis Lake Regional Park for decades, says View Royal Fire Chief Paul Hurst. (Black Press Media file photo)

View Royal mulling options to curb cliff jumping at Thetis Lake Park

Staff propose bylaw to charge for cliff jumping rescues, but mayor unconvinced

View Royal Fire Rescue has been concerned about alcohol consumption and safety issues at Thetis Lake Regional Park for decades, says View Royal Fire Chief Paul Hurst. (Black Press Media file photo)
Vehicle share cooperative service Modo has moved into Langford. (Courtesy City of Langford)

Modo arrives in Langford with electric and hybrid shareable cars

The car sharing cooperative partnered with the city to expand car sharing westward

Vehicle share cooperative service Modo has moved into Langford. (Courtesy City of Langford)
(Black Press Media file photo) RCMP

Multitude of missing persons files no cause for alarm: West Shore RCMP

Const. Meighan Massey says the majority are safely resolved within a day or two

(Black Press Media file photo) RCMP
Marlene Clifton says all Canadians need to learn the whole truth about residential schools. She led a group of people in song in Langford to mourn the 215 children whose unmarked graves were found in May at a former residential school in Kamloops. (Zoe Ducklow/News Staff)

Gitksan grandmother says Canadians need to face the whole truth about residential schools

‘If reconciliation is going to happen, they need to know the truth’

Marlene Clifton says all Canadians need to learn the whole truth about residential schools. She led a group of people in song in Langford to mourn the 215 children whose unmarked graves were found in May at a former residential school in Kamloops. (Zoe Ducklow/News Staff)
Ayana Benning, 5, and her brother Tulsie Benning, 4, marched up with their signs and parents to join the celebration at Braden Main forest service road, where the police exclusion line was breached May 29. (Zoe Ducklow/News Staff)

RCMP arrest all but one at Waterfall blockade, protesters take it back next day

Crowds of supporters and a car of elders breached the police line

Ayana Benning, 5, and her brother Tulsie Benning, 4, marched up with their signs and parents to join the celebration at Braden Main forest service road, where the police exclusion line was breached May 29. (Zoe Ducklow/News Staff)
Yana Hempler sailed through the finish line with a huge smile and lots of extra energy. (Zoe Ducklow/News Staff)

Saanich runner finished a marathon of marathons for heathcare

Hempler covered 1,265+ kilometres in May, raising money for Victoria hospitals

Yana Hempler sailed through the finish line with a huge smile and lots of extra energy. (Zoe Ducklow/News Staff)