There are many ways to get from A to B, and some options make the journey more fun than the destination. Visitors can head off the beaten path and explore the unexpected ways people move throughout the region at Sooke Region Museum’s latest exhibit, Detours: Bypass the Expected, running through December 2025.
Showcasing the history of transportation methods, whether by water, wheels, foot, or air, the exhibit features some intriguing artifacts from the museum’s collection, diving deep into three areas of transportation: industry, commuting, and recreation.
In Detours, visitors can learn about a uniquely “Sooke” item, the Flowline Tricycle. This tricycle was specifically made to ride the Flowline so it could be inspected efficiently. This employed ‘hand-cycling,’ which is better for keeping balance than pedalling. On this trike, the arms work while the feet steer and keep the rider stable.
The Trike on display – a fabrication of the original Flowline tricycle made by Maywell Wickheim in 2003 – is available for a test ride.
A dugout canoe from Elder Jackie DeYaeger’s (Planes) father, Jacques Planes, is featured in Detours. The canoe was donated in September 2023 by Elder Jackie at her father's request.
This dugout canoe was part of a dowry gift to Jacques from when he married Phyllis Charles from the SC’IANEW First Nation in 1951. Jacques’ canoe quickly became a vessel for relationships to emerge and strengthen amongst the T’SOU-KE, SC’IANEW communities, and the museum. Working closely with Elder Jackie, the museum shares the canoe’s story through this exhibit.
In addition to objects inside the museum, objects outside on the grounds tell stories of how people moved around the region for industry, recreation, and commuting. For a complete experience, visitors can pick up an exhibit map.
Encouraging people to think differently about how they move around, BC Transit, an exhibit sponsor, has donated two monthly passes to give away. To enter the contest, visitors must decode a secret message in the exhibit. The contest ends on Feb. 28, 2025. Two winners will be announced at the beginning of March.
Other event sponsors include West Coast Outdoor Adventure Rentals, West Coast Collision, West Coast Trail Express, BC Transit, and Benjamin Moore Pacific Paint Sooke. Financial support comes from the CRD, the District of Sooke, the BC Arts Council, and the Province of British Columbia.
