District of Sooke council has restored $5,000 in funding to Juan de Fuca Park Watch Society.
Funding was cut to $1,000 last year by council on the recommendation of its grants committee.
The park watch program is run by volunteers from May to September, with a focus on preventing theft from vehicles, break-ins and vandalism. Last year, volunteer patrols handed out more than 30,000 brochures.
The program serves parks from Matheson Lake to Aylard Farm, Sooke Potholes, French Beach, China Beach and Botanical Beach in Port Renfrew.
Trail group receives support
District of Sooke council is supporting the Southern Vancouver Island Nature Trails Society in its vision of shared use and wilderness trail connections.
Recognizing the region has an abundance of natural surface trails, the trails society wants to create an “epic network” of accessible multi discipline trails from Brentwood Bay to Sooke Hills.
For more information, please go online to naturetrailssociety.com.
Work set to begin on Goose connector
District of Sooke council has approved plans for work on the Galloping Goose connector in Sooke River Park and Sooke Road.
Jasmine’s Excavating was awarded a $29,500 contract to build a gravel multi-use trail through park property, while York Excavating is constructing a paved, multi-use trail from Kirby Road to Sooke Road for $64,098.
The project is also supported by a BikeBC grant.
Sooke politicians back women’s rights
Sooke politicians are backing women’s rights with Take the Pledge for Parity proposed by District of Central Saanich council.
The pledge’s goals are to: help women and girls achieve their ambitions, challenge conscious and unconscious bias, call for gender-balanced leadership, value women and men’s contributions equally and create inclusive, flexible culture.
Central Saanich sent the pledge to all Capital Regional District municipalities asking for support.