Sooke Region Lifelong Learning

Creative Cottage Camp at Sooke Region Museum
Now offering flexible registration, see below
Monday – Friday, 9am-4pm
10-21 August 2026
ages 6-11 years

If your kids enjoy visiting the Sooke Region Museum for school tours, they’ll LOVE the museum’s summer camp. Details in the post below.

Creative Cottage Camp
Now offering flexible registration, see below
Monday – Friday, 9am-4pm
10-21 August 2026
ages 6-11 years

UPDATE:
If your kids enjoy visiting the Sooke Region Museum for school tours, they’ll LOVE our summer camp!

Kids will participate in skill-building workshops in the mornings with theatrical and musical activities in the afternoons. Outdoor time and games included – all on the grounds and in the historic buildings of the Sooke Region Museum.

Skill-building sessions will focus on homesteading skills inspired by Moss Cottage, including making butter, bread, jam, sewing – life skills just as important today as they were in 1902!

Performance exercises and activities will be led by Katrina Kadoski in the afternoons. With her extensive acting and music experience, Katrina will show participants how to embody their characters informed by the morning’s historical skill building activities.

There are flexible registration options, so you can choose which days work for you.

Registration Options and Price List:
Full two weeks – 9am-4pm, 10-21 August – $700
One week – 9am-4pm, 17-21 August – $375
Three days – 9am-4pm, 17-19 August – $225
Three mornings – 9am-12pm, 17-19 August – $135
Three afternoons – 1pm-4pm, 17-19 August – $135
Intro to Historical Songwriting Workshop – 1pm-4pm, 17 August – $45
Choose your own activities – 9am-12pm, any days between 10 and 21 August – $45 per morning

If you are registering multiple children from the same family, there is a 15% discount for each child after the first. Use coupon code SIBLING to apply the discount.

Morning Activity Schedule:
Week 1 – 10-14 August
10 August – Playing with Natural Pigments
11 August – Pioneer Chores and Knots
12 August – Felted Fun
13 August – Adventure Quest
14 August – Wild and Wonderful Nature Day
Week 2 – 17-21 August
17 August – Stitch and Create (Intro to Historical Songwriting in the afternoon)
18 August – Storytelling and Activities with Debra Lazzar
19 August – Summer Sweet Treats
20 August – Finger Knitting and Textiles
21 August – Bread and Butter Basics

For the best experience, camp will be limited to maximum 10 children. Register early to avoid disappointment!

Cancellation Policy:

Camp fees are non-refundable

More info here: https://sookeregionmuseum.ca/summer-camps/

The Sooke Grand Parade is happening Saturday, September 19th 2026. SRCHN and the community will be walking together and in teams to benefit Sooke seniors! This family-friendly fundraising walk is happening across Canada to raise money for seniors initiatives. There will be added fun with prizes for best costumes! Teams are being registered now. Get your friends and colleagues together and come have fun.
To register a team or join an existing team, go to https://www.sookeregionchn.org/thegrandparade.

So Grand, we're doing it again!
The Sooke Grand Parade

On Saturday, September 19th 2026, SRCHN and our community will be walking together and in teams to benefit Sooke Seniors! We will be adding fun by having prizes for best costumes!

Teams are being registered now. Get you friends a colleagues together and come have fun.

To register a team or join an existing team go to https://www.sookeregionchn.org/thegrandparade.

Learn more about VI Regional Library Sooke‘s summer reading programs and get started today:
https://virl.bc.ca/summer-reading-starts-here.../

🎉 It's finally here... TODAY'S THE DAY! Your summer reading adventure starts now! 📚☀️

Whether you're raising a little bookworm, have a teen looking for a fun challenge, or you're ready to tackle your own summer reading goals, we've got something for everyone!

🐠 Kids can dive into an Under the Sea Summer Reading Club.
🐉 Teens can embark on the Sea of Monsters Teen Summer Challenge.
📖 And of course, adults can join the Adult Summer Reading Challenge and read for a chance to win great prizes!

Read. Explore. Complete challenges. Win prizes. It's free, fun, and happening all summer long at your local VIRL branch.

📚 Okay, we want to know... What's the first story you'll be reading this summer? 👇

Learn more and get started today:
https://virl.bc.ca/summer-reading-starts-here-registration-now-open-for-kids-and-teens/

We’ve got an amazing crop of markets this summer. Enjoy!

This sounds like fun! Sharing this post from the Sooke Region Museum about upcoming programs:

reative Cottage Camp
Monday – Friday, 9am-4pm
10-21 August 2026
ages 6-11 years
Registration: Opens Tuesday 7 July – online, by phone, in person.
If your kids enjoy visiting the Sooke Region Museum for school tours, they’ll LOVE our summer camp!
For 2 weeks, kids will participate in skill-building workshops in the mornings with theatrical and musical activities in the afternoons. Outdoor time and games included – all on the grounds and in the historic buildings of the Sooke Region Museum.
Mornings will be filled with skill-building activities, while the afternoons will focus on music and theatre.
Skill building will focus on homesteading – like the people who lived in Moss Cottage – making butter, bread, jam, sewing. – are life skills just as important today as they were in 1902! Learning to source materials locally, we will practice reducing waste and experience how historical skills are relevant to modern-day life.
Performance exercises and activities will be led by Katrina Kadoski in the afternoons. With her extensive acting and music experience, Katrina will show participants how to embody their characters informed by the morning’s historical skill building activities. Have you ever used a washboard as a musical instrument?
On the last day of the two-week camp the children will perform a bit of what they’ve learned and created.
For the best experience, camp will be limited to maximum 10 children. Register early to avoid disappointment!
Cost:
$700 – 2 weeks of camp per child
$650 – each additional child from same family
Cancellation Policy: Camp fees are non-refundable

Sooke Region Museum Museum and Visitor Info Centre
We're a community museum that explores local human and natural history

Sharing this post about wolves from one of our popular presenters, Wild Wise Society.

Following some recent wolf sightings on southern Vancouver Island we want to remind the public that wolves are intelligent, adaptable predators. They cannot, and should not be expected to, distinguish between what humans consider "natural" and "non-natural" food sources. To a wolf, an off-leash dog running ahead on a trail, an unsecured goat or chickens, or accessible food attractants can all represent potential opportunities. Managing those risks and mitigating conflicts is our human responsibility.

Keep dogs leashed at all times outdoors. Off-leash dogs are one of the leading contributors to wolf conflicts and can trigger both defensive or predatory responses depending on the context.

Additional coexistence practices:
• Keep cats indoors
• Secure livestock, garbage, pet food, and other attractants (wolves are scavengers)
• Stay alert and use well-travelled trails whenever possible
• Never approach, follow, or attempt to feed wolves

If you encounter a wolf:
• Remain calm and stand your ground
• Make yourself appear large and make noise
• Keep pets close, or pick them up if it is safe to do so
• Slowly back away and leave the area
• Do not run
• Always give wildlife space, at least 100 metres

Wolves are not typically seeking conflict with people. In most cases, they actively avoid humans. However, when attractants are available, the likelihood of negative encounters increases.

Coexistence is not reactive, it is proactive.

We will not be disclosing specific locations of wolf sightings. Wildlife is constantly moving across the landscape, and very seldom is the same animal encountered in the same location after a sighting is shared on social media. Focusing vigilance on a single reported area can create a false sense of security elsewhere. We encourage everyone to assume that wildlife may be present whenever they are outdoors. Responsible pet management, attractant reduction, and situational awareness should be practiced at all times, not exclusively after a sighting is reported.

☀️ BIG SUMMER NEWS for West Shore & Sooke families! ☀️

The 2026 FREE & Low-Cost Summer Program Directory is available NOW — packed with affordable and free summer fun for children and youth of all ages!

Find programs at local libraries & recreation facilities, as well as camps, drop-ins, and more across the West Shore and Sooke area. The directory also includes information about financial assistance for families living on limited incomes.

📍 Browse the clickable PDF
🗺️ Explore the Google Map of program locations
👉 https://thevillageinitiative.ca/events/

Please share with families who could use free and low-cost summer options! 💛

Sooke School District SEAPARC West Shore Parks & Recreation Greater Victoria Public Library EMCS Society Programs Big Brothers Big Sisters of Victoria Esquimalt Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC) Royal Roads Recreation Centre Community Social Planning Council of Greater Victoria

The Sooke Region Communities Health Network - SRCHN is looking for board members. Details below.

Do you want to make a difference in Sooke? Join the SRCHN board!