Council backed a request for stronger provincial protections for manufactured-home owners facing redevelopment, using a resident’s suggested redline wording, and approved a housekeeping zoning change for Agricultural Land Reserve properties. Funding drew sharper disagreement: councillors split over a $1,000 Pride event sponsorship and debated how much public money should support community groups, while agreeing to investigate the Food Bank’s request for an additional $35,000 and more flexible use of its existing funding. Council also set up a tourism advisory committee through 2027, adding a voting youth member aged 15 to 24, and asked staff to report on removing suite size limits for both attached and detached suites. Several decision moments, including the Pride sponsorship vote and some consent votes, are missing or unclear in the transcript.
Generated from the recording's captions and the official minutes.
Council adopted the meeting agenda as presented.
Routine: approve the agenda for this meeting as presented.
Council adopted the minutes of the April 27 special and regular meetings and the April 28 Committee of the Whole meeting.
Routine: adopt the minutes of the April 27 special and regular meetings and the April 28 Committee of the Whole special meeting.
Public speakers weighed in on community grants, the Pride sponsorship, Food Bank funding, manufactured-home owner protections, and a zoning question about suites in the Agricultural Land Reserve. Their points are summarized under the related agenda items.
Council removed the Chief Administrative Officer report and the 3D planning technology item from the consent agenda for later discussion. Other consent items proceeded. Two correspondence items were also set aside for discussion at a future meeting; see item 7.2.
Remove the CAO report and the 3D technology report from the consent agenda for separate discussion, and approve the correspondence, committee minutes, and home-based business item together.
Two letters—about a Francis Road speed hump and a reconciliation corridor initiative—were pulled from the correspondence list and referred to a future meeting.
Bring the Francis Road speed hump and Reconciliation Corridor Initiative letters back for discussion at a future council meeting, and receive the other correspondence for information.
The report was removed from consent for a brief discussion. A councillor used the item to acknowledge the passing of former Langford councillor Lillian Spock; councillors recalled her years of public service and extended condolences to her family and the City of Langford. The report was received for information.
Routine: receive the Chief Administrative Officer’s report for information.
The draft committee minutes remained on the consent agenda. Council did not discuss them separately in the transcript.
After removing the item from consent, council approved starting implementation of ArcGIS Urban, a 3D modelling tool. Supporters said the District already has access to the software and that about $9,000 for training and implementation support, plus staff time, could help planners test building height, density, shadows, view corridors and public-space layouts. A councillor questioned whether the District should instead require developers to provide their own models and worried about costs to taxpayers.
Have staff begin implementing ArcGIS Urban, a 3D modelling tool for land-use planning.
Council retained the current rules for home-based businesses in residential areas.
Keep the current rules for home-based businesses in place.
Council authorized SEAPARC to hold yoga classes in District park space from July 8 to August 26, subject to permit conditions. Staff described the classes as low-impact and a way to promote health and wellness. Councillors noted that Ed MacGregor Park has limited parking; the permit wording was broadened so SEAPARC could choose a suitable District park.
Allow SEAPARC to hold yoga classes in District parks under the permit conditions, and waive the commercial use fees for the classes running July 8 to August 26, 2026.
Council approved a permit for Western Education Adventures to run outdoor education programs at Sunriver Nature Trail Park, Sooke Potholes Gateway and Broomhill Park. Staff said the program had operated in the area for several years and the main change was adding Broomhill. Councillors clarified that the permit covered the park area, not unrestricted use of the adjoining Crown land trails.
Allow Western Education Adventures to run outdoor education programs at Sunriver Nature Trail Park, Sooke Potholes Gateway, and Broomhill Park, subject to the permit conditions.
Council considered a $1,000 sponsorship for community-led Pride events in June. Supporters described the event as family-friendly and a way to make the community more welcoming and inclusive. One councillor opposed using taxpayer money, arguing that adult-oriented events should seek private sponsors; that councillor offered to donate $250 personally. The transcript moves on without a clear record of the vote, although the official motions list says the motion carried.
Consider a $1,000 sponsorship for the Sooke Do Good Collective and community organizers’ Pride events in June 2026.
Council selected Option 3: a $1,000 grant to Choral Evolution for its music library. A councillor said the request did not clearly meet the new grant policy's test for a new initiative, but suggested using the sponsorship fund as a compromise. Council discussed the challenge of applying the new criteria and the need to review them after this first year. One councillor opposed the grant, arguing that community groups should become self-sufficient rather than rely on taxpayers.
Give Choral Evolution $1,000 through the 2026 Community Grant Program and have staff put that funding decision into effect.
Council selected Option 3, allocating $3,465 to the Health Network's planned September health summit, including money for a professional report on what the summit finds. Supporters said the report could guide community health and wellness work for the next decade. A councillor also hoped it would clarify the Province's role. The official motions list records the option as carried, though the transcript's vote wording is unclear.
Give the Sooke Region Communities Health Network $3,465 through the 2026 Community Grant Program to pay for the requested event facilitation and post-event report, and have staff put the decision into effect.
Council established a tourism advisory committee through the end of 2027, approved its terms of reference with one youth member aged 15 to 24, and directed staff to advertise for members. Staff reported that the 3% accommodation tax had brought in $87,000 to date and was expected to generate about $440,000 a year. The committee is intended as a temporary way to gather local tourism-sector advice and learn the actual workload and revenue before deciding how to manage the funds longer term. Councillors supported that cautious approach but discussed whether the committee should address worker housing and whether a youth member should have a vote.
Create a Tourism Advisory Committee that will serve through the end of 2027.
Add one representative aged 15 to 24 to the Tourism Advisory Committee.
Adopt the Tourism Advisory Committee’s terms of reference, including the new seat for one representative aged 15 to 24.
Have staff advertise for people to join the Tourism Advisory Committee.
Council endorsed sending a resolution to the Union of British Columbia Municipalities asking the Province to strengthen protections for manufactured-home owners affected by redevelopment, including fair compensation and relocation assistance. A speaker who had advocated for the resolution asked Council to use revised wording, including more accurate language for manufactured-home communities and clearer references to eviction. Council chose the speaker's redline version. Councillors said manufactured homes are important housing and current compensation and relocation options can leave owners badly exposed.
Replace the draft resolution attached to the report with the redlined version provided by Susan Belford.
Send the redlined proposal to the provincial municipalities’ association, asking the province to strengthen protections, including fair compensation and relocation help, for manufactured-home owners affected by redevelopment.
Council gave the zoning amendment three readings. It restores provisions allowing an additional residence on Agricultural Land Reserve parcels in the RU1 and RU3 zones, in line with provincial rules, and removes the steep-slope setback section. A resident asked whether a suite over an attached garage counts as being within the principal residence for Agricultural Land Reserve purposes. Staff said it could, but the precise building-code criteria still needed confirmation and offered to follow up. Council noted that further work is underway to align related definitions and rules.
Advance zoning changes that would restore permission for an additional residence on certain Agricultural Land Reserve parcels and remove the steep-slope setback provision, then send the bylaw to the provincial ministry for approval before final adoption.
A councillor raised problems with the meeting-room microphones and the viewing experience for people watching online. Staff said they were already examining audio-visual improvements. The councillor's request for a report was recorded as a notice of motion for the next meeting, rather than decided as an official motion at this meeting.
Council directed staff to report on floor-area limits for all suites, attached and detached, and possible changes to remove the current 90-square-metre limit and align with the British Columbia Building Code. Councillors said the limit can constrain households that need a larger suite, such as a third bedroom, and discussed whether the report should also examine the current 60/40 size relationship between a principal dwelling and a suite.
Expand the proposed review so it covers both attached and detached suites.
Ask staff to report on the size limits for attached and detached suites, including whether to remove the current 90-square-metre limit and align the rules with BC Building Code standards.
Council received a letter raising concerns that local police resources might be used to enforce the federal firearms buyback program. A councillor said the local detachment commander expected collection sites to be set up elsewhere, likely in Victoria or Langford, and that local officers would not need to collect or destroy firearms. The commander was expected to provide further updates.
Routine: receive Eric Boucher’s budget input letter for information.
Council received the Food Bank's request and directed staff to report on possible ways to fund the additional $35,000 it seeks, including a possible Capital Regional District contribution service, and on changing the agreement so the Food Bank board can decide how to use the funds. A speaker said new accreditation requirements create substantial administrative, food-safety and workplace-safety costs and asked for flexibility to use funding for coordination and compliance. Councillors supported seeking regional contributions and asked staff to return quickly on the agreement changes; staff agreed to bring back that part sooner than the wider funding work.
Routine: receive Kim Kaldal’s letter about changes to the Sooke Food Bank service agreement for information.
Ask staff to identify possible sources for the Food Bank’s additional $35,000 request, including a possible regional-district service paid for by Sooke and Juan de Fuca taxpayers, and to examine changing the agreement so the Food Bank board can decide how to use the funds.
Council received Langford's letter about the effects of permanent daylight-saving time on children travelling to school in the dark. The letter also called for renewed funding for safe-routes-to-school projects, lights and reflective gear for students, and expansion of the walking school bus program. Council directed the Mayor to write the Province in support of Langford's resolution.
Routine: receive Langford’s correspondence about permanent daylight-saving time for information.
Have the Mayor write to the province in support of Langford’s resolution on permanent daylight-saving time and its effects on safe routes to school.
Council discussed the two items removed from consent. The Chief Administrative Officer report discussion included condolences for former Langford councillor Lillian Spock; the 3D modelling discussion and decision are recorded under item 7.5.
Council voted to close the public portion of the meeting under the Community Charter provision concerning the acquisition, disposition or expropriation of land where disclosure could harm municipal interests.
Close the meeting to the public at 8:46 p.m. to discuss a land matter that could harm the municipality’s interests if disclosed.
The official motions list records a closed-session decision to authorize a licence of occupation agreement for the property and direct staff to file a related document. The closed-session discussion and vote are not included in the supplied transcript.
Authorize a licence allowing Warren and Cindy Waycheshen to keep the encroaching wall, require future owners or occupants to enter into a similar licence while the wall remains, and authorize the relevant officers to sign the documents.
The official motions list records that the meeting adjourned at 9:05 p.m. The supplied transcript ends before the adjournment is heard.
Routine: adjourn the May 11 council meeting at 9:05 p.m.
All 29 decisions from the minutes appear under the agenda items above.