Sooke Region Museum facts for kids

The Sooke Region Museum is a cool place in Sooke, British Columbia, Canada. It helps you discover the history of people and nature in the area, from East Sooke all the way to Port Renfrew on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. The museum first opened in 1977 and welcomes visitors all year long!

Discover the Sooke Region Museum

The Sooke Region Museum is a special spot that teaches everyone about the past. It shows how people lived and worked, and what the natural world was like in this beautiful part of British Columbia.

What Makes This Museum Special?

This museum is unique because of how it gets its money to operate. Most museums get funding from governments or donations. But for the Sooke Region Museum, local people voted to use a small part of their property taxes to help keep it running! This shows how much the community cares about its history. Because of this vote, the local government decided to make the museum a regular service for everyone.

The museum also acts as the official Visitor Information Centre for the Sooke area. This means it's a great first stop for tourists to find out what to do and see. It also has a special area for temporary exhibits that change over time. Each year, more than 40,000 people visit the museum!

Fun Things to Do and See

When you visit the Sooke Region Museum, you'll find lots to explore. There are exhibits both inside the main building and outside in the fresh air.

One of the most famous things you'll see is a real lighthouse! This lighthouse used to stand on Triangle Island, which is far off the northern tip of Vancouver Island. Now, it's a cool landmark right at the museum.

The museum also has a gift shop where you can find unique souvenirs. They even offer special tours, sometimes including traditional salmon barbecues, which sound delicious! If you're in Sooke during the summer, you might catch the Sooke Summer Night Market, which takes place right at the museum.

Exploring History and Future Plans

The museum is always busy helping to remember and explore the history of the Sooke region. They even helped find an old bake oven hidden in the wilderness! They also have another historic bake oven right on their own grounds.

Right now, the museum is working on an exciting project: restoring two small rail engines. They hope to have these cool engines on display soon for everyone to see.

The museum also publishes books about local history. Plus, they have a huge collection of old documents and photographs in their archives. These are like treasure chests of information about the past! The museum is always working to make its facilities better, with help from different groups, including the government. They even have special programs just for kids!

The Sooke Fine Arts Show

The Sooke Region Museum actually started the annual Sooke Fine Arts Show! This show is the biggest art event on Vancouver Island where artists' work is judged. The museum ran the show for 20 years, helping it grow into a big success. Now, a separate group manages the show, but it all began at the museum.

The museum itself is run by the Sooke Region Historical Society. This group is a registered charity, which means they work for the good of the community and don't make a profit.

Honoring a Local Hero

The very first person to be in charge of the museum was Elida Peers. She did so much for the museum and the community that she received the Order of British Columbia. This is the highest award you can get in British Columbia! Even today, Elida Peers continues to volunteer at the museum as the historian, sharing her amazing knowledge.