The Sooke Region Historical Society invited the community to play an active role in shaping the future of the Sooke Region Museum & Visitor Centre. From March to September 2025 we had an online survey, conducted community conversations in Sooke, East Sooke, Otter Point, and Shirley, brought our tent to 9 events over the spring/summer with a pop-up in Port Renfrew in July.

We wanted to hear from community members about your interests, how you feel the Museum might respond to the needs of the communities it serves, your ideas for potential partnerships, programs, or services, and your insights into how we can foster a stronger sense of connection, belonging, and pride in the Museum and the stories it shares.

…and you responded!
thank you for your thoughtful comments and suggestions.

Engagement methods and responses:

• 1,909 participants responded to the museum’s invitations for feedback through an online survey, focus groups, open house, and other participation events.
• 1,589 participants provided feedback through 21 in-person activities (focus groups, activities at the museum, and other community events). 320 participants completed the survey,

Top findings:

• The museum is highly valued by the community for its role as keeper and sharer of stories of Sooke and the surrounding region.
• Overall impression of the Sooke Region Museum: 45% very positive; 43% positive; neutral 11%; 1% negative or very negative
• The museum staff are praised for their helpfulness, professionalism, and welcoming attitude.
• Program participation (events, workshops, talks, and tours) is the primary motivation for visiting the museum; people appreciate the opportunity to learn something new.

Key themes from the responses:

• Cultural representation is important to the community. Present more Indigenous stories, including history, art, culture, traditional foods and medicines, Indigenous/settler relationships, and how to support reconciliation.
• Update and improve exhibits to make them more interactive, include a mix of early and modern history, add audio/visual elements, rotate artifacts, add diverse perspectives, expand exhibits on natural history, and spread information and exhibits to other areas in the region.
• Incorporate storytelling in all aspects of museum programs and exhibits, and add more learning workshops, talks and events. Ideas included guided nature walks, more information on and access to the saltwater marsh, traditional skills workshops, and more programming suited to various age groups, especially children.
• Improve accessibility with expanded parking, more accessible-friendly grounds and buildings, and expanded operating hours.
• Continue connecting with the community through presence at community events, developing exhibits and programming throughout the region, deepening relationships, and improving public communications.

Commitment to Action:

The Sooke Region Historical Society board and Sooke Region Museum staff are very grateful for the ideas shared. We will implement recommendations, where feasible, to support and inform strategic and operational planning. Some of the ideas put forward by the community, while desirable, may be out of current reach and will depend on available resources. We will keep the community informed of progress.