Jul 08, 2015

Victoria, BC– The Capital Regional District (CRD) and T’Sou-ke Nation are pleased to announce the opening of the campground at Sooke Potholes Regional Park on Friday, July 10, 2015. The Sooke Potholes Spring Salmon Place campground will be operated by T’Sou-ke Nation under a pilot project with the Capital Regional District for the 2015 season.

“Our joint goals are to provide a high quality camping experience, build positive government-to-government relationships and share information about the cultural significance of these lands with aboriginals and non-aboriginals,” said CRD Regional Parks Committee Chair Susan Brice. “It also provides an opportunity for T’Sou-ke Nation to share their stories, their language and their deep connection to the waters and lands in this part of their traditional territory with members of their community and camping visitors.”

“The Sooke Potholes is known to our people as KWL-UCHUN, (Spring Salmon Place), the place where the spring salmon give themselves back to mother earth – these are the teachings of our ancestors,” said T’Sou-ke Nation Chief Gordon Planes. “We are the salmon people and our language follows the salmon route, we are directly connected to the resource; it’s a part of our identity. The spring salmon have taken care of us since time immemorial, and today we all need to do the same. We are here to ensure that the salmon are taken care of for our future generations and our children not born yet.”

Under an Agreement to Operate Sooke Potholes Regional Park Campground with CRD Regional Parks, T’Sou-ke Nation is responsible for all aspects of campground operations including, public safety, camper registration, visitor services and operations and maintenance. Capital infrastructure such as water tanks, lines, buildings and shelters will be maintained by CRD Regional Parks staff. The campground will operate seasonally.

The 67-site RV and tent campground is located at the north end of Sooke Potholes Regional Park and adjacent to the Galloping Goose Regional Trail. The campground opens on Friday, July 10, 2015 and closes Monday, October 5, 2015. The campground offers a high quality, self-contained wilderness camping experience. Sooke Potholes Regional Park is a local favourite on Vancouver Island and one of British Columbia’s most popular riverside campgrounds. The Potholes, along the Sooke River, are unique geological formations of deep, polished rock pools, and carved canyons. These clear green pools are popular swimming areas linked by waterfalls and gorges, and surrounded by the forests of the Sooke Hills.

In April 2015, the Sooke Potholes Campground, Works Yard and Lodge Site were transferred to the CRD from The Land Conservancy of British Columbia as part of its restructuring plan. These properties represent significant ecological and cultural value to the region.

The CRD is a local government that delivers 200+ regional, sub-regional and local services for residents of the region which includes 13 municipalities and three electoral areas within 2370 square kilometres on southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. Governed by a 24 member Board of Directors, the CRD is working to serve the public, and build a vibrant, livable and sustainable region.

T’Sou-ke Nation, named after the Stickleback fish that live in the estuary of the river, is located in the area around the Sooke Basin on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. T’Sou-ke’s traditional territory, on which their people thrived for thousands of years, encompasses a vast area, however today the 250 community members live predominantly on the two reserves totalling 67 hectare that were allotted by the government in 1877. For more information visit tsoukenation.com

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For media inquiries, please contact:
Laurie Sthamann
CRD Regional Parks
Tel: 250.360.3332 | Cell: 250-889.8030

Chief Gordon Planes
T’Sou-ke First Nation
Tel: 250.508.3448