Sooke itself boasts west coast style giftshops, movie rentals, coffee shops, and excellent dining. There are a number of events held in Sooke throughout the year: All Sooke Day (July) draws crowds from all over the world to compete in the annual logging sports show, family picnic, and games day. The Fine Arts Show (July) is an exhibition of Vancouver Island's artists' work.

On the wind-swept and secluded west coast of Vancouver Island lies one of the Pacific Northwest's best kept secrets: Sooke, British Columbia.

Perhaps on first glance it seems like a place one could easily ignore. But take time for that all-important second look and you will be struck by the many great opportunities for rest and recreation, its beauty and vitality ,and the friendly, genuine people who live here. And you will wonder how you overlooked it before.

The warm, welcoming community of 11,000 people is situated between a wild, towering rainforest and the dramatic Pacific Ocean. It's only a 40-minute drive from downtown Victoria, but Sooke offers visitors the untamed but comfortable experience that Vancouver Island's far west coast is famous for - and, thankfully, you can skip the five hour drive to Tofino.

Here too, the Pacific Ocean swells crash against sandy beaches and storm-blasted caves, offering up a wealth of marine treasures for the roving beachcomber. Clean, cold rivers lined with century-old fir trees run with wild salmon and steelhead. This is beautiful B.C. in top form.

But a word of warning: coming for a visit can lead to serious life changes. Many of Sooke's residents came for just a visit, and couldn't bring themselves to leave.