A trip back through the Sooke News Mirror time machine…
Sept. 8, 2010
Full-day kindergarten introduced
About 21,000 kindergarten students are starting school this fall, and three elementary schools receiving them will have full-day classes.
Saseenos, Sooke Elementary and John Muir Elementary will all have classroom conversions and new classroom space to allow for the expansion.
“It’s an investment in early learning,” said Education Minister Margaret MacDiarmid during a teleconference call on Aug. 31. We’re very excited.”
MacDiarmid said the provincial government has made a commitment to expand early learning for four to five year olds.
Sept. 6, 2006
Consultants hired to create housing policy
Sooke District Council voted unanimously to enter into a contract with Don Cameron Associates for the creation of an affordable housing policy during a regular meeting on Aug. 28.
The contract is for a maximum of $15,000, to come from the district’s housing reserve fund.
The project is expected to require close to four months, and will be completed by White Rock-based Don Cameron, who has over 30 years experience in management, consulting, teaching, research and organizational development.
Working with Cameron will be Kari Huhtala, whose resume includes 25 years of experience in policy planning on topics including land use as well as social and housing policy.
Sept. 5, 2001
Sooke man hits jackpot
Mark Anderson walked into Buffy’s Pub last month wondering how to put a down payment on a house purchase. He had his answer shortly after.
Anderson won $10,004 playing Club Keno on a pick seven quick pick ticket costing two dollars.
“We didn’t have enough money to put a down payment on a house so we went to Buffy’s to scratch our heads and pout a bit,” he said of himself and his wife Theresa.
The Andersons, who have two grown children and a grandchild, used some of the money to take friends to a concert in Victoria. But the majority of winnings have allowed them to achieve a long-time dream of owning a home.
Sept. 4, 1996
EMCS gets a facelift
Thousands of people crammed into the halls of Edward Milne Community School Saturday to say goodbye to the old building and usher in the new one.
The original school will soon be levelled to make way for a playing field.
“It’s fantastic,” said Laurie Wilson, the valedictorian of the Class of ‘47, after browsing through the new $19.6 million facility.
“I never thought our little school would grow up to become this.”
In Wilson’s day, a school of this size would hardly be needed. There were only five people in the graduating class: Wilson, Joan Zipp (Rumsby), Gwen Farmer (Jenner), Audrey Wilson (Sullivan) and Merle Proteau (Forrest).
