Sooke dog park renamed for hockey player who died in car crash
Sooke’s first off-leash dog park has been renamed in honour of a teen who died in a car crash on Sooke Road in 2016.
Carter Navarrete was in Grade 12 at Belmont Secondary and assistant captain with the Sooke Thunderbirds hockey team when he died on Sept. 2, 2016, just shy of his 18th birthday, when the car he was a passenger in left the highway near Parkland Road and rolled over.
The former Stickleback Dog Park on Church Road, which opened in March 2022, was renamed Carter Navarrete Dog Park in a private ceremony on Feb. 3.
Navarrete is remembered as a kind leader who loved animals and spending time outdoors, walking local beaches and trails with his faithful companion, Pixel.
The Carter Navarrete Dog Park is open daily from 7 a.m. to dusk at 2276 Church Rd. in Sooke.
Limited parking is available on Church Road, with additional parking at the District of Sooke Municipal Hall, approximately 600 metres from the park.
Cycle of Life Tour registrations begin
Registration for the 10th annual Cycle of Life Tour, a two-day group bicycle tour to raise funds to support hospice care on 91原创 Island, is now open.
Set for Aug. 26 and 27, the 200-kilometre cycling tour through the Saanich Peninsula, Cowichan Valley and Salt Spring Island is organized by Victoria Hospice and presented by Think Communications. Participation is capped at 125 riders.
The event raises money so patients and families can receive comfort and compassionate care at the end of their lives.
The Cycle of Life Tour has raised more than $1.5 million for end-of-life care on 91原创 Island and the Gulf Islands since 2011.
For more information, or to register, go to
Neurodivergent girls welcomed at Girls Club
An event-based charity that connects girls with neuro-developmental differences opens its first 91原创 Island chapter today.
Girls Club was created to give neurodivergent girls with autism, ADHD, severe anxiety, Down syndrome and the like ways to meet and form friendships with peers who experience the world in a similar way.
Founder Vicky Ryan describes the club, which was founded in the Lower Mainland in 2017, as a game-changer for girls who have a tough time meeting and making friends, citing the organization’s inclusive and specialized approach as the reason for its success.
The club will offer events that include theme parties, arts and crafts, games and field trips.
Membership is free, with no drop-in or participation fees. Girls Club is also a registered charity. For more information, go to .
Applications open for Youth Harm Reduction Award
Island Health is looking for applications for its Youth Harm Reduction Award, which recognizes youth who have worked on a harm-reduction project related to substance use. Winners receive $1,000 and a framed certificate.
Harm reduction aims to reduce negative health, social and legal impacts of a range of activities, and includes everything from the use of seatbelts and bike helmets to condoms, speed limits and sunscreen.
Harm reduction also refers to safer ways to consume substances — such as in a supervised facility — and the use of naloxone to reduce the impact of drug poisonings from opioids.
“Island Health is excited and honoured to recognize youth who are doing amazing work in the area of harm reduction,” said Dr. Réka Gustafson, chief medical health officer. “Their efforts provide valuable education and support to reduce harm, fight stigma and help save lives.”
The deadline for applications is Feb. 28. Applicants must be 19 years and younger and live in the Island Health region, including the southern Gulf Islands. Applications will be reviewed beginning in March, with the winning submission to be announced in June.
For more information, and to apply, go to the .
Victoria Foundation funds gender-diverse groups
The Victoria Foundation has announced grants of more than $320,000 to 11 local organizations serving women, girls, two-spirit and gender-diverse individuals through its Fund for Gender Equality.
The fund is a collaboration between Community Foundations of Canada and the Equality Fund, which is supported by the federal government.
The Victoria Foundation is one of 21 community foundations across Canada taking part in the program, granting more than $3.4-million toward the gender-equality movement.
“Investing in this work and this movement is key to supporting women, girls, two-spirit, and gender-diverse people who continue to face barriers and experience discrimination,” said Sandra Richardson, Victoria Foundation CEO.
“Working toward gender equality across the country can create communities of true belonging and we can help foster that movement in Greater Victoria.”
Initiatives supported by the Fund for Gender Equality include projects and programs that address issues such as food insecurity for women fleeing domestic violence, racial injustice, alternate types of justice for victims of sexualized violence, mental health and wellness support for transgender individuals.
“Community organizations led by and dedicated to supporting women, girls, gender-diverse and two-spirit individuals are at the centre of the movement towards gender equality and equity,” said Andrea Dicks, Community Foundations of Canada president.
“While this can feel daunting at times, these organizations demonstrate tenacity, resiliency and hope as they shift power.”
More information can be found at the .
