Sooke Longboats

Sooke Longboats

The Sooke Classical Boating Society is a not-for-profit society that maintains and looks after the Sooke Longboats.
More info: sookelongboats.ca

To book an outing: Phone 250 642-3770
or email: sookelongboats@gmail.com

The Sooke longboats are docked at the marina on Kaltasin Road. Seen at left in the foreground is one of the two boats.

Year 1989
The Sooke Longboats were bulit between Oct. 1989 to April 1990 at Edward Milne Community School, and were owned by EMCS, School District No. 62

February 2004 - Volunteers maintained the longboats.The boats were placed on shore so the hull can be cleaned.

Students from Edward Milne Community School would work sanding the oars while other volunteers would wash the hull.

2010
The Sooke Classical Boating Society are the new owners of the longboats.

Since 1991 the Women's Longboating Committee met at the Sooke Marine Industries at 2019 Kaltasin Road. The boats were looked after by Edward Milne Community School Society, but in 2010 the boats were transferred to the Sooke Classical boating Society.

The longboats were made in the celebration of Sooke's bicentennial – June 1990 – commemorating Manuel Quimper's landing in Sooke, June 1790. There are two boats:
One named the "T'Sou-ke" which means stickleback fish, the name of Sooke's first peoples, the proud T'Sou-ke Native Indians.

The other the "Donna Rosa" was inspired by Manuel Quimper naming of Sooke's Secretary Island "Dona Rosa", likely after the Viceroy of Mexico's wife.