While Monday’s national day of Truth and Reconciliation produced a series of sad accounts of a tragic period in Canadian history, and efforts to affect serious reconciliation have dominated the news for some time, we are fortunate here that we can recall so many positive shared cultural experiences as well.
Our 1992 photograph (courtesy of Angela Bailey) shows Chief Jack Planes, in his term as elected chief of the T’Sou-ke Nation, handling presentations at Sooke’s Maritime Festival, which was held that year on Goodridge Peninsula, at the old sawmill site. Jack is seen on a flatbed truck along with the trophies to be handed out; behind him, you get a glimpse of Town Crier Mike Thomas in red.
Foremost among the competitions at the Maritime Festival was the race for the King of Spain’s Cup, eagerly challenged by a series of longboat crews, including the crews of the T’Sou-ke and the Dona Rosa, both longboats that continue to skip through the waves in Sooke Basin today. Another fun challenge was when the T’Sou-ke canoes and the longboats raced. Some years we even had jousting competitions that Liz Johnson and I were silly enough to enter.
Jack Planes, who passed away in 2021, had an interesting history. Born to a T’Sou-ke mother and a French immigrant father, he grew up alongside Reserve No. 1, as close to the reserve as his family could manage, as according to the laws of the day, his mother Ida Lazzar Planes lost her status by marrying a man who was non-Native. It was not until Bill C-31 was enacted in 1985 by the Canadian government that his Native status was restored. One of the distinctions that Jack enjoyed was being named All Sooke Day baby in 1934.
Though Jack and his wife Phyllis Charles built a home and raised children on French Road, he returned to retire on Eagle Heights on the Sooke Reserve in later years. During his working years in the forest industry, where he ran a Letourneau loader, Jack Planes was very active in community volunteer work as well. For many years he was a faithful member of the Sooke Volunteer Fire Department, while wife Phyllis was an active member of the Smokettes, the women's support group for the firefighters.
Jack would have been pleased to know that in today’s cultural life, his elder daughter Jackie De Yaeger has been invited by Larry Underwood, the current T’Sou-ke Chief, to fill the role of Elder to the school district and to act as the band’s spiritual leader.
Elida Peers is the historian with Sooke Region Museum.
