My late wife Carrole and I first landed in Sooke in the summer of 2002. One of the first things that we discovered was the wonderful walk on the spit. We walked this narrow peninsula many times in all seasons marvelling at the abundance of wildlife encountered: otters, seals and many bird species.
Another interesting factor was the huge amount of wood scattered on the beaches. I picked up washed-up cut lumber, branches and different sections of trees that appealed to me. After some thought, I decided to make something utilitarian, a chair. I had enough material for that and so proceeded in my garage. After about 15 hours of labour, I had a decent-looking chair. No nails or screws, just joinery with dowels and glue.
A friend mentioned that I could enter the Sooke Fall Fair in September. I made some enquires and discovered how easy it was to enter. Just fill in the form and pay $1 per item. I entered my chair and on Saturday afternoon saw that I’d won a ribbon and a couple of dollars. Now I was $1 ahead, plus a ribbon to boot.
The fair itself was a terrific display of produce, fruit, vegetables and flowers presenting an excellent picture of colour and variety. Around the margins of the hall were soft materials like quilts and sewing, etc. All told I was an instant convert to the fair idea. The next year I entered some photos in the competition and won some ribbons and modest prize money. As the years went by I ran the photo section and finally became the president. I was thrilled by my election and the enthusiasm of the crew that helped me. We even won the all-B.C. competition for all-round display which won us $3,000. We were also honoured by the attendance of the lieutenant governor who opened the show. A banner year indeed.
Last year, however, wasn’t so successful. The produce section was significantly down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2025, I hope we can make a sea change in the growing section of the fair. Because when all is said and done, the Sooke growers are the heart and soul of our fair. You growers must ensure that your part of the fair will again be the heartbeat of the show and pave the way to a glorious entertainment of what Sooke can achieve.
Fred Whittaker
Sooke
