East Sooke has a community hall for all seasons

When the East Sooke Fire Hall opened in 1985 no one thought it would become the central meeting place for residents; it was for fire trucks and firefighters. Thirty-two years later the community had a new fire hall and a "new" community hall: the old fire hall, always used as a place to hold meetings, was designated a public hall under the auspices of the East Sooke Fire Commission. Three people make up the East Sooke Community Hall Task Group, whose mandate is to manage rentals. Juan de Fuca Search and Rescue rents the upper portion of the hall; the lower level is rented out and contains a commercial kitchen and a hall which holds 75 people. "The rent allows us to do some improvements," said task group member Dale Morrison, and improvements had followed, with upgrades to the kitchen and the washrooms. As the only place in East Sooke with space for meetings and community events, the hall's calendar carries karate, yoga and pilates classes plus meetings of search and rescue and the Seagirt Ponds Park Preservation Society.