Vancouver Island Regional Library News Release: Sooke Library Update

News Release provided by Vancouver Island Regional Library 

Tuesday, June 11, 2019, Sooke, BC: A new library for the community of Sooke continues to march towards construction. Revisions to the development permit were submitted to the District of Sooke earlier in June. The District will review the revised development permit application and if there are no further revisions, the application will be presented to Council for approval.

“We recognize that the public is eager to see the new Sooke library take shape,” says Brenda Leigh, Chair of the Vancouver Island Regional Library Board of Trustees. “VIRL staff are working closely with the District of Sooke to get the development permit approved as soon as possible and are confident in the road ahead. I would like to thank everyone in the community for their patience and understanding as VIRL and District staff have moved this project forward.”

Vancouver Island has been under a sustained period of intensive development for some time. This, combined with a longer-than-expected design phase, caused the timeline to shift from earlier projections. The original design for the library also needed to be modified to remain in-line with the budget, which further extended the design phase.  VIRL has worked closely with the architect and other consultants to refine the design and bring it in-line with budgets and the District’s OCP, while retaining the unique circular design and 21st Century library requirements that the community was so excited about.

A revised drawing is included with this release.

“Capital projects of this magnitude are always challenging,” says Sooke Mayor Maja Tait. “But at the end of the day, everyone is committed to building a new library that the community will be proud of. It’s important to get it right, and I have been impressed by the agility, adaptability, and resilience of VIRL and District staff to navigate the complexities of this project. By working together, we will ensure that Sooke has a state-of-the-art library to evolve with the community for decades to come.”

VIRL plans to tender the construction in the near future, the results of which will determine the construction schedule and other key milestones.


For more information
David Carson, Director, Corporate Communications and Strategic Initiatives
Direct: 250.753.1154 ex 248
Cell: 250.327.3651VIRL Media Release June 2019
Email: dcarson@virl.bc.ca