Two Updates in One Day: New Details on the Throup Road Connector and Art Morris Park

Petition Update – July 14, 2026

Last night's Council meeting brought forward something many of us had never heard before.

For the first time publicly, it was discussed that the proposed Throup Road Connector could impact Art Morris Park.

I reached out to Councillors Kevin Pearson and Herb Haldane after the meeting, and both told me this was the first time they had heard it as well.

Afterward, I also had the opportunity to speak with former Colwood Mayor Dave Saunders, whose family has deep roots in Sooke. Dave is also the former president of Langford Fastball, and he worked tirelessly together with the Sooke Fastball Association for the benefit of youth female sport. Sooke also has a long history of men's fastball that still carries on today. A sincere thank you to Dave for taking the time to share some of his knowledge on how a 25 metre roadway would impact Art Morris Park.

Like many people, I had always thought of it simply as "the ball fields behind Journey."

In fact, the park has been part of Sooke's story since the late 1940s, decades before Journey Middle School was built. It is owned by the Sooke Community Association, founded in 1935, and has been cared for by generations of volunteers who built, maintained, coached, fundraised and created countless memories for local families. Parents who played there returned years later to coach their own children.

That history deserves to be respected.

The encouraging news is that I am also hearing the proposed roadway itself may only require a 17 to 20 metre transportation corridor. If that is the case, there appears to be an opportunity to design the connector in a way that preserves this important community asset while still delivering the transportation improvements Sooke has needed for decades.

I truly hope that is the path forward.

More than 4,150 people signed this petition because they want practical solutions to Highway 14 congestion. I believe we can improve our transportation network while also protecting the places that tell Sooke's story.

Thank you again to everyone who continues to follow this process, ask thoughtful questions, and advocate for a better future for our community. Together, we can make sure progress and preservation go hand in hand.