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Positive Pier Impact in Sooke

From downtown Sooke the view of the harbour and the hills - depending on the weather - varies from vibrant, green forest to mysterious woods, veiled with mist. It is a beautiful coastline on any day of the year.

Now, thanks to the Rotary Club of Sooke and five local youth, the view is even more inspiring from the end of Murray Road. Jennifer Harrison, Workshop Facilitator for the Youth Visions Employment Project (YVEP) at the Sooke Works Employment Centre, watched a group of youth, the local Rotary and the pier come together.

Completed on July 30th 2004, the pier was intended as a viewpoint for Sooke Harbour. But the invaluable benefit was the opportunity to build confidence and skills for youth involved.

Struggling in an already small, competitive labour market, many youth in Sooke have an even tougher job search if they are in need of both practical and life skills. "To qualify for YVEP, applicants had to qualify as "youth at risk" meaning they faced multiple barriers to employment." Harrison said these youth, "are sometimes labeled 'delinquent' and some have the criminal records that can trigger this labeling."

The pier project was an irreplaceable experience for the youth that got work alongside prominent Rotary members while contributing to an important community project. "Overall, this project provided an opportunity for the youth to be mentored by Rotarians to gain skills and work experience while constructing a legacy in their community," said Harrison.

"The majority of the youth had very few hands-on construction skills when they started the project but were able to rise to the occasion under the guidance of Rotarian and Site Supervisor, Neil Flynn."

"Following the completion of the pier, one of the five participants described how he notices the community's vision of him has shifted." One of the participants told Harrison that before the pier project, business owners watched him "like a hawk" in their stores, but afterwards started asking if he was "that guy that built the pier".

Another of the youth builders told Harrison that he felt "pretty good" about all his hard work on the project. With the chance to take ownership of such a positive development in the community, all the youth involved felt something powerful - job satisfaction. And the pier now serves as a popular communal area and tourist attraction.

More Information:
Jennifer Harrison: jennifer@sookeworks.bc.ca
Sooke Works Employment Centre: http://www.sookeworks.bc.ca
Rotary Club of Sooke: http://www.sooke.org/rotary

Story by Christine Hart

Jan 1, 2007