Mystery Coast of Vancouver Island

24/06/2021

A nine-kilometre section of the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail is impassable due to a landslide, says BC Parks.

A key section of the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail has been cut off after a landslide destroyed a section of stairs, and repairs won’t be completed until the fall due to the challenging terrain, says . . .

29/03/2021

Adventure along the Mystery Coast might just have to take a break in the bluffs above Jordan River, a seaside community mid-way between the towns of Sooke and Port Renfrew, if this proposal comes to fruition.

A 4,000 square foot micro-brewery has been proposed for the 12000-block of West Coast Road/Highway 14 in Jordan River.

03/01/2021

A reminder to individuals visiting the Mystery Coast. Rising water levels along local rivers and creeks are creating dangerous conditions. If you’re planning to explore the outdoors this weekend, be mindful of areas that may flood as river levels rise.

Note: Sooke Potholes, a park in the town of Sooke along the Sooke River, has been closed due to dangerous conditions posed by the Sooke River’s flow and water level.

UPDATE Sunday, January 3, 2021, 3:09 p.m.: With water receding, the Sooke Potholes are open.

The District will continue to monitor in coordination with the CRD and the British Columbia River Forecast Centre. Further updates will be posted to the District of Sooke website and through the District of Sooke Twitter account.

Original post:

🔺BREAKING: Closure of Sooke Potholes during weather event, effective 4:30pm today🔺

📸Kassidy Simpson

From the district:

Saturday, January 2, 2021, 2:30pm – For public safety, as a result of rising water levels, access to the Sooke Potholes will be closed at 4:30 p.m. today.

The District has been advised by the CRD Protective Services/Water that the Sooke Lake Reservoir is at full capacity and spilling. This means the Sooke River will rise quicker in the event of heavy rains as the flows will no longer be mitigated by reservoir storage. CRD Protective Services/Water shares, "this spillage is an annual event and is expected as we progress into the wet season."

With the continued rainfall warnings in the forecast today and into the week, the public is advised to stay clear of the fast-flowing rivers and potentially unstable riverbanks. To ensure public safety, the gates to the Sooke Potholes will be closed at 4:30 p.m. today. The duration of the rise is not known and as a result, the re-opening of access to the Sooke Potholes is uncertain. Updates will be issued, as available, through the District website and Twitter account.

District of Sooke Emergency Operations Centre Director and Deputy Fire Chief Matt Barney describes, "Environmental conditions can change quickly. The gates providing access to the Potholes will remain secured during the current weather event. We will keep the community informed as new information is available."

In addition to coordination with the CRD, the District receives updates from the British Columbia River Forecast Centre. The District will continue to monitor the conditions and provide updates, as available.

30/11/2020

A beacon from the skies above shines down on the Salish Sea, with Cape Flattery on the northwestern tip of the mainland United States visible in the distance. The site of this photo was from the hills above the Mystery Coast, east of Port Renfrew.

07/07/2020

The distant shores of Washington State as seen from Gordon’s Beach west of the community of Sooke along the Mystery Coast.

27/06/2020

Two giants standing watch over the entrance to the Salish Sea. Be sure to click the photo to view it in its entirety.

27/06/2020

Fog rolls in off the Salish Sea and blankets the Sooke Hills which span the length of the Mystery Coast.

27/04/2020

A sub-alpine grove of yellow cedar, also known as Nootka cypress, Nootka cedar and Alaskan cypress, among other names, in the Sooke Hills wilderness along the Mystery Coast.

The specie, Cupressus Nootkatensis, grows throughout higher elevations of the coast with a remarkable yellow wood as its trademark.

03/04/2020

The ocean floor basks in the sun along the shores of the Mystery Coast, in the historic logging town of Jordan River.

Washington State’s Olympic Mountains line the horizon some 30 kilometres away.

22/01/2020

A “cloudplow” arrives off the Salish Sea to blanket the Mystery Coast.

21/01/2020

A sunset as seen from the hills overlooking the San Juan Valley east of Port Renfrew.

18/01/2020

Sooke’s Sheringham Distillery has wowed the judges and taken home two silver medals at the Canadian Whisky Awards for its Woodhaven and Red Fife whiskies.

The distillery is named after the Sheringham Point lighthouse situated just a stone’s throw from the beautiful French Beach on the Mystery Coast. The company recently opened a facility in Sooke’s town centre after several years of operations in the community of Shirley west of Sooke.

Well done, Sheringham Distillery, well done!

16/01/2020

The Cat in the Mack (jacket, that is).

14/01/2020

The otter of Otter Point has come out to play.

14/01/2020

Sooke Harbour in the town of Sooke along the Mystery Coast is the last port before the Town of Port Renfrew situated at the mouth of the San Juan River and the starting point of the West Coast Trail.

According to local lore, the mariners of Sooke are some of the toughest on the west coast.

12/01/2020

Moonrise over the Salish Sea. 🌝

12/01/2020

Deserted industrial facilities standing over Sooke’s Goodridge Peninsula along the shores of Sooke Basin.

The peninsula and its artefacts are the first glimpse of ocean travellers see along Highway 14 as they near the town of Sooke on the Mystery Coast.

09/01/2020

The Mystery Coast was once the land of giants.

Some still stand over the rainforest canopy, left to time or the whim of man.

08/01/2020

An ocean of fog rolls in over the Mystery Coast as seen from high above China Beach, situated along the entry to the Pacific Ocean between Port Renfrew and Jordan River.

08/01/2020

Fog rolls in on a fall evening in the hills overlooking the Mystery Coast’s San Juan Valley west of Port Renfrew.

07/01/2020

The beautiful Sooke Basin on a chilly 2020 morning.

The waterway is situated between the shores of Sooke and East Sooke west of Victoria, and serves as a proverbial welcome mat for the Mystery Coast.

04/01/2020

2020’s first snowfall along lower elevations of the Mystery Coast could come as early as mid-January as temperatures dip.

If you’re planning on experiencing the coast this month, ensure your vehicle is properly equipped. Cell phone services are not available past Sooke.

03/01/2020

Environment Canada has issued a wind warning for the southern coast of British Columbia. Strong winds reaching 70km/h will extend into Saturday. Exposed areas, including the Mystery Coast, will feel the brunt of the storm.

02/01/2020

The forests of the Mystery Coast are calling.

CNN Travel unveils 20 of the best places to visit in 2020, including a lesser known gem in the Caribbean, a remote island off the coast of Africa and a German town with the coolest trains.