I have created this blog out of frustration against our old municipal council and local media.
During all last year I have asked them to inform Sooke tax payers about a new project in town called, the Cultural Mapping Project, but they have constantly refused to do it. 
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The project is gigantic for such a small town of just 12.000 people and the cost is; apparently, hundreds of thousands of dollars. How can we know its costs? We cannot know because even now when they project is already on the council’s table there are no numbers labeling its innumerable requests.
On the other hand, we know that the old council had worked very closely with the Sooke Program of the Arts Committee members, even appointing the 3 directors of the group asking the money on the committee, to make this plan fit into the Official Community Plan. 
Almost $400.000 are already set up aside as a art reserve fund on the District of Sooke 2010-2015 Financial Plan (information found on the “District of Sooke Financial Plan” page on this blog). Once the project is approved by the district other government agencies will disburse half of it’s cost.
WHAT IS THE CULTURAL MAPPING PROJECT?
The Cultural Mapping Project idea originally came from Ontario and that was calculated/introduced by an independent Non-Profit Organization Management Professional woman from Calgary, Mrs. Evonne Black (this is how her profile reads on LinkedIn).
In the year 2007, Mrs. Black started a new association called, Sooke Fine Arts Society and with it she resuscitated the Sooke Fine Arts Show, event previously organized by nowadays historian, Mrs. Elida Peers.
After two years in business, Council approved the package given, $5.000 on September 21, 2009 to it. The district also helped posting their ArtsWave survey on its website.
Another $7.000 were given in Community Grants in addition to the extra provincial and federal grants obtained. It must be noticed that with the same first portion of the grants received other cities had completed a webpage/online directory to explain the process to citizens. Where is the Sooke fine Arts Society’s website for the Cultural Mapping Project? Non existent.
Although $7.000 were given to the Sooke Fine Arts Society to buy a data and a web design programs on the 2009 Community Grants, the online directory was never created. “We need to be able to work on our website to enhance the show to visitors and to attract tourism”, said the groups’ spoken lady during their presentation/request.
Was the ArtsWave Survey explanatory enough? No, it was too broad and confusing where everything was possible.
Their first meeting showed 150 “anonymous” signatures mostly signed by musicians and by high school children. ( The communist party uses the technique of influencing high school students).
Their first meeting was led by Evonne Black and her paid consultant, Mrs. Nancy Cooler. During this first meeting their real goals were explained: obtain grants to open a public art gallery called “multiuse art center” and an art directory center (office and website) to direct tourists to artists’ studios and historical places. The multiphase art center will be governed by the Sooke Community Arts Council and the art directory office by the Sooke Fine Arts Society. Salaries will be paid in these public institutions. In other words, all the effort their directors are putting right now in planning the project would translate in secure jobs for them in Sooke, I have explained months ago. Nobody believed me then because as we can see in their meetings everything was too broad; nobody wanted to be the first person exposing the group’s wrong doings.
That was before, but now the moment of truth has finally arrived. They don’t want to work with other municipalities and the CRD, they want to have the complete control and a lot of your money.
The project’s final draft can be found on the page Sooke Region Cultural Map: “Taking it to the Streets” Project on this blog.
Almost $400.000 are already set up aside as a art reserve fund on the District of Sooke 2010-2015 Financial Plan (information found on the “District of Sooke Financial Plan” page on this blog). Once the project is approved by the district other government agencies will disburse half of it’s cost.
