Increasing Health Access and Services in Sooke

Maja Tait • August 17, 2022

As your Mayor, I have been dedicated to get Provincial commitment to expand access to family physicians and community health services. The growing need for more services and to ensure all residents have access to a family doctor is an ongoing advocacy discussion that I have on a regular basis with our MLA.


I'm pleased to report that improving access to necessary health services remains an ongoing priority for this Council. I have continued to chair both the Primary Health Working Services Group as well as a newly formed Sooke Health Committee that I Co-chair along with Island health


Our Sooke Planning Report was shared with both our MLA - Premier John Horgan along with our Minister of Health - Adrian Dix, multiple times and such resulted in the funding of phase 1, which enabled the West Coast Family Medical Clinic to expand its physical space to accommodate more patients and recruit additional allied health practitioners. 2018 announcement with the clinic expansion completed in 2021.


While the pandemic disrupted some of our progress and it was necessary to pause for several months to enable our local medical team to provide necessary services to address the impact of COVID-19 locally, we have been continuing to meet every 2-3 weeks to advance the next stage of this work, which would be a larger centre located on District owned lands next to the library.


These meetings are a regular occurrence and I look forward to sharing more news on this file in the near future.


Link to Sooke Planning document >

 

Read More About the Timeline of Events from 2016 >



Additional Health Services Achieved


Establishing a locally accessible vaccination clinic was necessary during the pandemic. Working with the CRD and SEAPARC Commission, the multi-purpose room served this purpose for residents needing 1st, 2nd and 3rd doses, such also met the needs of school aged children when the vaccine was approved.


Building capacity around mental health supports, increasing food security and healthy living can be achieved by supporting and bolstering our many community agencies and networks that are ‘boots on the ground’ and actively delivering services to residents. Therefore, Council supported grant funding requests to the following agencies that excel at this work throughout this term:


  • Sooke Family Resource Centre
  • Amber Academy
  • Capital bike
  • Choral Evolution
  • EMCS Society
  • FED Urban Systems
  • Harmony Project
  • Kids Sport Greater Victoria
  • Sooke Boxing Club
  • Sooke Fall Fair
  • Sooke Festival Society
  • Sooke Shelter Society
  • Sooke Tennis & Pickelball
  • South Island Performing Arts
  • Steps to the Future Childcare
  • Take a Hike Foundation
  • Victoria Brain injury Society
  • Caravan Stage Society
  • T’Souke Nation
  • Sunriver Community Gardens
  • Meals on Wheels
  • Vancouver Island South Film and Media Commission
  • Sooke Transition Town Society
  • Navy League of Canada
  • Sooke Region Food CHI
  • Fred Milne Park society
  • Inter municipal Advisory Committee on Disabilities
  • Juan de Fuca Park Watch Society
  • Need 2 Suicide Prevention Education
  • Sooke Community Choir Society
  • Sooke Crisis Centre Association
  • Sooke Food Bank Society
  • Sooke Harbour Players Society
  • Sooke Minor Fastball Assocation
  • Sooke Region Community Health Initiative


In addition to long term service agreements held with:

  • Sooke Region Community Health Initiative
  • Sooke Community Association

10 Things You Might Not Know About Maja

By Maja Tait • August 10, 2022
1. Maja is an avid reader and used to read 100 books a year. Her all-time favourites are The Lord of the Rings, Sherlock Holmes and Pride and Prejudice. 2. Maja was also Mayor of another realm. In 2015, Maja was the Mayor of Munchkin Land in the Wizard of Oz Sooke Production. 3. To conquer her fear of heights, Maja skydived from 14,000 feet over Oahu, HI and 10,000 feet over Greater Victoria. 4. Maja is a dog lover but also has a real soft side for cats. She has a mixed breed dog (Border Collie/Staffordshire Terrier) named Sandy who, while black and white and not sandy at all, was named after her husband’s first dog. 5. Maja was very active as a Brownie, earning every badge there was. Later, she became Pathfinder leader. She is a big supporter of Scouts, Guides, Navy League, Cadets and Youth Minor Sports. 6. Maja is a world traveller having visited Singapore, Thailand, India, Malaysia, Scotland, The Netherlands, Belgium and Hawaii (among others). 7. Maja is very musical. She grew up playing the flute and was an award-winning accordion player by the age of 12. These days she enjoys playing piano and signing to her son and dog. 8. Maja grew up playing the flute and was an award-winning accordion player by the age of 12. She now enjoys playing the piano and singing to her dog and son. 9. Maja began mountain biking five years ago for exercise and a way to de-stress. She loves being out in nature and finds the sport most fun when it’s wet and muddy. 10. Maja’s all time favourite food is Korean BBQ although she really likes fish & chips, bacon cheeseburgers and pickled herring on rye toast. 10. Maja is slightly ambidextrous. She writes with her right hand, and plays sports with her left. She discovered this while playing organized Cricket! 11. Maja’s a Western Capricorn, Eastern Ox and her spirit animal is the bear.