Following our informative, sweet and communal reskilling fair and potluck at Sunriver last weekend, the fall calendar is filling up fast for Transition Sooke and its working groups. Here’s a quick guide to what’s slated for the next six weeks along with a few other local events of interest.

* Zero Waste Sooke‘s Wendy O’Connor, Jo Phillips and Jeff Bateman will be presenting the ZWS Open Space report at the District of Sooke’s Committee of the Whole meeting – Monday, Sept. 12, 6 p.m. at the Municipal Hall. Anyone keen to see Sooke investigate a full-service waste recovery facility, a plastic bag reduction campaign, the installation of water fountains in key spots around town and other initiatives is urged to attend.

* Transition Sooke presents a Fair Vote Canada town hall meeting on electoral reform at EMCS on Thursday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. Featured speaker will be FVC’s acting president David Merner. The evening will be moderated by Sooke Mayor Maja Tait. Free admission.

* Permaculture Sooke hosts the hands-on workshop “Making Your Own Herbal Salves” on Saturday, Sept. 24 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Cast Iron Farm, 2385 Philips Road across from Sunriver Gardens. Cast Iron’s Erin Newell will supply medicinal plants and demonstrate the easy steps involved in creating healing salves. Participants will take away their own tins of salve along with the knowledge of how to make their own.  $15 cost for materials.

* TS presents the first Sooke Ecohome Tour on Saturday, Oct. 8th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Learn how local homeowners are tapping nature’s energy grid via rooftop solar, natural building materials, rainwater catchment systems, grey water irrigation, radiant flooring, heat pumps, solar cookers and much else. The tour will feature six private homes in Sooke along with the super-efficient Harbourside Cohousing and the cob house at ALM Organic Farm. More details to come.

Also of interest to the Transition-minded … 

* Juan de Fuca Forest Watch, launched this spring by one of our core team alumni Darren Alexander, presents a panel discussion on the future of our forests at Edward Milne Community School on Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. Speakers will be Victoria councillor Ben Isitt (co-author of the draft policy paper “The Future of Forests and Communities on Vancouver Island“) and Metchosin councillor Andy MacKinnon (who is spearheading a current campaign to protect Van Isle’s remaining old-growth forest on crown land). Free admission.

*Awareness Film Night begins its 22nd season on Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. in the EMCS Community Theatre with the award-winning 2015 documentary Requiem for the American Dream: Noam Chomsky and the Concentration of Wealth & Power. Admission by donation.

* The District of Sooke has begun its Official Community Plan refresh process. Public consultation opportunities are now underway and are scheduled through mid-December. Click here to complete an online questionnaire, revisit the 2010 OCP and see the “Plan Sooke Now” event calendar.