Fire at Sooke strip mall leaves businesses closed on Boxing Day
Published 11:50 am Friday, December 26, 2025
Several Sooke businesses will be closed on Boxing Day after a blaze tore through a strip mall in the early morning of Friday, Dec. 26.
Photos taken by a Sooke News Mirror reporter show the ruined facade of Barb’s Barber Shop at Cedar Grove Centre. The neighbouring Happy Village restaurant also suffered some exterior damage.
According to Barb Vix, owner of Barb’s Barber Shop – which has been at that location for 40 years – the fire started at around 2:30 a.m. after a bench outside caught fire, though no cause has been confirmed.
“[First responders] were here in record timing. When they got the call, they said that they didn’t have much hope because of the age of this building. But they were here right away. It is an old building. It’s the first mall in Sooke. It’s the original mall,” said Vix.
She said most of the damage was concentrated on the exterior of the building, though a pipe was damaged, causing some flooding inside. She plans to salvage the front door, as it’s original to the building.
“The fire department is fantastic. The RCMP out here is so helpful. Nobody speculates, everybody says it exactly the way it is,” she said.
The community also came out to help and show support in the morning, Vix added.
“I’m very helpful with the people that showed up, you know. I help up the community so the community helps,” she said.
As of 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 26, almost every business in the mall was closed other than Cafe Vosino.