Sooke Soccer Club seeks help after field rent jumps 214%
Published 5:45 am Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Sooke soccer families could face higher registration fees after the local club’s field-rental bill more than tripled.
Sooke Soccer Club told district council June 22 its annual cost to rent fields at Fred Milne Park is set to rise from $16,797 to $52,800 — an increase of about 214 per cent.
The club is asking the district for a $36,003 annual grant to cover the difference and help keep registration fees from climbing.
The club is also asking council to explore creating a District of Sooke or SEAPARC-owned soccer facility, arguing players have few other places to go.
Vice-president Pete McKay told council the club has little choice but to use Fred Milne Park because Sooke has no district-owned soccer fields. The only other local options, school district fields, lack turf and lighting, according to the club’s submission.
Fred Milne Park is operated by the Sooke Community Association, not the district. According to the club’s submission, the increase is being imposed by the Fred Milne Group.
The reason for the increase was not outlined in detail in the club’s submission.
The dispute has put council in the middle of a broader debate over who should pay for community sports: families, taxpayers or the groups that operate local fields.
Sooke Soccer Club serves about 340 youth players and 110 adult players.
“To cover the increase, SSC would need to significantly raise registration fees, likely driving away members and disproportionately impacting lower-income families,” the club said in its written submission.
Club financial documents show the new rental bill would create a significant shortfall in the 2026-27 budget.
One budget scenario, before the full increase, projected rent at $19,260 and left the club with a small $1,347 surplus. A second scenario, accounting for the full jump, projected rent at $52,800 and a $32,193 deficit.
The increase could be passed directly to players.
The club’s fee comparison shows proposed 2026-27 registration rising to between $300 and $360 for youth players, depending on age. Women’s registration would climb to $420, while men’s division registration would rise to $440.
Council did not approve the club’s grant request during the delegation.
But the issue is expected to return to council July 13 through a notice of motion calling for the district to enter discussions with the Sooke Community Association about new service agreements for Fred Milne Park and Art Morris Park.
The motion also says rate increases for user groups at those facilities should be kept to a “reasonable minimum.”
For Sooke Soccer Club, the timing is a major concern as it prepares for the coming season.
Without relief, the club says it will have to set registration fees based on the higher rental bill, leaving families to absorb the cost.
The Sooke Community Association, which operates Fred Milne Park, did not respond to a request for comment by deadline on the reason for the increase or whether it would consider phasing in the higher fees.