Otter Point
Location
Otter Point is bounded to the east by the District of Sooke, to the south by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, to the north by forest land preserves and to the west by Muir Creek. It is approximately 30 square kilometres in area with a population of 1,500. There are no bus services. The area is served by Highway 14 and Otter Point Road.
General Description
Otter Point is rural residential with some farming and forestry. There are approximately 60 private dwellings with a current construction rate of 20 per year; most are served by wells and septic systems. The area is a pristine natural setting with hills rising from shorelines of rocky headlands, cliffs and small beaches, most featuring cobbles or pebbles. The Juan de Fuca Strait waters provide a wide variety of fish, including chinook, chum and coho salmon, halibut, cut-throat, steelhead and rainbow trout. Marine species include cormorants, loons, grebes, porpoises, orca, mink, seals, sea lions and humpback whales. Five parks currently exist, with a total area of 13 acres; beach access is provided by 15 road rights-of-way, of which half are usable. Weather in this area is temperate, as it is moderated by the ocean. Summers are dry (15 mm rain per month) and winters wet (150 mm per month).
Economic Activities
Services such as schools, medical and retail stores are provided in the Municipality of Sooke. Within Otter Point, there is a single restaurant/grocery to facilitate local purchases. There are also a number of bed and breakfast operations and other home-based businesses such as farms, wineries, art studios, artisans, crafters, small sawmills, landscaping, gardening, light industrial and home office professionals and consultants. The area has a labour force of approximately 660. Of this number 27% are self-employed and 16% work out of their homes. Slightly fewer than 50% commute to jobs and 20% are itinerant.
Desired Forms/Types of Development
Potential development includes forestry, fishing (including crab and shrimp) and tourism. Recreational pursuits of the latter include cruising, sport-fishing, hiking, kayaking, wildlife viewing and diving.
© image courtesy of mary sanseverino