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take5.ca
AUGUST 2025
Recreation Strengthens Community Spirit in Cedar and Area BY KERITH WADDINGTON The importance of recreation to wellbeing is indisputable, and the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) – entering just its second year of programming for the Cedar Heritage Centre (CHC) – is ready to keep residents of Electoral Area A happy and healthy. From Pro-D Day and summer camps for kids to daily fitness programs for youth and adults, the CHC is a hive of activity year-round. A LEGO-robotics camp this August is expected to be hugely popular! And when it’s not in use for programming by the RDN, the beautiful heritage site is available for locals to rent for meetings, workshops, small parties or medium-sized gatherings. Given its location and the purpose it serves, the CHC really is part of the “heart” of Cedar, said Hannah King, superintendent for Recreation Program Services for the RDN.
Camp Timber, a day camp at Cedar Heritage Centre. Photo submitted.
“The CHC is an important community gathering place where memories continue to be made,” King said. “Recreational opportunities build community and resilience and are a huge determinant of health that reduces disease and loneliness. So I encourage locals to check out our programming and have a say in what programs get offered at the CHC.” The CHC has a lot of history in the rural community just south of Nanaimo. The Cedar School and Community Enhancement Society (CSCES) served the Cedar and area community for over 25 years. The CSCES looked after recreational programming at the former school site while the RDN looked after building and site maintenance. In 2023, CSCES Board Executives notified the RDN that the society would dissolve as of June 2024. As that date