Lakeshore South Community Association paves pathway to connection
Waterloo Region Community Foundation grant helps bolster social infrastructure in Waterloo neighbourhood
The Lakeshore South Community Association's mission includes bringing neighbours together, and its vision is to create a safe and healthy community where residents feel connected and supported.
Up until recently, a fence stood as a physical barrier to all that.
Accessibility was limited for individuals going from Heasley Park and the Laurie Strome Pavilion to Sunnydale Community Centre.
The pavilion — named after the late Laurie Strome, a longtime dedicated volunteer — was recently constructed to provide sheltered space for individuals lined up for weekly food bank distribution, while also serving as a gathering place.
Sunnydale Community Centre, meanwhile, operates in partnership with House of Friendship and Waterloo Region Housing to provide resources and youth programming to residents.
The proximity of the fence and the lack of a dedicated, accessible pathway between the two locations made it difficult to access both spaces, impeding the chance of human connection.
Recognizing this, the Lakeshore South Community Association removed the fence and built the Heasley Park Accessible Pathway, effectively putting the final touches on its pavilion project to bolster the neighbourhood’s physical and social infrastructure.
Completed in summer 2025, the pathway gives residents in the neighbourhood — bordered roughly by Beringer Road, Columbia Street West, Weber Street North and Northfield Drive — greater access to the community pavilion and the range of programs offered there and in the surrounding areas.
“It really does help to break down barriers,” said Adam Clemens, Chair of the association, adding that the pavilion could be described as an “embassy” as it’s a “place where everyone is welcome. Everyone can meet, regardless of socioeconomic status, regardless of physical ability.”
“Anyone from the community can meet there, and everyone does.”
The pathway project was funded through Waterloo Region Community Foundation (WRCF)’s Community Grants, supporting initiatives linked to improving social infrastructure in Waterloo Region. The project was subsequently funded by two funds: the Environmental Legacy Fund and The Alice (Braley) Judges – Walter Judges Fund.
“This definitely was a lifeline, a helping hand," Adam said of the funding.
The community association runs and participates in numerous programs throughout the year, including community gardens, the Sunnydale Community Centre, Adventure 4 Change, the pavilion, and various sports leagues.
The council of residents also liaises with the city and region to ensure residents’ various needs are met, including those classified as lower income or newcomers to the region.
Big impact
Adam said the pathway project has had an immediate and large impact as food insecurity and demand for the food distribution program rise.
“(The pathway and pavilion) are located almost right in the middle of our community,” Adam said. “It unites the people from Sunnydale with people from other parts of the neighbourhood and gives easy access to the supports that are available in the area. It's forever a major pathway.”
The physical infrastructure now in place has paved the way to genuine connections in the community, he added.
“Everyone’s welcome, but it’s this sense of belonging that it brings, that is super important,” Clemens said. “That’s what we try to do as a community association. That’s what grants like this from WRCF help with: There’s a broader sense of community and belonging.”
Adam added: “You can run all these events, you can run all these activities, but if you're not engaging, enticing people to feel the sense of belonging, to feel the sense of community, I'm not sure we'd be as successful as tightly bound or fit together.”
To learn more about the Lakeshore South Community Association, go to lakeshoresouthca.ca.
For more information on WRCF’s Community Grants, visit wrcf.ca/communitygrants.