Gertrude Evelyn Moore, the first Director of Physical Education for Women at the University of British Columbia (UBC), started Moorecroft Camp for Girls in 1934. Named after her childhood home in Ontario, the camp ran under Miss Moore until 1954.
Due to failing health, Miss Moore sold the camp to the United Church (B.C. Conference) Camping Society in November 1955.
In February, 2009, the BC Conference of the United Church of Canada announced plans to sell Moorecroft. In the summer of 2010, Diana Young along with Jill Davies, Carol Bell, Vicki Voros, Deirdre Santesso, Eileen and Theo Dombrowski formed Save Moorecroft. They canvassed local residents for support and financial pledges, working towards protecting Moorecroft from development.
In October 2010, the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) voted unanimously to purchase Moorecroft as a Regional Park. Prior to the sale, the United Church of Canada established a Conservation Covenant, held by the Nature Conservancy of Canada. In 2011 , The Nature Trust (TNT) helped the RDN raise funds towards the purchase. They sponsored “SPLASH” in 2011 and “Tastes of Land and Sea” in 2012. The Moorecrofters worked with The Nature Trust to create public awareness of the park and to raise funds.
By January 2013, the RDN’s Management Plan for Moorecroft Regional Park was completed. It was guided by the requirements of the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s Conservation Covenant.
In the spring of 2013, the process of returning the park to its natural state began. Volunteer work parties re-introduced native plants and removed invasive species. Buildings that were unsafe and of little historical value were demolished.
Discussion is ongoing regarding the restoration of the three remaining buildings: Kennedy Lodge, Miss Moore’s house, and the boathouse.
Please keep the buildings as they resurgent a snapshot in time
Sad to see as of this week, only the boat house remains. Last time the hall was still standing and would have had great community uses.
Hi Sheila,
Yes – it was very unfortunate to lose Kennedy hall, but the RDN had engineers assess the structure of the building and it was deemed unfit for preservation. We expect that many former campers were saddened by this, but it really could not be saved.