Cedar is a small community in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is located near the east coast of Vancouver Island — about 8 kilometers (5.0 mi) southeast of Nanaimo. Its geographical coordinates are .[1] Near Cedar are DeCourcy Island and Ruxton Island, which were once home to the mystical rake Brother XII.
The village was so named because of the profusion of Thuja plicata trees in its vicinity, known as the Western Red Cedar. Cedar as a locality certainly existed prior to 1888, as on 1 April of that year a post office was opened.[2]