Canyon Country residents celebrated a major milestone Saturday.

Chilly temperatures and a sense of excitement permeated the parking lot outside of the new Canyon Country Community Center at the southeast corner of Sierra Highway and Flying Tiger Drive as eager residents awaited its opening.

Santa Clarita Mayor Bob Kellar cut the ribbon, signaling the beginning of a new endeavor for both the city of Santa Clarita and the more than 100 community members who immediately poured inside.

City staff members were on hand to give detailed tours of the new facility, as well as assist children with a community art project.

“The city’s goal with the new center is to positively impact social issues, resulting in a lower crime rate and a more productive, healthy and engaged community,” said Mayor Bob Kellar.

The new center will offer a series of recreational classes for children, teens, parents and seniors, as well as ESL classes, workshops and after-school homework assistance.

“One of the hallmarks of the city of Santa Clarita is our commitment to work with our community to learn their ideas and desires for services prior to implementing something new,” Kellar said.

The city sought input from Canyon Country residents by way of a series of informational meetings geared toward finding the right combination of activities and programs to hold at the center.

“This initial input phase was created early in the process to assure that the new Canyon Country Community Center provides programs and activities the community wants,” Kellar said in a statement.

The new facility at 18792 Flying Tiger Drive will be open six days a week.

For more information, visit http://santa-clarita.com/cccc.