Image credit: City of Prince George
Childcare

Construction starts on downtown childcare centre

Apr 21, 2021 | 1:57 PM

PRINCE GEORGE — Construction has started on a new downtown childcare centre.

The facility will provide 85 new childcare spaces, including 12 infant/toddler spaces, 25 group childcare spaces for children ages 30 months to school age, and 48 school-age spaces.

It is located along Queensway next to the Park House Condominiums and will be operated by the YMCA. It will be called the YMCA Park House Care and Early Learning Centre.

The City of Prince George received grant funding from the Government of BC and the Union of BC Municipalities to construct the project.

The facility is being built at a fixed price by A&T Project Development Inc. in collaboration with PRD Construction of Prince George. The City has also contracted Colliers Project Leaders to provide project management services to help ensure that timelines and budgets associated with the facility are met.

The project was announced last September, and funding was awarded after the City made a $3 Million grant application to the Province’s Childcare BC New Spaces Fund. An additional $1 Million in funding has been provided through the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) Community Child Care Space Creation Program. The City’s grant application demonstrated the need for more local childcare spaces, as identified in a City Childcare Needs Assessment, which was informed by a survey of more than 800 residents in 2019 and presented to Council last year.

The YMCA Park House Care and Early Learning Centre is scheduled to open in late 2021.