Pemberton Children’s Centre has delayed its September opening. It announced that unforeseen delays in completing the expansion would move its timeline back just days before it was expected to open, which it had previously reported it had “high hopes” to open on Sept. 3.
The centre posted on Tuesday, Aug. 27 that it is hopeful that they can resolve the unforeseen issues.
“We are hopeful that this will be resolved, and the building completed and licensed as soon as possible,” they said.
“As such, our intended opening of September 3rd will be delayed. We will endeavor to keep the community updated as we know more, and to open the new spaces as soon as possible.
The centre said that parents have not been contacted about highly coveted places yet. Its expansion will eventually provide an additional 50 childcare spaces for the 3-5 age group, in two new classrooms.
“We have not yet started moving through our waitlist or contacting parents regarding space in the new expansion,” they posted. “We will only do so once we have received our license and are operationally ready to open the doors. Once we have a confirmed opening date, we will begin contacting families to offer spaces.”
In 2019, the Village of Pemberton (VOP) made daycare expansion a strategic priority. The VOP received $2,771,000 through the ChildCare BC New Spaces Fund for the expansion in April 2022, and site prep work for the expansion began later that year. However, a funding shortfall emerged. Village staff engaged with ministry officials and applied for supplementary funding. A further $800,000 was awarded as a result in early 2023.
Pemberton’s Children’s Centre asked for the community’s help in June to find affordable housing for its staff. “If you or anyone you know has housing options, please reach out to the centre,” they said. “We will start contacting families on our waitlist once we have a confirmed opening date.”
Pemberton’s Children’s Centre asked for the community’s help in June to find affordable housing for its staff. “If you or anyone you know has housing options, please reach out to the centre,” they said. “We will start contacting families on our waitlist once we have a confirmed opening date.” The Centre said the number of additional daycare spaces being offered will be dependent on how many qualified teachers they can hire.
More information about the work on the project to date is available here.
