Ritchot announces location and operator for new daycare in Ile des Chenes

The Rural Municipality of Ritchot has released more details on the new daycare for Ile des Chenes.

Last November, the provincial and federal governments jointly announced the allocation of up to $70 million in capital funding for new child-care facilities, creating more than 1,200 new, regulated non-profit child-care spaces across the province. Through this announcement, nine rural and First Nations communities will be getting new daycares, including the RM of Ritchot. That same week, Ritchot Mayor Chris Ewen announced that the new daycare promised for his municipality would be going up in Ile des Chenes.

Now, two months later, Ewen says they can provide more information. According to Ewen, land has been secured to house this daycare. That land is located in the new development in the south portion of that community. He notes today it is farmland but over the next decade, it will be the site where hundreds of new homes are built. And at the centre of this development will be the new daycare. 

"It's a great location," says Ewen. "It's right where it should be. So, we're very excited to see that."

The daycare facilities have been designed by John Q Public. The hybrid-construction pilot project will use a modular building, prefabricated construction process and an innovative building design that can be replicated, readily transported and built in communities across Manitoba. Ewen says much of the building will be built off-site and then brought in and placed onto the location that's deemed appropriate.

"The RM of Ritchot will be in control and ownership of the facility," he explains. "And the daycare provider will just be occupying the space and providing daycare for the region in Ile des Chenes."

Ewen says Garderie Ile des Chênes Daycare will operate the facility. This is the same provider that operates out of the TC Energy Centre in Ile des Chenes. The decision was made after going through the RFP (Request For Proposal) process.

"They are familiar with the Ile des Chenes region, they are familiar with the daycare and what they have to do for licensing and work with the province, so this is just a great fit," says Ewen. "I know the management team personally and they are a phenomenal group of staff and people that work great with the kids that they provide for. So, we're excited to have them on board."

Ewen adds this is a great model being offered by the provincial and federal governments. It reduces some of the overhead costs to run a daycare while providing the ability to hire more staff or offer more opportunities. 

According to Ewen, the new daycare will have spaces for 74 children, which is smaller than the one operating out of the TC Energy Centre. Ewen is hoping they can put shovel in the ground this spring and have the doors open no later than fall of this year.