There are plans to increase the number of daycare spots in the Rural Municipality of Ritchot.

Earlier this year, the governments of Canada and Manitoba announced the allocation of $8.1 million to support new, ongoing operating grants that will fund more than 3,100 new early learning and child-care expansion spaces at 177 facilities across the province. 

As part of this commitment, the province is investing $4.8 million in new, ongoing operating grants that will fund 2,294 school-age child-care spaces for children aged seven to 12. This funding will increase financial stability for facilities that offer school-age programming and ensure low- and middle-income parents can access affordable, regulated care for their school-age children.

An additional $3.3 million is being allocated from the Canada-Manitoba Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement to fund 815 child-care spaces for infants and children under age seven. This includes 68 infant spaces, 549 preschool spaces and 198 nursery-age spaces. 

Mitch Duval is Chief Administrative Officer for the Rural Municipality of Ritchot. He says John Q Built, which is a subsidiary of the Winnipeg Metro Region, is spearheading a pilot project, which would see daycare spaces be made available in the community of Ile des Chenes. 

At Tuesday's Council meeting, Ritchot Council passed a resolution stating that the municipality will provide a two-acre site that will be serviced for the daycare and that Ritchot's CAO will continue working with John Q Built and the province of Manitoba to get this project underway. 

According to Duval, it appears there are a few potential locations for this daycare, though he notes at the present time there is a difference of opinion as to which site is best. 

"This is a very good project for Ile des Chenes," notes Ritchot Councillor Ron Mamchuk. "I'm very pleased this is getting off the ground."

"I agree totally," adds Councillor Curtis Claydon. "This is great."

Manitoba's Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Wayne Ewasko says the goal is to create 23,000 new and newly funded full-time regulated care spaces by 2026.