The Mayor of Ritchot says there has been overwhelming support towards construction of a daycare in the community of St. Adolphe.

Chris Ewen says the project will see the former RV rental centre at 372 Main Street turned into a daycare facility. A public hearing was held last week, which drew a crowd of more than one hundred people.

According to Ewen, originally the St. Adolphe daycare had 23 spots inside the school. The new facility will have an extra 90 spots, bringing the total to 113.

Ewen says they have given first reading to a borrowing bylaw. The municipality expects to borrow about $1 million, with a twenty-year payback. He notes it will be paid through their nominal surplus and as a result, there will be no increase in taxes. Ewen notes the province has also agreed to contribute approximately $560,000, plus they plan to use $140,000 from their Hydro CDI fund. The total cost of the project is about $1.7 million.

He guesses between 120 and 150 people showed up to the public hearing and nearly everyone was in favour. In fact, Ewen says the municipality received about 60 letters of support and heard from approximately 40 people at the hearing who also expressed approval. Some families have said they have been on a waiting list for three years already.

Ritchot council was unanimous in giving first reading to the borrowing. Ewen says he expects to give second and third reading before the end of the year.

"I think it's a great opportunity," says Ewen. "Not only for the families around St. Adolphe and Ritchot but also for business opportunities it's going to revitalize Main Street a little bit."

Ewen is hopeful that construction will start in spring and that the daycare will be in operation by September.