By TERRY PUGH
The Warman Childcare Centre (WCC) is one step closer to a major expansion that will nearly triple the number of licensed childcare spaces it offers.
Warman City Council voted at a meeting on Monday, August 26 to approve the plan of a subdivision for the property in the Southlands neighborhood in Warman where the WCC is proposing to build a 90-space childcare centre. The new facility would be in addition to an existing 46-space childcare centre beside the Brian King Centre which the non-profit organization currently operates.
Once the new building is up and running, the WCC will offer a total of 136 licensed childcare spaces.
Both facilities will operate under the umbrella of a single WCC board of directors.
The property where the new facility will be built is on the east side of Industrial Road, just south of residential properties on Haichert Street in the rapidly-growing Southlands neighbourhood.
The proposed childcare centre would have primary access off Industrial Road. The site plan submitted by the WCC shows that the centre allows ample room for one-way drop off and pick up, as well as queuing of vehicles.
The site would not allow vehicle access via the back lane on Haichert Street, thereby ensuring a safer drop-off-and pickup area.
In addition to the 90 licensed childcare spaces, the centre would include spots for 35 to 40 children as part of a before-and-after school program.
The WCC, a registered charitable organization, was approved by the provincial Ministry of Education for 90 additional licensed childcare spaces in November, 2022. However, a lack of space has hampered the WCC’s expansion so far.
The application to construct the childcare centre follows a decision by Warman City Council on April 8, 2024, to approve a discretionary use application by the WCC for the facility. The WCC still needs to apply for a development permit for the project before construction can begin. A timeline for the project is not yet known.
Warman Community Planner Chris Hilash explained in a report to the August 26 council meeting that feedback from area residents to the project has been very positive.
Hilash noted the facility will be the first of its kind in the Southlands area, and will complement the WCC’s existing childcare centre on 8th Avenue. The project has been in the works for many months, he added.
“Council will recall discussions regarding a day care in 2023, with multiple locations being explored, including the old Shop Easy (building) and a church property that was for sale,” said Hilash in his report. “None of these options came to fruition, so the group who had received funding reached out to a builder to construct the facility now.”
Warman Mayor Gary Philipchuk said the childcare expansion will be a “great addition” for the community. He noted that city administration helped facilitate contact between WCC officials and a local construction company, which eventually resulted in an agreement between the two partners.
Warman City Councillor Marshall Seed said he strongly supported the WCC initiative, saying it was “very necessary” given the long waiting list for childcare spaces in Warman and surrounding area.
The WCC began as a community initiative by a group of parents in 2013. In March 2014 the organization applied for, and received, 43 licensed spots from the Ministry of Education. The WCC organizing committee achieved charitable status from the province, and worked with the City of Warman to lay plans for construction of a building on city-owned land near the Brian King Centre. Construction of that building commenced in August 2015. The WCC was licensed in February, 2016 and the facility opened March 1, 2016. In March, 2019, a small renovation allowed three additional licensed childcare spots, bringing its total to 46. Two years later, the WCC was approved for an additional 90 spaces, bringing the total to 136.