RM of Ste. Anne Shows Interest in Provincial Daycare Program

By Dan Guetre

Following an initial demand with exceeded expectations, the Manitoba government is proceeding with soliciting proposals to develop up to an additional eight daycare facilities in communities throughout the province to be identified by the spring.

The concept, supported by the Province, is to build these daycares off-site in modular sections, move them to the communities and assemble them. The rational for all the stakeholders in the project is cost savings, and managing quality. It has been called a “Daycare in a box” by some of the communities who have already been approved for a building.

The RM of Ste. Anne has added their name to the list by sending in a request of interest to be included in the program.

“Yes, a letter of interest was submitted to the province as part of this project,” confirmed RM of Ste. Anne CAO Mike McLennan.

He also confirmed that, “There has been conversation with the Richer Day Care”, the municipality’s only licensed daycare within their borders.

The municipality is aware of other municipalities who have signed an agreement to secure a daycare, but will look at whether or not reaching out to them about their success only after the process takes shape and the RM of Ste. Anne is chosen.

“While the RM has heard of other municipalities interested in the program, there is still a selection component to the program, and hence projects are not guaranteed,” explained McLennan. “Once approval announcements have been made, further discussion with other municipalities and/or centers about their development process will occur.”

McLennan could not say where the daycare would be located within the municipality as council is just starting to look at some of the potential logistics.

“There are a couple of areas being considered [but] location has not yet been determined,” he said.