Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I want to salute the Yellowknife Day Care Association on the recent opening of their new and expanded facility on 52nd Street in the heart of Yellowknife Centre.
The association has been around since 1981, occupying the building on 51st Street that has at times been an RCMP detachment, a government office, and even a liquor store. The association got its eviction notice from ECE in 2016, along with an offer of support to find a new home. Work began on the development of an enlarged and purpose-built daycare with all the client care, programming, and safety features of a modern design, and the facility officially opened on January 19th.
The new two-storey centre has more than 900 square metres of space, including four nursery rooms, a multi-purpose activity room, classrooms, a kitchen, preschooler rooms, and full staff and administrative accommodations. With the expansion, the non-profit is licensed to serve 104 children, including 32 baby spaces, 56 preschooler spaces, and 16 after-school spaces.
My colleagues will be interested to hear the following information. Not only is the Yellowknife Day Care the largest childcare provider in Yellowknife, but with the expansion, there was an increase of eight new full-time staff for a total of 25 full- and part-time jobs in that centre, a boon to our economy, and an addition of skilled child practitioners in childcare. This is the home of a vibrant, friendly, active, and interactive team ready to help children learn in a warm, fun, and friendly environment where they are free to laugh, climb, run, talk, dig, explore, and interact.
Special credit for the successful expansion goes to the association's hardworking volunteer board, led by President Kristal Melanson, with the administrative support of Executive Director Marine Voskanyan. President Melanson makes special note of the contributions of Yellowknife's PSAV Architects, the Clark Builders construction team, and to ECE for supplying equipment and furnishing and expedited licensing. There will be a further fundraiser in the year to furnish the yard. I will keep Member's informed of when to reach for their chequebooks.
Congratulations to Yellowknife Day Care Association and all the best for more decades of service. Mahsi.
