The Rocky Mountain School District Invermere child care project is moving forward, and the school district is deeply grateful for the longstanding partnership that has been cultivated with Windermere Valley Child Care Society and their enthusiasm and commitment to be the operator of this new facility! This facility is part of the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund and it will create NEW child care spaces in the Columbia Valley that will operate in addition to the spaces that Windermere Valley Child Care Society already operates.
The project went to public tender in April and was awarded to Silverado Industries Inc out of Cranbrook. The facility will have the capacity for 24 Group Child Care (Under 36 Months) spaces, 100 Group Child Care (30 months to School Age/Preschool) spaces, and 24 Group Child Care (School Age) spaces and will use the same facility design as the Marysville childcare project that is currently under construction. The floorplan can be viewed on the Early Learning page of the school district website on the Child Care Tile.
The construction timeline for this project is completion in the summer of 2025. This timeline is subject to change as the process rolls forward. It is important for the public to note, that once construction is completed, there is still much work to be done before the facility can open. All the furniture and supplies need to be assembled and moved into the building before the required internal and external facility licensing process by Interior Health can be conducted. Windermere Valley Child Care Society will need time to go through the required licensing process with Interior Health and hire staff prior to beginning operations. It is anticipated that this will be a 4-6 week process following the completion of construction, but the licensing process falls outside of the school district’s control.
Families wishing to put in an expression of interest for child care can contact Windermere Valley Child Care at wvccs@telus.net
It will require a significant number of qualified educators for Windermere Valley Child Care Society to open all the spaces in this facility. Any Early Childhood Educators who are interested in the opportunity to work in this centre are encouraged to reach out to Pat Miller at wvccs@telus.net to learn more about the centre, the Columbia Valley, and/or Windermere Valley Child Care Society.