Parents rush to find child care after Cole Harbour program announces it's closing
Building's landlord says they're owed more than $255K in unpaid rent
Parents of children who are enrolled in a before- and after-school program in Cole Harbour have been scrambling to find new spaces for their kids after getting an emergency notice saying the program is closing.
The program, called Connexions, sent out emails last week to parents informing them they will close their doors on Dec. 22.
Susie Collet, whose seven-year-old son receives after-school care through Connexions, received the email last Thursday evening.
"I was kind of like, in sheer panic, like, 'Oh my God, what are we going to do? They're closing in less than a month.'"
The after-school program is critical for her and her husband, who both work until 5 p.m. It serves children from schools in Cole Harbour and Dartmouth, where child-care spaces are hard to find.
"I cried when we first found out, because I had no idea what we were going to do."
Collet said the email pointed to financial difficulties as the major reason the program cannot continue.
'Frantic and panicking'
Christine Fiander said she and her husband were also on edge after getting the same email. Their seven-year-old son has been going to the after-school program too.
"We were just frantic and panicking," she said.
Neither Collet nor Fiander had any inclination that Connexions was experiencing problems.
"We didn't really get the back story as to unpaid rent or anything of that nature. It was simply that there were issues," Fiander said, adding that she was happy with the care her son has been receiving.
Nearly $256K in arrears
The program has been operating out of a Party on People venue, which offers laser tag, on Portland Street and Bel Ayr Avenue.
On the front door is a bailiff's notice saying that $255,973 is owed in rent.
The building's landlord says the tenant has had trouble paying rent for several months, and after working with them to figure out solutions they told them on Nov. 6 that further action would be taken.
"Clearly they've given them lots of leeway to allow the rent owing to get as high as it has," said Joseph Tracey, a lawyer for the landlord. "They've taken all reasonable steps that they could before they had to involve lawyers and enforce the terms of the lease."
Tracey said the property was locked up after Connexions was allowed to take out their belongings.
The program is now operating out of a nearby church until it closes next month.
Meanwhile, Collet is feeling some relief after finding her son a spot at another child-care centre.
Fiander has also been fortunate to find another space for her son.
But they're both facing additional child-care costs, and are concerned about other parents who they know are still trying to find alternative arrangements.
The non-profit group that runs the program, Community Connexions Network Nova Scotia, did not respond to interview requests.
The letter it sent to families said the arrears include rent it could not pay during the COVID-19 pandemic, and also cited infrastructure issues such as a lack of proper heating equipment and ongoing staffing challenges.
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