Up from the ashes: N.S. daycare destroyed by 2023 wildfire reopens

ForestKids Early Learning Centre daycare in Hammonds Plains, N.S., held its long-awaited reopening after it was destroyed during a wildfire in 2023.

'This celebration has been almost two years coming,' says ForestKids executive director

Meig Campbell · CBC News · Posted: Mar 30, 2025 1:44 PM EDT | Last Updated: March 30

A group of yellow vests — Outdoor gear hangs on a line of hooks inside the new ForestKids facility. (Jeorge Sadi/ CBC )

ForestKids Early Learning Centre daycare in Hammonds Plains, N.S., held its long-awaited reopening Saturday afternoon after it was destroyed by wildfire in 2023.

Daycare staff and children celebrated at a place that brought sorrow not so long ago.

Terri Kottwitz, the executive director of ForestKids, said the reopening was a collective effort.

"This celebration has been almost two years coming," Kottwitz said. "It'll be two years in May. So all of our families stuck with us. We didn't lose any families. Everybody just bent backwards and helped us. The families were our support."

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Woman with hair and blue sweater. — Terri Kottwitz is the executive director of ForestKids Early Learning Organization and was honoured by the children enrolled in her programs. (Jeorge Sadi/ CBC)

The new ForestKids was built with federal and provincial funds and more than $32,000 raised on GoFundMe.

The daycare continued after the fire using another location in the community. It moved back to the previous property last September, using five trailers while the rest of the facility was readied.

ForestKids allows children from three months to 10 years old to enrol.

"The staff are thrilled to be out of those trailers," said Kottwitz. "It was a lot of work to be in the trailers."

Children playing in front of a red building. — Children play at the entrance of the new ForestKids Early Learning Centre before the ribbon cutting. (Jeorge Sadi/CBC)

The reopening of the new facility was attended by over 50 people, including staff, families of the children enrolled in the daycare and alumni.

Kottwitz's efforts were highlighted. A group of children read a poem dedicated to her and her endurance to continue ForestKids after the wildfire.

Woman being hugged by children. — A group of children hug Kottwitz after reading a poem dedicated to her at the reopening ceremony. (Jeorge Sadi/CBC)

Tracy Hunter, an early childhood educator with ForestKids for nearly 30 years. said the destruction was difficult for the community.

"I lived in one of the subdivisions," Hunter said. "It was also impacted by the fire itself and I also had family members lose their homes, too."

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But Hunter says having the daycare back is like having a weight lifted from the community, and it would not have been possible without Kottwitz's efforts.

Woman with brown hair holding child. — Chantal Boudreau holds her child who is enrolled in ForestKids before viewing the facility for the first time at the reopening celebrations. (Jeorge Sadi/CBC)

With the new facility also comes expanded enrolment, which has gone from 80 to 93.

For ForestKids parents like Chantal Boudreau, the facility represents new beginnings.

"Having the new building with new opportunities, new areas for the kids to explore, just essentially seems to kind of bring life back to the daycare," said Boudreau.

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