New child-care centre opens at Kenora college campus

A new child-care centre at Seven Generations Education Institute's (SGEI) Kenora campus is opening up spaces for families and students in the region. 

In partnership with the Kenora District Services Board (KDSB), the institute is creating 49 new child-care spaces at the Manidoo Baawaatig Kenora Campus Child Care Centre. Ten infant and 15 toddler spaces are already available, with 24 preschool spots expected to open soon. 

"The KDSB has been an incredible partner and this collaboration on a child-care centre will address a real need in the Kenora area. Students and families will benefit from this facility and SGEI programming will be enhanced because of this partnership," said Brent Tookenay, Chief Executive Officer of the SGEI in an April 14 press release.

Henry Wall, CEO of the KDSB, said the lack of available child care in the region has made it difficult for families to pursue education.

"We know we have more adults with children who should be post-secondary and want to be in post-secondary but without their child, it makes it very, very difficult," Wall said. 

He said establishing the centre directly on campus makes the service more accessible. 

Wall adds that offering more child-care spaces will help support students in reaching their career goals, which is key when it comes to meeting the region's labour gaps. 

"We're always looking outside to bring in talent, whether it's nurses, paramedics, doctors, to focus on health-care sector or on the trades as well. It's like, why could we just not grow our own labour force?" he said. 

Wall said the board is aiming to expand child-care spaces across the region and plans to create 100 new jobs in the sector over the next one to two years. 

In 2021, the federal government announced a $30 billion, five-year child-care plan to create 250,000 new affordable spaces.

With the upcoming election, Wall said he hopes the new federal government will recommit to that plan. 

Wall says the current funding for child care has already had a positive impact on families by making child care more affordable. But he says additional capital investments are crucial. He added that in northern Ontario, infrastructure investment has been historically lacking, making new childcare space development expensive.

"I think a recommitment that this is going to continue, but then also acknowledge that not all regions are created equal in Canada, especially in northern Ontario," Wall said.

Wall said the partnership with (SGEI) was particularly valuable because they're converting an existing space into a child-care centre through modifications, which helped overcome the high costs of building a new facility from scratch.