Carberry Committee Seeks Provincial Funding for New Daycare

A committee in Carberry is taking significant steps to address the pressing need for childcare in the community. They have developed plans for a new daycare facility that will accommodate up to 55 children and are preparing to submit a grant application to the Province of Manitoba for funding.

The proposed daycare, named Tiny Taters Childcare Co-operative, will be a 5,400-square-foot building designed to serve infants, preschool-aged children, and offer before-and-after school programs, according to committee chair Krista Plaisier. “We’re just in the process now of completing the grant application to get it into the province,” Plaisier stated in early October.

Carberry Mayor Ray Muirhead has pledged support for the project by offering to forgive property taxes on the site for the next 25 years. He emphasized the urgent need for more daycare options in the area, highlighting that the only licensed facility currently has a waitlist of approximately 120 people.

Details of the Proposed Facility

The new daycare is planned to be constructed on land sold for just $1 by the Town of Carberry and the Rural Municipality of North Cypress-Langford. The architectural blueprints include provisions for eight infants, two preschool rooms accommodating 16 children each, and a before-and-after-school program room for 15 children. Additionally, the facility will feature a commercial kitchen, an office for the director, and restrooms equipped with “tiny toilets.”

While the building plans have yet to receive provincial approval, they will be submitted alongside the grant application. Plaisier has emphasized the critical need for additional daycare spaces, as the community faces challenges without sufficient options for childcare. “If there is no room for the next generation, the community might deteriorate,” she noted. “Daycare is kind of the hub of any community. We have to have childcare in order to keep growing.”

The total estimated cost for the daycare is around $4 million, with the cooperative seeking 60 percent of funding from the provincial government. The remaining costs will be financed through a mortgage, fundraising efforts, and a continual operating fund provided by the Province of Manitoba for daycares.

Mayor Muirhead expressed optimism about the project’s progress, saying, “They’ve really come a long way from the beginning till now. They’ve been doing a really good amount of fundraising.” The committee comprises 10 volunteers and two local councillors, Dallis Olmstead from the RM of North Cypress-Langford, and Mike Sudak from Carberry.

Future Prospects

The Province of Manitoba has set an ambitious goal to add 23,000 childcare spaces across the province by March 2026, with funding assistance from the federal government. Plaisier believes that this context may enhance their chances of securing necessary funding. “As long as we get our application in before the spaces are filled, we don’t feel that it’ll be any problem,” she remarked.

A spokesperson for the Province of Manitoba indicated it is premature to comment on the Carberry daycare proposal, as the grant application has not yet been submitted. Plaisier explained that this application will mark a crucial milestone for the committee, which has been actively pursuing this project for about a year.

The plans for the daycare have been developed in collaboration with Co-operatives First, a Saskatchewan-based organization that has been instrumental in guiding the committee through the planning process. As the community waits for news on the funding application, the committee remains hopeful about the future of childcare in Carberry.