More daycares have been announced for Manitoba.

Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Wayne Ewasko announced on Thursday that new daycares are coming to 14 communities. This is phase two of a commitment that was first made last November.

Phase one included 666 new spaces in nine communities through a partnership between the governments of Canada and Manitoba, municipal governments and First Nation communities. 

Phase two is for an additional 1,004 spaces in 14 communities, including:

  • Lake St. Martin First Nation
  • RM of Hanover (Kleefeld)
  • Norway House Cree Nation
  • RM of Sifton (Oak Lake) 
  • RM of Tache (Lorette) 
  • RM of Macdonald (La Salle) 
  • RM of Ritchot (St. Adolphe)
  • RM of Rockwood (Stony Mountain)
  • Town of Melita
  • RM of Argyle (Baldur) 
  • RM of Brokenhead (Tyndall) 
  • City of Dauphin (Dauphin) 
  • City of Morden 
  • Town of Morris

"The Manitoba government is making investments to ensure families in rural and First Nations communities have access to affordable child care," says Ewasko. "To achieve this goal, our government is taking an innovative approach through ready-to-move construction technology to create child-care spaces more quickly."

When you combine both phases, there will be 1,670 new spaces and a total of 23 new centres. Similar to phase one, these daycares will be ready-to-move buildings that are constructed off site and then moved into each community. According to Ewasko, they are expected to be operational before the end of the year. Construction is slated to begin in late spring. 

"The Government of Canada is proud to announce these additional child-care spaces for rural and First Nations communities," says federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould. "The ready-to-move pilot project is another example how the Canada-wide system leverages innovation and collaboration between federal, provincial, municipal, and First Nations communities to ensure that every family, no matter where they live, has access to high-quality and affordable child care."

"This is another great day for child care in Manitoba," says Ewasko. "Another great day for Manitobans in general."

Meanwhile, construction is now underway on sites announced last November. Eligible applicants provided serviced land rent free for 15 years to the child-care provider, as well as building support services and maintenance and repair commitments.

The child-care spaces being developed with this investment are part of the Manitoba government's commitment to develop 23,000 new, regulated not-for-profit child-care spaces for children under age seven across the province by 2026.

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