St. Catherine Catholic School. (Charlene Tebbutt/paNOW Staff)

By Charlene Tebbutt

daycare spaces

Plans for new daycare spaces at St. Catherine Catholic School taking shape

May 9, 2019 | 12:00 PM

Plans for a new daycare centre at one of Prince Albert’s local schools are taking shape.

Prince Albert city council recently approved a discretionary use application for a new daycare centre at St. Catherine Catholic School on Branion Drive, paving the way for the addition of 54 new spaces. Money for the additional daycare spaces was announced by the province in December.

The new daycare centre will be managed by Children’s Choice Child Development Cooperative, which also has agreements to operate in three other Catholic schools in the city, St. Francis, École St. Anne and St. Michael Community School. Gail Szautner, executive director with Children’s Choice, said the organization is in the process of working on the final designs for the new space.

“We’re excited to be moving forward in another partnership with Prince Albert Catholic School division,” Szautner said. “Those partnerships have been working very well over the last number of years and so it’s just exciting to be looking at another one and meeting the needs of families within that area of Prince Albert.”

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Construction is expected to start this summer, Szautner said. The new daycare centre is expected to be open in early 2020.

Szautner said there is a need for more childcare in the area around St. Catherine Catholic School. She said the daycare cooperative is also interested in being part of a before and after-school program at the school, if local families are also on board.

“We would certainly have toddlers and preschool-aged children who, over the years would grow into school-aged children and who will still require our services. So, we’re flexible in looking at whatever the needs of that area, the community are,” Szautner added. We’ll look at how can we develop a plan to meet the needs for that community.”

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Charlene.tebbutt@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @CharleneTebbutt