Fuchsia Dragon | [email protected]
Parents, essential workers, business owners, and the superintendent of Jasper National Park were among Jasperites who wrote to council this week supporting the reopening of Wildflowers Childcare.
Last Tuesday, councillors asked to hear from residents on the role a municipal daycare plays in the community鈥檚 economic recovery to help them make a decision on how to fund its reopening.
They heard last week that Wildflowers will need an estimated $103,000 to reopen safely and operate under the new provincial regulations.
Administration said with new limits in occupancy, daily required screening, extra cleaning procedures and restrictions on staff and children per cohort, the programs cannot open with a reasonable cost recovery.
But the total could be a little less than the $103,000 - as Friends of Wildflower Daycare said this week they could contribute up to $10,000 towards the cost of reopening the daycare.
That money, fundraised by the parent board, is normally used to support additional programming, including the music program, gymnastics, field trip for Out of School Care, and other events and programs.
Penny Bayfield and Heather Heise co-presidents of Friends of Wildflowers Childcare wrote to council this week: 鈥淭he board would like to do what we can to help offset the municipal contribution and support the reopening of the childcare programs.鈥�
And pleas to reopen the daycare with municipal funds have poured out from the community - with 29 letters of support sent to council last week and a demonstration planned for Tuesday morning.
Parents and supporters will meet in Robson Park, outside the Library and Cultural Centre where council meetings were held before the pandemic, at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday - the same time Jasper Municipal Council will meet via Zoom.
For those uncomfortable gathering, and to avoid too large a group, supporters are encouraged to blast a car horn three times at 10 a.m.
The demonstration has been organized by Jasper moms Ashley Kliewer and Nadia Helmy, both of whom wrote to council this week to share their views on Wildflowers reopening.
Helmy, general manager of Wild Orchid Salon & Spa, said in her letter that she has had to send her one-year-old son to stay with her parents in order to continue working.
She wrote: 鈥淎ffordable childcare is vital for the survival of families in Jasper. Whether you have a million dollar mortgage or pay rent month to month. We need help.鈥�
And Kliewer, a mom-of-two who owns and operates the Raven Bistro with her husband, said in her letter that closing the only childcare facilities in Jasper would be 鈥渢he straw that breaks some families who chose to put down roots here in the mountains鈥�.
鈥淚f we as a community invest in the care of our seniors through the Evergreens Foundation, then we owe it to families on the other end of the spectrum to provide quality care to those in early childhood,鈥� she wrote.
鈥淣o one is suggesting that we put our elders of our community into patched together care as we tighten our purse strings, so how can we propose doing this to our children?鈥�
The letters of support describe Wildflowers Childcare as essential and critical - they say there is a desperate need for the service in Jasper.
Kristin Robinson and Tim Horrocks wrote: "Now more than ever, our community needs to rally together to make sure this economic disaster can recover.
"Taking away daycare, or making it unattainably expensive would be catastrophic to the future of Jasper. The families utilizing this program need to work, want to work, and are the backbone of the economy here."
Another letter was from Alan Fehr, the superintendent of Jasper National Park. He said Parks Canada employees have a continued need for the services Wildflowers Childcare programs provide.
鈥淔or employees who require reliable and accessible childcare, this program is critical to their ability to return to work,鈥� he wrote.
Council will discuss the reopening and funding of Wildflowers Childcare on Tuesday, May 26. The meeting starts at 9:30 a.m. and can be watching online at or call in to +1 778 907 2071 or +15873281099 on iPhone one-tap.
