Fuchsia Dragon | [email protected]
Wildflowers Childcare is set to reopen in early June.
Jasper Municipal Council unanimously voted this week to fund the $102,000 needed to safely reopen and operate Jasper鈥檚 only licensed daycare and out of school care.
鈥淒aycare is important for our economic vitality,鈥� said mayor Richard Ireland in the council meeting Tuesday. 鈥淚n order for people to contribute to the local economy, we need daycare.鈥�
Last week, councillors asked to hear from residents on the role a municipal daycare plays in the community鈥檚 economic recovery to help them make decisions on how to fund its reopening.
And they got their answer.
Parents, essential workers, business owners, and the superintendent of Jasper National Park were among more about 40 Jasperites who wrote to council this week supporting the daycare.
And about 30 vehicles convoyed around town blasting their horns in support of the funding at 10 a.m. on Tuesday - while council was meeting online.
The demonstration was organized by Jasper moms Ashley Kliewer and Nadia Helmy, both of whom wrote to council this week to share their views on Wildflowers reopening.
Many of the letters of support described Wildflowers Childcare as essential and critical - saying there is a desperate need for the service in Jasper.
And Friends of Wildflower Daycare offered to 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 like gymnastics and field trips.
Council thanked the parent board for the offer but said their money could be put to better uses.
Councillor Rico Damota said: 鈥淥nce the province allows for more children, that $10,000 could be used for better assistance for your programs than adding it to opening up.鈥�
Damota said he was in full support of moving forward and getting the daycare open as soon as possible.
Councillor Bert Journault said he would rather money be provided to low income families and councillor Paul Butler said he had concerns with Wildflowers鈥� operating costs.
But the vote was unanimous: Wildflowers Childcare鈥檚 daycare and out of school care will open at the beginning of June.
It will be funded from reserves if necessary, but the administration department has been directed to continue investigating further sources of funding and report back.
