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Children's centre now open Grand opening held to celebrate completion of society's project
Shawn Giilck
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, September 12, 2013
INUVIK
Inuvik's Children's First Centre celebrated its grand opening on Sept. 9 after many years of dreaming and fundraising.
Children First Society board member Peter Clarkson relaxes a bit during the grand opening celebrations of the new Children's First Centre on Sept. 9. - Shawn Giilck/NNSL photo
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Approximately 100 people crowded into the $6.5-million centre, which has been open for about three weeks.
In keeping with the child-centric concept, several children from the centre were called upon to perform at the official ribbon-cutting with Mayor Floyd Roland and Education Minister Jackson Lafferty.
"The dream of the Children's First Centre has always been about having a purpose-built facility for the kids," said Children First Society board chairperson Melinda Gillis. "What better way to highlight that than have the kids open their centre."
Another board member, Peter Clarkson, recalled how the vision of an early child-care centre had taken shape at least 18 years ago. He recalled his youngest child, who is now 21, was about three at the time the idea was first bandied about.
Clarkson said the centre is likely the largest non-government project ever carried out in the NWT.
"I don't want to have anything to do with a bigger one," he quipped.
Clarkson is one of the original members of the group who committed to building a child-care facility for Inuvik that would bring several organizations under one roof and banner.
He and Paula Guy, another long-time organizer, were relieved to have the centre up and running, even if all the work isn't finished yet.
Guy said she would be content, at some point in the near future, to "pass the torch" to new members who would run with the project while she accepted a lesser role.
She praised Gillis, who is relatively new to the board, and Fraser Pearce, for injecting some much-needed energy and enthusiasm into the board over the last couple of years.
Clarskson told the audience the project was a "Robin Hood" project that came together without a formal budget or plan on how to pay for it. While fundraising was going well, there was still nothing formal on paper when architect Tony Zedda of Kabayashi and Zedda Architects committed to designing a building, and construction began.
That's unusual, to say the least, Clarkson said, and was likely a unique situation.
The new facility boasts more than 4,000 square metres of space for child-care programs.
Children from six months to 12 years are eligible to attend the centre, which offers programs ranging from full-day to half-day to after-school care. It has a capacity to accept more than 100 children, which is almost double the previous capacity that existed in town.
The Town of Inuvik chipped in $2.3 million in funding for the centre, which allowed construction to start.
"The Children's First Centre is about Inuvik's future," said Mayor Floyd Roland. "Council both past and present saw that this facility would help build a stronger community, and give our kids a leg-up at the beginning of their education careers."
The GNWT also contributed $1.1 million in funding to the project.
"Supporting the healthy development of children in the Northwest Territories is one of our primary mandates," Lafferty said. "Projects like the Children's First Centre bring us closer to our goals to serve the needs of our children for a healthy and sustainable future."
Gillis and Clarkson said there is still approximately $900,000 to $1 million to raise in order to finish the centre. Landscaping and outdoor playgrounds are among the top items needing to be finished.
The community raised more than $1.7 million in donations and in-kind contributions.
Northwind Industries provided more than $300,000 in materials and labour, one of the largest local donors.
The centre is currently employing 17 permanent, full-time staff. The number is expected to increase to 25 in the future.
Executive director Patricia Davison called the first three weeks of operation "difficult" as processes and problems were ironed out. However, she praised her staff for their dedication and ability to adapt through the centre's growing pains.
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