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INUVIK
The multimillion-dollar Children's First Centre has pushed back its opening for a week due to construction delays.

The opening of the new Children's First Centre has been pushed back a week until Aug. 19. Some of the staff and board members stand on the balcony at the centre including, from left to right, Sharon Awichenn, Anthony Ankama, Sandra Gordon, Sue Kovac, executive director Patricia Davison, Ariel McDonald, board member Fraser Pearce and Lydia O`Connor. - Shawn Giilck/NNSL photo

The centre will now open Aug. 19 rather than its anticipated date of Aug. 12.

Most of the delays are due to weather, said Fraser Pearce, board member of the Children First Society. "Construction of Inuvik’s Children’s First Centre is complete," Pearce said. "Contractor Cofly Construction completed final inspections with the architect, Kobayashi + Zedda Ltd., this week and handed over the building to the Children First Society today (Aug. 8)."

"We are so pleased with the work that Irvine and his crew from Cofly have done," said Children First Society chairperson Melinda Gillis. "From the beginning of this project to its completion, they have been true professionals and have helped ensure Inuvik is getting the best possible childcare centre for the best possible price."

Although the construction contract for the building is now complete, the society still has work to do to get the building open for programs.

Children First Society executive director Patricia Davison said "over the last two months, as building construction has neared completion, the Children First Society has had a crew of landscape labourers on site prepping the grounds and access points to the facility."

The landscaping and access ramps were not part of the Cofly contract and are the society’s responsibility to install.

"Unfortunately," Davison added, "the wet July we experienced really hampered our efforts to get the exterior of the building ready for our original opening day of Aug. 12."

The society thought it could make up for the lost time with the weather improving in August, but realized last week that wasn't going to happen.

Davison said the one-week delay will give the society staff a chance to finish the access ramps and other landscaping work by the time the centre opens, as well as some interior work.

Pierce said all of the centre's clients were notified of the decision and the society was making alternate arrangement for child care for the week. Registration fees will be pro-rated to reflect the change. The decision to delay the opening doesn't have much of an impact financially on the centre, said Pearce.

"It will not cost us anything significant as without programs running we are at minimal staff, so any loss of revenue is made up by a decrease in expenses (especially payroll)," he said.

"We really hoped that we would meet our opening date of Aug.12," said Gillis. "In the end, the weather – along with a number of other small things – didn't cooperate, so we were left with little choice. "We know that by delaying for just this week, we will be able to provide a much better childcare environment for our kids when they do start the program."

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