FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Prince George, BC - Council directed staff on April 24 to negotiate a 15-year lease agreement with the College Heights Community Association to operate a new Malaspina daycare under Kool Cats Kid Care. The development came after School District 57 declined to continue negotiations with the City the week before.
“We’ll be very happy to work with the College Heights Community Association to bring more much-needed childcare spaces to Prince George,” said Mayor Simon Yu. “The City and the Association have an excellent relationship cultivated over many years of successful partnerships. We’re glad they’ve stepped up to work with us to deliver these services to our residents.”
In December 2022, School District 57 was amenable to negotiations with the City to lease the newly-built childcare building at 8008 Malaspina Avenue. The City learned on April 20, 2023 from the school district that it had decided against pursuing the lease.
Staff and Council are taking immediate action to ensure the daycare opens as soon as possible to provide the essential service to the community.
The Malaspina daycare is one of three facilities funded by the BC New Spaces Creation Fund and the Union of BC Municipalities Childcare Space Creation Fund. Both sources provided nearly $12 million to the City of Prince George for use in developing a total of 228 new childcare spaces on three sites. The other two daycares are the YMCA Park House and Learning Centre on 6th Avenue and Tsulh’cho/Huckleberry Daycare on Dagg Road.
Once it opens, the Malaspina daycare will feature 83 spaces:
- 24 spaces for infants and toddlers.
- 25 spaces for children aged 30 months to school age.
- 24 spaces for school-aged children.
- 10 pre-school spaces (for 20 preschoolers attending on a part-time schedule).
Its operator, Kool Cats Kid Care, has experience providing childcare services for 35 years. It currently operates 45 school-age childcare spaces and 20 pre-school spaces that serve a total of 140 children on a part-time/after-school care basis and through multiple pre-school classes.
The City will provide further updates when available.
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Media contact
Mike Lee, senior communications advisor
City of Prince George
Mobile: 778-349-1386
Email: media@princegeorge.ca