The City of Fernie will back a proposal from Wild Wapiti Playschool to devote a section of courthouse grounds as an outdoor play space.
The plan is still in its early phases, with the exact details to be fleshed out between Wild Wapiti Playschool and the City.
Previously, the Playschool operated mostly in the Fernie Family Garden, next to its location in the Fernie Family Centre.
The Wild Wapiti Playschool proposed using city-owned property as a short-term solution to a pressing issue the organization is facing.
“This lot is going up for sale. The Catholic Parish has decided the three lots, including the Fernie Family Garden, will go up for sale, and we need to vacate pretty much immediately. As soon as the ‘for sale’ signs go up, everything needs to go out, and we can no longer use the space,” said Board Member Marcelle Poulain.
“This loss of outdoor space threatens a core part of our curriculum. Our classrooms and educators take advantage of getting into the community and using all of the amazing spaces, but having that fenced safe space where kids can really be free to explore and play has been so valuable and vital.”
Board Chair Allie Ferguson said the Fernie Courthouse offers a nearby greenspace that could easily have a portion devoted to a child’s play area, at least in the short term.
“Staff have been bringing the children there on occasion because it’s so close and accessible. One great thing about it is that it has a lot of shade, which has been a challenge in our current play space,” said Ferguson.
“We would have to cross the street, but it’s fairly quiet, so I think that’s manageable. It’s a publicly owned, underutilized area that is already partially fenced. By asking permission to use that space, we already have the equipment, which is able to move.”
Currently, the plan is to fence off a small area that will be maintained by the Wild Wapiti Playschool but will remain accessible to the public outside of program hours.
Wild Wapiti is a non-profit child care organization, with $10-a-day spaces for eight toddlers and infants and 20 three to five-year-old children.
‘We’ve been operational for two years and we have worked really hard to address the critical child care shortage,” said Ferguson.
“Our focus is on creating affordable child care, and June was our first month as a $10-a-day centre, which we’re really excited about.”
Mayor Nic Milligan said Fernie City Council would throw its support behind the plan, with more details to come.
“When I’m in City Hall and I have the windows open, I can sometimes hear children playing. It’s just delightful, so this is an incredibly good use of public space,” said Milligan.
“In recent years, we’ve found ourselves in circumstances where short-term fixes become entrenched in the community’s mind, and that is very difficult to change. I think a very clear outline of what we’re agreeing to would be vital. We’re all supportive, and when the time comes, we would like to have an agreed plan to move forward.”
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