Saint John, N.B. looking for ways to open childcare spaces to ‘hundreds’ – New Brunswick | 24CA News

The City of Saint John is about to search for methods to sort out an ongoing daycare scarcity within the metropolis.

Presented at Saint John Common Council, Coun. Barry Ogden and Joanna Killen are hoping to seek out methods the town can work with builders and different metropolis stakeholders to seek out methods to open new areas within the metropolis.

Councillors consider it is going to assist increase immigration to the town by having areas for households to position their youngsters.

In an interview with Global News on Monday, Killen mentioned she’s been listening to from daycare operators within the metropolis, and he or she mentioned the checklist is believed to be “hundreds.”

“If we want our city to grow, we need to give that to as many people as possible.”

“As the pandemic has proven, people have had babies, and people are starting to get back in the workforce; things have changed, so we have to make sure there’s enough spots for everyone there.”

Killen believes that the town doesn’t have an sufficient variety of childcare areas to accommodate the rising inhabitants. She said throughout Tuesday’s Common Council Meeting that discovering initiatives and applications might entice residents to open extra areas within the Port City.

“Maybe someone wants to expand their daycare and they didn’t realize the market is like this,” mentioned Ogden.

“We do have a lot of old buildings, old churches, old schools that are possibilities. People can even expand their daycare.”

He famous that availing different properties owned by the province might open that door to new improvement. He’s hoping the town can use a few of it’s vacant or soon-to-be vacant buildings for potential daycare places.

The transfer by council got here on the heels of an emotional public listening to two weeks prior that noticed a number of residents come to council making an attempt to approve a daycare being rezoned from a constructing that was up for improvement.

Ogden instructed Global News that this is part of residents bringing the necessity ahead, and the town is “jumping on it.”

The handed movement will go to the expansion committee, which is able to report again to the council at a later date.

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