Métis Nation child-care centre in Saskatoon nears completion

Mick Favel brings you this week’s edition of Indigenous Circle.

Métis Nation–Saskatchewan says it is nearing completion of a new child-care centre in Saskatoon aimed at expanding access to care while strengthening connections to Métis culture.

The centre is intended to be more than a place for children to spend the day, with an emphasis on cultural learning.

Andrea Fiss, Métis Nation–Saskatchewan director of education, said the facility will help support families while they work, attend school or manage daily activities.

“Being able to do things that they need to do and not have to worry about their children being in not only a safe space, but a culturally affirming space and focusing on that Métis culture,” Fiss said.

The 90-space centre, located on Saskatoon’s Kensington Boulevard, was designed by local firm aodbt architecture + interior design.

“It’s just a beautiful building. It’s based on an old kind of trapper’s cabin design, so you’ll see that incorporated into the architecture,” Fiss said.

She said the project has been three years in the making and is now approaching completion.

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Glen McCallum, Métis Nation–Saskatchewan president, said securing funding and resources has been a challenge.

“It’s been a struggle to be able to connect with the right government, to be able to get the right funding,” McCallum said. “To be able to have the right resources, to have the right staff and to be able to build, so that’s what we’ve been doing silently.”

Fiss said the centre will help address a shortage of child-care spaces, but demand remains high.

“We could probably build three, four or five 90-space child-care centres and there would still be a need,” she said.

That demand is already evident, with families asking when they can register.

“We have people reaching out saying, ‘When you’re opening, can we get on the waitlist,’” Fiss said. “We’re still working through that timeline a little bit, still a little bit of construction, but we’re going to open up a waitlist very soon.”

The centre is expected to open in late spring.

A similar child-care centre is also under construction in Prince Albert, with another planned for Regina.