The day everybody worked so hard for has arrived, and the new Kiddie Sunshine Centre is finally ready.
Board members, financial contributors, and members of Altona council arrived for a special tour of the new facility last week, which boasts large offices and board room, a staff/parent meeting room, and spacious, well-lit rooms for infants, preschoolers, and before and after school children.
“This is amazing. We’re finally getting close to the end,” said board chair Laura Wiebe, pointing out a few small details on the playground that still need some finishing touches.
The new 10,000 sq. foot facility welcomed children this week, filling 79 spaces on Tuesday out of the total of 118. Two of the rooms will remain empty with a gradual opening, as more staff is added. So far 14 additional staff have been hired, with a total of 31 for both locations.
Staff and parent volunteers have helped put together some of the playground equipment over the summer.
The rooms are decked out with every child’s delight, with big windows that bring in lots of sunshine, bins of toys, shelves packed with books, little tables and chairs, just their size. Even the bathroom stalls are preschool size.
Vice-chair Nicole Friesen says they were very mindful about finishing colours.
“We wanted timeless, classic, neutral tones, bringing in some of the natural elements around us, such as the Nature Park. Each of our rooms are named after Manitoba tree species such as Elm, Maple, Willow and Oak that tie in with the nature theme.”
Maybe the little ones don’t care, but Wiebe, Friesen, and director Patty Klassen couldn’t be more thrilled about the ample storage space in each room and down the corridor.
“There’s lots of space now for boots and jackets and extra storage for books and toys,” says Wiebe. “No space is wasted.”
The new cribs in the three infant rooms are ready to receive the 60 little ones for their afternoon naps. And safety features, such as guards in the doorways protect little fingers from getting pinched.
The four pre-school rooms are ready for snacks, finger painting, block building, and lots of fun and laughter.
Staff are currently in the process of building more shelving and supplies from their Centre Ave. location for the children from the Rhineland Child Care Centre in the Border Land School Division building next door.
“We’re excited to welcome all the little ones and their parents to this new facility. We’re grateful for everyone who contributed to this big, beautiful project,” Klassen says.”Thank you to all our contributors and investors. All the stakeholders and partners. And the community for all their contributions and support along the way.”
Photos by Lori Penner/Voice
