Morris mayor, Scott Crick, is providing a few updates on the new daycare facility planned for the community.
In February, it was announced that the town was included in Phase 2 of the expanded federal/provincial ready-to-move daycare project initiative, providing a modular facility with an additional 106 childcare spaces for the community.
"That is the singular largest facility being awarded to any community in Manitoba," said Crick. "So, that's really a feather in our cap for the board who has worked very hard in supporting the existing one and says very positive things about the growth of our community."
Crick added, the price of the new daycare is becoming clearer.
"I think in the past we've probably bandied about a number like, this is a one-million-dollar building. The CAO (Chief Administrative Officer) of the town, Brigitte Doerksen, has been selected to sit on the committee to choose the successful vendor who will be building these facilities for our community and others that were awarded, and a million (dollars) looks like a very low estimate. This building that will be given to us by the Province will be in excess of two million dollars in value."
Overall, Crick says this project will provide multi-generational support for affordable childcare in the community, which he feels is essential to providing the workers needed locally and keeping them.
Meantime, the Mayor is offering some reassurances regarding the location of the new daycare facility.
Under the deal, the provincial and federal governments will cover the cost of the building while local partners offer up a minimum of two acres of serviced land with 15 years of free rent and support services. Council selected a spot near the community's sporting fields at the south end of town.
"I don't think anybody thought it was the ideal site," explained Crick. "But the challenge was, with the limited response time, it is really the only appropriate site that we had to be able to locate a facility like this in the community. I've seen the initial drawings of what the plan will be. There was some concern expressed over the soccer pitch. It's just going to be reconfigured to the south end of the land where it is. There's going to be a very nice walking trail put in to provide a bit of distance between the facility and the houses backing on to the park. I know we're doing everything we can to minimize the disruption and not lose the facilities that I know people genuinely enjoy in our community."
-With files from Chris Sumner