Greetings!

We are excited to introduce a new, community led initiative, designed to meet a critical local need, the Whiteshell Daycare Cooperative. 

This nonprofit cooperative childcare centre is being developed and guided by a dedicated volunteer board of directors; 

Ryan Gemmel - Chair

Marg Imrie - Vice Chair

Mark Wiebe - Treasurer

Deborah Kuhl-Magnusson - Secretary 

Barb Hamilton - Director

The Board is committed to creating accessible high-quality early learning opportunities for families in our area. It is our hope to place an emphasis on an outdoor play learning approach.

The daycare will initially be located at West Hawk United Church, a space we hope to bring to life with the help of in-kind renovation support from the community and fundraising. This project has already benefited from strong collaboration with partners, including the Whiteshell Chamber of Commerce, Frontier School Division, NOFI (Nikanihk Ochi Foundation Inc), Manitoba Parks Branch, West Hawk United Church, Cooperatives First and the Government of Manitoba department for Early Learning & Childhood Education. 

Once established, the Whiteshell Daycare Cooperative will be a licensed government subsidized childcare centre offering affordable $10 a day care. The facility will provide 16 spaces for children ages 2 to 6, helping address the growing demand for reliable childcare options in our area. We anticipate opening pre-registration in the coming weeks.

As we continue building toward opening, one of our most urgent priorities is staffing. We are actively seeking a qualified Director ECE3, as well as additional team members, including an ECE 2 educator and a CCA (childcare assistant). These are meaningful, well compensated positions that will play a key role in shaping and supporting a nurturing environment for local children. There is an abundance of support and training opportunities available through the Manitoba government and our board is happy to facilitate access to these programs. 

Fundraising efforts will begin this summer and thanks to our partnership with Frontier School Division and NOFI (Nikanihk Ochi Foundation Inc),  tax receipts are available for donations. Community support whether through donations, skills, or time will be essential in helping us bring this vision to life. We have a fundraiser trivia night planned for August 8th at the Whiteshell CC and tickets will soon be available through our website. We are also working on an online 50/50 so stay tuned!

We have also developed a website and have expanded our presence on social media to keep the community informed and engaged as the project progresses. Please follow us on Instagram and Facebook @whiteshelldaycarecoop

This initiative represents an important step forward for our community, but there is still much to be done with continued support. We are confident that the Whiteshell Daycare Cooperative will become a vital resource for local families.

Should you have any questions or would like more information, please   email us at whiteshelldaycarecoop@gmail.com

Thanks for reading and please feel free to share this widely.

Sincerely,

The Whiteshell Daycare Co-Op Board of Directors

Join us for a fun night of team trivia and socializing in support of the Whiteshell Daycare Co-Op.

More info and tickets at the link below:

https://my.cheddarup.com/c/daycarefundraiser/items

Thanks to everyone who filled out our most recent survey, the survey intake is now closed.