The long-awaited expansion to Pemberton’s daycare is now targeting a fall 2025 opening—so long as qualified early childhood educators and sufficient housing for new hires can be secured.
The $3.5-million expansion was completed earlier this year but remains shuttered, despite there being 295 children on the Pemberton Child Care Society’s (PCCS) waitlist.
“Regarding the long-anticipated centre expansion, we share the community’s concern with the delays,” said the PCCS board of directors in a July 28 statement. “[We recognize] the significant challenges and frustrations families face when trying to access affordable, high-quality early childcare.”
Rocky road to childcare
The new facility has encountered a series of setbacks during its six-year development.
In 2019, the Village of Pemberton (VOP) listed daycare expansion as a strategic priority after a report found there were only 12.5 licensed spaces for every 100 kids in Pemberton.
In 2022, following unsuccessful applications in 2020 and 2021, the Village secured $2,771,000 for 50 childcare spaces through the ChildCare BC New Spaces Fund. Site work began later that year; however, after a funding shortfall emerged, the VOP had to apply for supplementary funding. A further $800,000 was awarded in early 2023.
The expansion’s construction required relocating the Nature Play Park and Playscape next to the Pemberton & District Community Centre, sparking concern over a reduction in green space in the village.
A week out from the original opening date of Sept. 3, 2024, the PCCS announced the timeline would be pushed back. The post confirmed the facility would only open once it received a license under the Community Care and Assisted Living Act and was safely operational.
The daycare received its Community Care and Assisted Living Act license on Jan. 2, for an initial capacity of 25 students, with an expansion to the full 50-student capacity once additional staff are secured.
On Feb. 25, the VOP and PCCS released a joint statement citing structural issues that further pushed back the daycare’s opening, including “the HVAC system, a roof leak and the need for future assessment of areas impacted by previous water exposure.”
A lack of housing options for qualified personnel and structural issues aren’t the only hurdles.
The VOP explained in a statement that, because the building is not physically connected to the existing daycare, the expansion is considered a separate facility under B.C.'s $10-a-day childcare program. That separation—of only two metres, according to the Village—triggers additional licensing and independent staffing requirements that have contributed to delays.
That decision not to join the buildings together was made to avoid disruption to the existing centre’s operations during construction.
Response from MLA
For MLA Jeremy Valeriote, the stalled opening highlights the link between housing and barriers to delivering essential services in rural communities.
“We share the frustration of the community about delays to the reopening of the facility,” Valeriote wrote to Pique. “We’ve long been aware that there is insufficient childcare capacity in the Sea to Sky corridor, with residents in Pemberton, Whistler and Squamish feeling increasingly despondent over waitlists.
“We asked the Ministry of Education and Childcare for an explanation about delays to the opening of Pemberton Children’s Centre almost two weeks ago, and they have not yet given us an answer.”
He added the additional licensing and staffing requirements incurred by the $10-a-day childcare policy were running counter to the objective of increasing access to the service.
“It is absurd that an existing $10-a-day childcare operator is required to submit a whole new application to the province because their new building is two metres away from the existing facility,” Valeriote said.
He pointed to a commitment by the B.C. government to “protect, purchase and build 30,000 units of non-market housing over the next four years” as part of the ruling NDP’s cooperation agreement with the Green Party. He also singled out the Harrow Road project by Sea to Sky Community Services, which will deliver 63 rental homes—most at affordable rates.
“While that’s still a year away from opening its doors, we will continue to support SSCS and other non-profit housing providers in the corridor, and advocate for more government support for these types of much-needed, non-market affordable housing solutions,” he wrote.
Next steps
With nearly 300 children on the waitlist, and some 61 per cent of families in the Sea to Sky requesting additional childcare options, according to a 2025 Sea to Sky Community Services (SSCS) study, the PCCS and VOP are recommending residents raise their concerns with higher levels of government, like MLA Valeriote.
“Community members with concerns are encouraged to share them with their local MLA and MP,” the Village said. PCCS echoed the call, urging advocacy “for increased investment in childcare infrastructure.”
The Village also clarified its role. While it helped secure grant funding and oversaw construction, the VOP’s involvement ended there.
“The Village is not involved in recruiting or accommodating staff for the childcare centre expansion and does not provide staffing or housing support for external organizations,” the Village stated in a written response. “However, the Village may support community initiatives through measures such as waiving development fees or expediting applications for affordable or dedicated rental housing.”
The VOP told Pique it has no plans to pursue further childcare infrastructure without a committed operating partner in place.
The PCCS board has asked those with constructive ideas or suggestions on how the Society could improve childcare access to reach out at [email protected].
“We understand how difficult and disheartening this situation can be for families,” the PCCS board wrote. “Rather than letting this challenge divide us, we hope to face it as a united community.”
