A provincial grant of more than $2,500 will enable the Dandelion Day Care Society to build a higher fence to keep bears at bay. The funds will be put towards a new fence. Currently, the infant playground fence is three-feet high. The new fence will be six-feet high, which will meet the day-care’s standards of having all of the perimeter fences of equal height. In addition to the provincial grant, the centre has also received a $35,000 grant from the Whistler-Blackcomb Foundation. Marian Hardy, the director of child care services for the Whistler Child-Care Centre, said the playground will undergo "big" renovations in the spring thanks to the Whistler-Blackcomb Foundation grant. "The project will include planting new trees and bushes and building new pathways," says Hardy. "We will be making the playgrounds easily accessible for all children, regardless of their physical ability." The Whistler-Blackcomb Foundation provides grants to registered, non-profit organizations throughout the Sea to Sky Corridor. Provincial funding for the fence improvements was provided by the Ministry for Children and Families through its child-care emergency repair, replacement and relocation grant program. The program offers financial assistance on short notice to make sure child-care centres remain safe and accessible, helping centres provide quality, affordable care that supports the needs of families and local communities. "It is important that child-care facilities are able to address the unique needs of their communities," said Lois Boone, minister of children and families. "I am pleased to be able to support the efforts of local child-care operators to offer safe, accessible care." Whistler’s Children’s Centre has been offering licensed care for seven years, but the Dandelion Day Care Society has been in operation since 1983. It offers a variety of programs, including group child care for 74 children, three months to five years old.
