$45,000 feasibility study for possible city hall daycare approved by Port Moody council

With daycare spaces needed in Port Moody, the city will study whether city hall could be a suitable location for a new facility.

Council gave the greenlight for a nearly $45,000 feasibility study on Jan. 21, sending the item to a future finance committee to find a funding source.

Mayor Meghan Lahti planted the idea of a childcare facility at city hall in May 2023, introducing a motion for a new facility for municipal employees, and potentially the public.

“We have an established need for daycare sites within the city and within the Tri-Cities,” Lahti said at the time. “I want to find out exactly what could be accommodated, what the size of a daycare could be created.”

Parents have reported spaces are hard to come by or may be unaffordable, while childcare providers have reported difficulty finding appropriate sites and recruiting and retaining qualified staff.

There were 5,540 children (0-12 years) living in Port Moody, according to the 2021 census, 14.2 percent of which are living in low-income families 

Yet, only 20.9 childcare spaces per 100 children were available, with that ratio dropping to 14.6 for infants and toddlers, and 13.5 for children of school age, according to Lahti’s motion.

The Social Planning and Research Council of B.C. has advised the city it needs to build approximately 1,074 new licensed spaces over the next decade.

While the project proposal acknowledges childcare is typically under provincial jurisdiction, it states local government can play a significant role.

As part of the study, a hired architect is set to examine the city hall site for space needs, regulatory requirements, and financial considerations. The study will also weigh whether modular buildings are suitable, and other site configurations and limitations in the civil complex.

A small survey of city staff members was conducted in late 2023 to gauge demand; out of 38 respondents, 29 said they were “very interested” in an onsite childcare facility.  

Grant funding from senior levels of government will be reviewed as part of the study.

Several councillors commented that the feasibility study’s cost seemed high, but staff disagreed.

City Manager Anna Mathewson said the city hall complex is quite limited in space, and an architect is needed to properly evaluate site configurations, transportation and archeological requirements.

“When that’s all packaged together, there’s quite a number of tasks that are involved,” Mathewson said. “These would be a very standard type of cost.”