Port Moody’s historic Ioco School to become new child care centre with 150 spaces

An old landmark of Port Moody’s history is about to take on a new life.

The former Ioco School, a century-old heritage building which has sat closed since 2005, will soon be transformed into a child care centre offering 150 licensed spaces for local families.

“Long ago, children in Port Moody used this site for learning and now children will use this site again, this time for child care,” said Rick Glumac, MLA for Port Moody-Burquitlam. “By working with the Coquitlam School District and federal partners, we’re creating child care spaces close to home for families to access in a seamless way.”

The B.C. government announced the project on Sept. 19, committing $13.9 million through the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund, a program jointly supported by provincial investments and federal contributions under the Canada-British Columbia Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.

Ottawa and Victoria recently extended that agreement through to 2031, ensuring long-term support for early learning initiatives.

The new centre will provide 36 infant and toddler spaces, 66 spots for preschool-aged children, and 48 spaces for school-age care. Once the facility opens, families will be eligible for affordability programs that can reduce fees by as much as $900 per child per month, according to the province.

The Ioco School building itself, a 12,000-square-foot wood-frame structure built in 1921 has long been recognized as a heritage site. The school originally served a company town built by the Imperial Oil Company around its refinery, and was designed by architect Henry Whittaker, who served as the chief architect for the province’s public works department for over 30 years.

Any renovations required to meet modern safety and accessibility standards will have to follow the city’s heritage guidelines. 

Though closed for almost two decades, the Coquitlam School District said it has been maintained in anticipation of future use.

While the school district owns the building and property, it does not run child care programs directly and plans to lease the renovated site to a local operator. The district held a public information session in 2023 to gauge community interest, signalling that plans for the school’s future were already under discussion before this funding announcement.

For provincial officials, the conversion of the Ioco School represents both a symbolic and practical milestone.

“By working together with School District No. 43 and our federal partners, we are creating more child care spaces in Port Moody that meet the needs of families,” stated Education and Child Care Minister Lisa Beare. 

“These new spaces, located on a former school site, will give parents more flexibility to pursue personal goals while knowing their children learn and play in safe environments.”

Anna Gainey, Canada’s secretary of state for children and youth, called the investment good for families, good for children, and good for Port Moody as a whole.

“When children have the best start in life, families thrive and all Canadians benefit,” she said.

Locally, the project has been welcomed as a creative solution to an urgent need. Coquitlam school board chair Michael Thomas said early learning opportunities help children build confidence, develop routines, and ease the transition into kindergarten.

“We’re grateful for the continued partnership in creating welcoming, inclusive spaces where children can learn, grow and feel a strong sense of belonging,” he said. 

Rohini Arora, parliamentary secretary for child care, said the initiative reflects the kind of collaboration and adaptive reuse of public spaces needed to deliver much needed child care spaces across the province.

The province touts that its ChildCareBC’s space-creation programs have resulted in more than 41,500 new licensed child care spaces in the province, of which 26,200 are now open.

No firm opening date or construction have yet been released.