A new daycare is being built in Coquitlam’s growing City Centre neighbourhood.
Willowbrae Academy, a chain that started in Nova Scotia, is constructing a facility for children ages 10 months to five years old in the space formerly used by Jysk in Sunwood Square.
The centre, which is currently accepting registration, is due to open this fall at 3025 Lougheed Hwy.
A request for comment was not immediately returned by the company; however, on its website, it states that Coquitlam will be the academy’s 10th location in B.C.
It also has sites in Vancouver, New Westminster, Langley, Surrey, Richmond, North Vancouver, Victoria and Langford. And it has franchises in Nova Scotia, Ontario and Alberta.
Some of the features of the academies include biometric finger access control, onsite kitchens and chefs, separate rest rooms for infants, outdoor playgrounds and Liveview cameras.
The Coquitlam daycare will be open Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
According to the city’s Child Care Partnership Strategy, a framework endorsed by council in 2021, Coquitlam aims to increase accessibility, improve affordability, focus on quality and build partnerships to create more daycare spots.
The city plans to add about 2,000 new licensed group childcare spaces over the next decade.
According to the latest census, there were more than 18,900 children ages 0 to 12 living in Coquitlam in 2021.
