Elk Valley Childcare Society

Elk Valley Childcare Society Founded with the goal of building a childcare centre in the Fernie, our mission has grown

At EVCS, we believe that childcare is more than just a facility, it's a community-wide effort to support the well-being of children in every part of their lives.

🚧The digger is digging!A dream years in the making is finally becoming reality.We are thrilled to share some exciting ne...
05/20/2026

🚧The digger is digging!
A dream years in the making is finally becoming reality.

We are thrilled to share some exciting news with our community: the digger has finally started digging on the Elk Valley Childcare Centre site!

After years of planning, advocacy, partnerships, and unwavering community support, seeing equipment on site and work underway is a truly emotional milestone.

This project represents so much more than a building.

It represents:
✨ More childcare spaces for local families
✨ Greater access to quality early learning in our community
✨ Support for working parents
✨ A stronger future for children in the Elk Valley
✨ A community coming together to create meaningful change

When complete, the new childcare centre will provide 98 childcare spaces for local families, helping address one of the most pressing needs in our region.

This milestone would not be possible without the incredible collaboration, persistence, and support of our partners, supporters, and community members who believed in this vision from the very beginning. Elk Valley Family Society Columbia Basin Trust of fernie Valley Resources Housing. And a big thanks to North Mountain Construction, who will be working on this project every week for a while!

🍽️ Introducing “Family Moments at the Table” in Fernie!At the Elk Valley Childcare Society, we believe childcare goes fa...
04/17/2026

🍽️ Introducing “Family Moments at the Table” in Fernie!

At the Elk Valley Childcare Society, we believe childcare goes far beyond the walls of a centre.
It’s about supporting children and families—everywhere life happens… including around the dinner table 💛

That’s why we’ve partnered with some amazing local restaurants to bring a simple but meaningful initiative into our community:
👉 Family Moments at the Table

These table cards offer playful, age-appropriate ideas to spark connection, conversation, and joy while eating out. Because those small moments—talking, laughing, being together—are what help children feel safe, heard, and connected.

You can now find them at:
🍴 The Fernie Pub
🍴 Bridge
🍴 Sushi Wood
🍴 Loaf
🍴 Brick House
🍴 Boston Pizza
🍴 Nothers

Next time you’re out, take a moment to try one 💬

Because building a strong community starts with strong relationships—and those can grow anywhere.

🍽️ Are you a local restaurant?
We’d love to share this initiative with you! Reach out if you’d like copies for your tables.

✨ Stay tuned—more community-driven projects are coming soon!

What a special moment for our community today. đź’›After years of planning, collaboration, and perseverance, we finally cel...
03/12/2026

What a special moment for our community today. đź’›

After years of planning, collaboration, and perseverance, we finally celebrated the groundbreaking of this project!

I want to take a moment to thank the partners who helped bring this project to life.

Thank you to the City of Fernie, not only for their leadership and support throughout this project, but also for their generous contribution of the land that made this development possible. That commitment to families in our community helped transform this idea into a real project.

Thank you to the Elk Valley Family Society, whose contribution to this project will bring 27 affordable housing units above the childcare centre, some of which will be allocated for childcare staff members. Helping address another critical need in our community and creating a development that truly supports families.

And thank you to New Commons Development for helping guide the development process and bring this vision forward.

We are also deeply grateful to the funding partners who made this project possible, including the Ministry of Education and Child Care, BC Housing, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), Columbia Basin Trust, and Elk Valley Resources

Soon, this space will welcome 98 children and their families, helping support working parents and strengthening our community for years to come.

Today was an important milestone — and it’s only the beginning.

🎉 You’re invited! Come celebrate a big milestone for Fernie! 🎉Join us as we break ground on Fernie’s new Childcare & Aff...
03/09/2026

🎉 You’re invited! Come celebrate a big milestone for Fernie! 🎉

Join us as we break ground on Fernie’s new Childcare & Affordable Housing Project — a collaborative community initiative that will create much-needed childcare spaces and affordable homes for local families.

This project represents years of vision, partnership, and dedication from many people in our community. Come help us mark this exciting moment and celebrate what’s ahead for Fernie’s families and future generations.

✨ We would love to celebrate this milestone with you!

We look forward to seeing you there.

👀 Did you see it?!? The land is now fenced…and yes, that means construction has officially started on our new childcare...
02/27/2026

đź‘€ Did you see it?!?
The land is now fenced…

and yes, that means construction has officially started on our new childcare centre!

After three years of planning, dreaming, designing and waiting, this moment feels pretty surreal.
And honestly?

We couldn’t have asked for better timing.
This winter has been incredibly mild, not to say warm, which has turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Thanks to the weather, crews are able to get started earlier than expected.

Things are moving… for real this time

What you can expect to see in the next few weeks

If you drive by the site, you’ll likely notice:
đźšśCrews clearing the land
🚧Equipment moving in
🌿Site preparation and leveling
⛏️Getting ready to dig the foundation

Each step brings us closer to opening our doors and welcoming children and families into a space built just for them.

Thank you for believing in this project, cheering us on, and being part of this incredible community.

This centre has always been built by the community, for the community.

And now… it’s finally rising from the ground
With excitement,

The Elk Valley Childcare Society Team

The Elk Valley Childcare Society (EVCS) — the community-driven organization leading the development of the new childcare...
02/27/2026

The Elk Valley Childcare Society (EVCS) — the community-driven organization leading the development of the new childcare centre in Fernie — is expanding its mission.

We believe childcare goes beyond a facility; it's a community-wide effort to support the well-being of children in every part of their lives.

We’re working to improve the well-being of all children across the Kootenays, and we’re inviting new society members to join us in this work.

As a member of EVCS, you can participate in and contribute to new committees focused on meaningful, lasting change for children, including:

-Parks, Playgrounds & Urban Child-Friendly Spaces
-Children’s Festival & Community Events
-Childcare Equity & Collaboration
… with more coming soon.

We are looking for committed and passionate individuals who want to help shape a more child-friendly, connected Kootenay region (starting with Fernie).

Want to become an EVCS member and join a committee?
Fill out this quick form today!

(CLOSED ) https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSduRbFnMJUN5P3vfhMye0ciAJySEZgeef0dOUTQrtV9g4C98g/viewform?usp=header

🌭Community BBQ 🍔Curious about the new Child Care & Housing Project in Fernie?Join us for a Community BBQ hosted by the E...
02/27/2026

🌭Community BBQ 🍔
Curious about the new Child Care & Housing Project in Fernie?
Join us for a Community BBQ hosted by the Elk Valley Family Society, proud partner in making this exciting project a reality!
📆Date: Thursday, July 18
🕔Time: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
đź“ŤLocation: 692 3rd Avenue

Come enjoy:
🔥A delicious outdoor BBQ
🤝Great company & conversation
🏡Information about the upcoming child care and housing development

Bring your questions, your appetite, and your neighbours — we can’t wait to connect with you!

đź“Ł Everyone is welcome!

A Sneak Peek Inside: What Our Childcare Center Could Look Like!While construction is beginning, we’re also planning what...
02/27/2026

A Sneak Peek Inside: What Our Childcare Center Could Look Like!

While construction is beginning, we’re also planning what the inside will look like. Here’s a look at some of the warm, inviting, and engaging spaces we hope to create for your children.
Of course, the final design will depend on our funding. But one thing’s for sure—we’re working hard to create a warm, welcoming, and fun space for your children!

What do you think?

Project UpdateLet's first rip the band-aid off quickly... the facility is now expected to open near the end of 2025. Ouc...
02/27/2026

Project Update

Let's first rip the band-aid off quickly... the facility is now expected to open near the end of 2025. Ouch! This was quite a shock for us too. Unfortunately, as the operators, there isn't much in our power to make things go faster. We are waiting patiently and hoping for this facility to be up and operational as soon as possible.

Now that this has been said, let's move on to the fun stuff.
The floor plans have been completed and the facility will be accommodating 98 children separated in two identical buildings (connected to each other). Here is how the groups will be divided:

50 spaces for 3 to 5yo - divided in two groups of 25
48 spaces for 10months to 3yo - divided in four groups of 12
Breaking ground should be happening in the fall of this year and the buildings will be laid out as follows (see image)
Longer delays mean more time to train as an ECE!

Would you like to join our team? Did you know that your ECE certificate can be fully refunded by the government of BC? Thats right! Now that the opening of the childcare has been delayed, you have enough time to get trained as an ECE and join our team. The College of the rockies offers an online ECE certification. Visit the College of the Rockies website to register for the Fall semester of 2026. You will graduate in the Fall of 2027 just in time for the childcare opening!

A big project for long-term benefits

When the childcare project was announced by the City of Fernie, everyone was very enthusiastic and optimistic. We were told by the manufacturer that this would be a very quick build, but unfortunately, they were mistaken. We were excited to relieve some of the current pressure on the childcare system quickly, but our focus now has shifted to the long-term benefits of this project.

We appreciate your patience and looking forward to opening our doors!

Who are we ?The arising of this project started with a mother’s need, a grandmother’s knowledge, and both mother’s and d...
02/27/2026

Who are we ?
The arising of this project started with a mother’s need, a grandmother’s knowledge, and both mother’s and daughter’s determination to bring a dream project to real-life success.
By creating the Elk Valley Childcare Society, Léonie and Josée’s greatest motivation was to bring to Fernie an inclusive Childcare center where “little Archie and 99 friends” could enjoy an environment where kids can bring their abilities to grow and shine all over their community for years to come!
LĂ©onie is a former childcare educator and graduate in Business Management and Marketing. When her firstborn child Archie came into the world, she quickly realized she would have to put her experience to use and start a childcare center. Passionate about education, she took the difficult decision to leave her position as co-owner of a Parent Coaching Institut so she could give her son Archie and her soon to be born baby #2 a loving and caring childcare center!

Josée has been working in the childcare industry since the day her first daughter was born and she couldn't find a good facility to care for her child. She then opened the doors of her house and looked after her friend's children for the first year. Throughout the years, her childcare and her family grew bigger and bigger. When Leonie, the 4th child was born she had already expanded her childcare to accommodate 30 children and 5 employees. 35 years later Josée has opened 6 childcare centers and is currently overseeing the operations of 2 childcare centers with 200 children and 40 employees.

We are extremely grateful for this opportunity and we are excited to start this great adventure with you all!

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Fernie, BC

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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