Wild Wonders Childcare Center

🚧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 BC Housing Columbia Basin Trust City of Fernie Elk Valley Resources . 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 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!

🍽️ 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. 💛

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.

Big thanks to Vince Mo Media for the photos!

🎉 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 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:

🚜 Crews 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 is Growing — and We’re Inviting New Members! 🌲

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! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSduRbFnMJUN5P3vfhMye0ciAJySEZgeef0dOUTQrtV9g4C98g/viewform?usp=header💛

NEXT WEDNESDAY!

🌸 FREE Parenting Conference in Fernie 🌸

Parenting isn’t about being perfect, it’s about finding ways to make family life smoother, lighter, and more joyful. 💛

✨ Tired of power struggles?
✨ Wondering why the same battles keep coming back?
✨ Ready for tools that actually work in real life?

This free conference is all about understanding what’s really happening beneath the surface with our kids and how small shifts can make a big difference in daily life.

Expect practical strategies, real stories (the kind you’ll nod along to), and a response to all of your "yest but..."

📅 Date: Wednesday, September 24th
🕗 Time: 8:00 – 9:30 PM
📍 Location: Park Place Lodge, Fernie
💵 Cost: FREE

👉 Register here or scann the QR code: https://www.cognitoforms.com/WildWondersChildcareCenter/GuidingAndNurturingParenting

Let’s rewrite the parenting script, together. 🌟

🌿 FREE Parenting Conference – Fernie 🌿

Parenting can be WILD! And EVERY family has its own challenges. But why struggle in silence? 💛

✨ Will parenting ever be perfect? Nope.
✨ Can it feel calmer, lighter, and more connected? Absolutely!

This free conference is your chance to gain insight into why things can get messy with our kids and how to bring more peace and ease into everyday family life.

Join us for an evening of practical strategies, relatable stories, and a supportive space to learn alongside other parents in our community.

📅 Date: Wednesday, September 24
🕗 Time: 8:00 – 9:30 PM (you’ll be home in bed by 10, promise!)
📍 Location: Park Place Lodge, Fernie
💵 Cost: FREE

👉 Register here: https://www.cognitoforms.com/WildWondersChildcareCenter/GuidingAndNurturingParenting

Let’s make parenting a little easier—together. 💫

✨Back by popular demand! (and for the last time) ✨

Parenting can be WILD! Coffee helps. This conference will definitely help more. ☕

Feeling overwhelmed?
Tired of repeating, yelling and arguing for your kids to listen?
Are you doubting yourself when parenting or feeling guilty when you go to bed?
Or do you simply wish to feel confident that your approach is good for your kiddos?

Join me for a FREE parenting conference in FERNIE!

EVENT DETAILS
📆Date: Wednesday, September 24
⏰Time: 8PM - 9:30PM
📍Location: Park Place Lodge, Fernie

No "magic" tricks, no reward charts, no time-out chair, no fake choices.

Just real strategies that work for YOU and your child.

Register here or scan the QR Code:
https://www.cognitoforms.com/WildWondersChildcareCenter/GuidingAndNurturingParenting

What You’ll Learn:
✅ Align Your Parenting with Your Core Values – Find a style that truly resonates with you.
✅ Decode Challenging Behaviors – Understand why they happen and how to respond effectively.
✅ Transform Your Relationship Through Active Listening – Build deeper trust and connection.
✅ Boundaries That Work – The real difference between consequences and punishment.
✅ When We Mess Up… Make It Right – Harness the power of repair to strengthen your bond.

Register here or scan the QR Code:
https://www.cognitoforms.com/WildWondersChildcareCenter/GuidingAndNurturingParenting

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