Mahmowenchike Family Development Centre

09/29/2026

Tomorrow, September 30th, is Orange Shirt Day or the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation.

Orange Shirt Day is an annual commemorative day observed on September 30th each year in Canada to honour residential school survivors, their families, and the children who never got to return home. For those who may not be aware of Canada's history in this way, the Indian Residential School system operated across Canada for well over 100 years, with the last schools closing in the 1990s. They were created by Canada's government to separate Indigenous children from their families & communities, and to systematically strip their traditions, cultural practices, and languages from them. More than 150,000 First Nations, Inuit, and Metis children from across the country were forced to attend residential schools, which were often located far from their homes, and so so many never made it home.

If you have orange shirts, we welcome you to join in! 🧡

09/04/2026

Mahmowenchike will be CLOSED on Monday, September 7th for the Labour Day statutory holiday!

We hope you have a safe & happy long weekend!

See you on Tuesday 🌻🍁

09/02/2026

09/02/2026

Thursday, September 3rd is the first day of school which means it’s our first day back too!

We have one more day of getting everything ready and then…

🧡 Our before and after school programs will be starting up again at all 3 sites - if your child was enrolled at the end of last school year, they can return to their existing space. If you’re not sure if your child is enrolled, please reach out to us

🧡 Our full day infant, toddler and preschool programs at St. Vincent & St. Ann will also be resuming on Thursday and we will be ready to welcome everyone into a new school year!

We can’t wait to see you 🎉

08/31/2026

Our Summer Fun Day was a rousing success! We are thankful that the rain stopped at just the right moment and held off the whole afternoon! 🌼

We are so immensely grateful for our amazing staff & volunteer squad - days like today would not be possible without each and every one of their hands! A special thank you to Kate, our very own Lead Supervisor, for coordinating the vast majority of this event - they are truly the heart & soul of this event each year ❤️

A huge chi-miigwech to the Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board and specifically St. Vincent School for graciously allowing us to host this event at the school! Chi-miigwech to Science North for the cool presentation, Ziibiis Kwe for sharing some teachings with us, and our very own Amanda Doig for story time in the gazebo!

And thank YOU for coming out and celebrating our (belated) birthday in style 🥳 We are forever grateful for our Mahmowenchike community!

08/31/2026

It might be a little wet out, but we are still a go! 🎉

Hello Mahmowenchike families!

This is a reminder of our upcoming summer closure. The last day of summer programming is Wednesday, August 26th, 2026 and we are then closed starting Thursday, August 27th until Wednesday, September 2nd, 2026.

We will reopen on Thursday, September 3rd, 2026 (including before & after school programs)!

This time is necessary for our staff to complete mandatory training, engage in professional learning, host our Summer Fun Day on August 31st, and prepare for September programming.

While we understand that a closure is always a challenge for families, we greatly appreciate your understanding while we work to improve and grow so we can offer the high-quality child care and early education that we are known for. 🧡

We also attached the poster for our Summer Fun Day on August 31st - please join us for an afternoon of fun!

08/24/2026

Hello Mahmowenchike families!

This is a reminder of our upcoming summer closure. The last day of summer programming is Wednesday, August 26th, 2026 and we are then closed starting Thursday, August 27th until Wednesday, September 2nd, 2026.

We will reopen on Thursday, September 3rd, 2026 (including before & after school programs)!

This time is necessary for our staff to complete mandatory training, engage in professional learning, host our Summer Fun Day on August 31st, and prepare for September programming.

While we understand that a closure is always a challenge for families, we greatly appreciate your understanding while we work to improve and grow so we can offer the high-quality child care and early education that we are known for. 🧡

We also attached the poster for our Summer Fun Day on August 31st - please join us for an afternoon of fun!

08/10/2026

🌿 We’re Looking for New Board Members! 🌿

Mahmowenchike Family Development Centre is looking for caring, community-minded people to join our Board of Directors!
Our volunteer Board helps guide our Centre and support the programs that make a difference for our children and families.

💚 Time Commitment: about 2-3 hours a month (September to June)
💚 Who we're looking for: people with experience in finance, HR, law, early childhood education, or those connected to the local Indigenous community and with other diverse backgrounds

Interested or have questions? Tap the Send Email button at the top of the page or email us 🥰

06/26/2026

🎉 Happy Last Day of School!

A reminder for our school age families - summer care begins THURSDAY, JULY 2ND and there will be NO school age care on June 29th or 30th.

Infant, toddler, and preschool programs will operate as usual those days 🌟

We are also CLOSED for ALL programs on Wednesday, July 1st for the Canada Day statutory holiday!

Wishing all of our families a wonderful weekend & a wonderful start to summer! ☀️

06/11/2026

Attention St. Elizabeth crew!