A new building means a new start for the Kinistin Saulteaux Nation’s daycare and early childhood education programs.
The new facility saw a ribbon-cutting Dec. 21 and is slated to open for business Jan. 3.
“It brings pride and joy and recognition to our community to get such a great facility for our community and it just shows we’re moving forward our community, getting these new venues and replacing the old,” said Coun. Ivan Severight. “It’s a positive step forward for our community.”
Greg Scott, Kinistin’s chief, said the new facility will be safer and provide more space for the daycare, the North East Early Childhood Intervention Program and the Head Start program, a federal program which helps support children ages zero to six, as well as their parents.
“It’s just another thing we’ve brought to the community that I’m proud of,” he said. “It’s progress. Just where we were at compared to our old facility, it was long overdue.”
The facility that used to house the daycare and Head Start program was in a bad state.
“The building was actually starting to spring leaks,” said Coun. Kalvin Nippi. “There were a lot of upgrades needed and it was more or less like trying to sink money into a black hole.”
So around two years ago, the nation and its previous council began the process of applying for funding for a new building. Brenda Kaiswatum, who was a councillor, recalled showing officials around the old daycare.
When Health Canada’s First Nation and Inuit Health Branch started to give application for funding, the nation applied.
“They were actually dishing out money for a HeadStart but we incorporated our daycare as well with the building,” Coun. Joey Smokeyday said.
Kinistin was one of the first to receive the funding – $680,000 worth.
The facility was built with expansion in mind. Right now, only the top floor will house the daycare and the Head Start program, but depending on what happens in the future, the basement, currently empty, can be renovated to house other programs.
The new daycare is across the road from the Kinistin Education Centre and is close to the health centre. In the future, Scott said he can see the area becoming the focal point of the reserve.
“My vision is to make this the hub of the community because we have our children in this area.”
