Mount Pleasant Parents Worried About Uncertain Future of Childcare Facilities

In Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood, parents are feeling both hopeful and worried about the future of childcare facilities as development proposals progress.

One key location is the Britannia Community Centre, which has been working on expansion for years. Craig Ollenberger, the committee’s renewal advisor, explained that Britannia serves residents of all ages. “Britannia’s an integrated site. It has a seniors’ centre, a teen centre, a pool and a rink, a school, and a library,” he said.

The centre currently offers preschool and after-school care, with plans for a new 0-to-5 childcare facility as part of its long-term renewal plan. However, it has been over seven years since the master plan was approved, and there is still no funding, timeline, or rezoning efforts in place, leaving expansion efforts stalled.

Meanwhile, Britannia’s second location on East 7th is set to close in March. A new six-storey social housing building will be built on the site, which will include a 37-space childcare facility, but it won’t open until 2028. Parents are concerned about where to find childcare after the closure.

Parent Pam Corrigal stated, “At this point, we don’t have an alternative. We’ll reach out to family or have to go private. We have no further options at this point.”

The city has attempted to find temporary and permanent relocation options for the centre during redevelopment but has not identified any nearby alternatives. Many parents may have to turn to private childcare, which can be costly. “We had a part-time nanny for close to two days a week,” Corrigal noted, “It was around $2,000 a month.”

If funding for the project is approved, site work could begin in three months, leaving parents uncertain about childcare options for the fall.