SMITHERS, BC – The Town of Smithers regrets to announce that its application to the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund for a 74-space childcare centre at Ranger Park was not selected for funding in this round.
In 2024-25, the New Spaces Fund received more applications than available funding, and not all projects could be approved. However, this fund will remain active for the next three years, and the Town is committed to applying again in the next round.
The Town is working to revise the childcare centre designs and potential location to be more cost-effective while still meeting community needs as part of our efforts to improve our application’s success. Expanding childcare options remains a top priority for the Town as we continue to implement the Smithers Childcare Plan.
“We know many families were looking forward to this project, and we recognize that access to childcare remains a significant challenge in Smithers,” said Mayor Gladys Atrill. “While this outcome is disappointing, we remain committed to finding solutions and securing funding to support local families.”
The Town of Smithers thanks the Province of BC for its continued investment in childcare infrastructure and will keep the community updated on future funding applications and project developments.
View the PDF press release here.
Media Contact:
Samantha LeBlanc, Engagement and Communications Officer
communications@smithers.ca
(250) 847-1600