YWCA NWT is in the planning phases for a new multi-purpose space that would include more than 20 family-sized affordable housing units, along with affordable daycare. Alayna Ward with the YWCA said the new facility is planned to be similar to Gotı̨ li Kǫ̀ in Yellowknife, a multi-use facility with family housing units the YWCA opened in 2023. The organization wants to build the proposed multi-use facility on the lot by Boston Pizza where the daycare was planned to open this spring.
“The hope is that there will be a licenced daycare that will have approximately 48 spaces so still a significant number and similar to the process to build Gotı̨ li Kǫ̀, the proposed new project on the lot near Boston Pizza would take a few years, but the great benefit is is that we’re hoping that it will also contain housing for families which is a huge need in Yellowknife and beyond,” said Ward.
The plans to build the modular daycare space had been more than two years in the making and the organization had already faced “several roadblocks, setbacks and delays.”
The city rejected a previous application by the YWCA to build a daycare in the Niven Lake neighbourhood. Officials cited traffic concerns in the area.
This summer, Julie Green, the YWCA NWT’s then president, said feedback from the community had been very positive. Green said she heard ongoing concerns from many parents and guardians across Yellowknife who are in need of reliable and safe daycare for their children. Hawa Dumbuya-Sesay, who is YWCA NWT ‘s executive director, said the organization planned to have child care space for 56 children. The plan was for the daycare to open this spring.
Last year, the GNWT had agreed to donate modular units for the daycare build after conditions were met by the YWCA. Ward said extensive renovations were required for those modular units to be able to comply.
“To comply with the city zoning requirements, to comply with fire safety requirements for a licenced daycare and also to comply with the Early Learning Child Care regulations that are set out by the GNWT, those renovations came back at quite costly,” said Ward.
While the requirements were met, construction costs ended up over the original estimate of $4 million.
“The GNWT determined that was not going to be financially feasible,” said Ward.
For that reason that model of the daycare is not moving forward, but the YWCA is planning something that would be bigger and better and would include additional critical resources, like housing.
Ward said the good news is that the YWCA is going ahead with the planning of a multi-use facility that would include a licensed daycare, affordable family housing units and program space.
Last year, the YWCA acquired three lots located between 5106 to 5110 (by Boston Pizza) in the heart of the city on 48th Street to use for the daycare space. They still have that land (and plans to go forward).
“So a funding application has been submitted to the federal government to support that,” said Ward.
The plans are still in the early phases, but the YWCA is looking to build 23 units, mostly two and three-bedroom units large enough to accommodate families. Currently, there are about 50 families on the YWCA’s housing list.
The multi-use facility being proposed would not be built of modular units planned for the daycare but would be a new construction, more of a ‘brick and mortar’ style build.
Ward said the YWCA is looking to partner with other governments. along with federal partners.
“The GNWT has always been a great partner to us, so obviously hoping that we’ll be able to work with them moving forward and we’ve been in some initial discussions with them,” said Ward.
“The city of Yellowknife, they’ve also been a great partner, so we will be looking at working with them and many other partners as a large project of this scale will need,” she added.
Daycares in the city generally having at least 50 children on their waitlist at any given time, parents and guardians currently face a collective waitlist going into the hundreds.
“There’s a massive need for daycare spaces, it’s really important for women and families to have access to affordable child care. We all know that there definitely is need for more affordable child care throughout the city,” said Ward.
The YWCA is hopeful that they can ‘double down’ and bring more child care spaces and more affordable housing spaces in the North with this project within the next few years.
“We got Gotı̨ li Kǫ̀ over the finish line and we were able to house a lot more families through that,” said Ward.
The demand for childcare spaces is rising, making it difficult for many women to enter paid jobs due to obstacles in accessing appropriate and affordable childcare, said Ward.
“That’s our mission is to provide families with affordable housing and help gender equity by helping women be able to go to work by providing affordable child care.
