
Families in the Antigonish area will benefit from more access to child care with plans underway to build a new 104-space early learning and child-care centre on the St. Francis Xavier University campus.
The project, a partnership between StFX and the Province of Nova Scotia, will see an existing building removed to make space for the new facility, which the university will maintain once construction is complete. The centre will offer spaces and programs for infants, toddlers and preschoolers.
“The university is delighted to work with the province to support access to child care for families living in local communities as well as for students, faculty and staff at StFX,” said StFX President Dr. Andy Hakin. “StFX continues to play an important role in many communities along northern Nova Scotia.”
Dr. Hakin thanked the Province of Nova Scotia and all those involved in this initiative who have come together to collaborate and find solutions to benefit the community.
“These new child-care spaces are a result of our government working together with community partners to support families,” said Health and Wellness Minister Michelle Thompson, MLA for Antigonish, on behalf of Brendan Maguire, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development. “Antigonish needs more access to child care, and I’m pleased that our government and StFX are able to deliver solutions for our community. This new centre will support students, staff and the broader Antigonish community for many generations to come.”
“Today, a big investment is being made in this community. It will help parents access child care that they need right in their community,” Minister Maguire said to the applause of those gathered. Having access to quality child care has a huge impact on communities, he noted.
Minister Thompson thanked a number of people for their work on this and “helping us find our way on this path,” including Dr. Emily Rice; Arts Health Antigonish; and Dr. Liz Brennan. Echoing these comments, Dr. Hakin also acknowledged the work of StFX Assistant Vice-President Administration and Ancillary Services Bob Hale.
“This is an important anchor,” Minister Thompson said. “Thank you to everyone involved.”
“Today’s announcement is great news for families in Antigonish,” said Patty Hajdu, federal Minister of Jobs and Families. “Once constructed, the new child-care centre at StFX will make a big difference for parents and students in the community, helping them save thousands of dollars on child-care costs. We’ll keep working with Nova Scotia to add to the nearly 7,000 child-care spaces already announced.”
The centre is part of the province’s broader efforts to expand access to child care, supported through the Canada-Nova Scotia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.
This partnership marks an important step toward expanding child-care access in the Antigonish area. The university is preparing for the centre’s future operation and a public process for selecting a child-care service provider.