Wild Wapiti Playschool opened its doors on June 19, bringing 24 new child care spaces to the community.

Wild Wapiti Playschool was born from the experiences of three local Fernie Moms—Laura Eadie, Allie Ferguson, and Dee Marcotte—who faced the reality of not returning to work due to the critical shortage of available and dependable child care.

“Congratulations to the Fernie hard-working moms who made this child care centre a reality today for two dozen families and children,” said Grace Lore, Minister of State for Child Care. “Wild Wapiti Playschool is an excellent example of how we are partnering with local communities to build child care centres where people need them most.”

Located in the Fernie Family Centre in downtown Fernie, Wild Wapiti Playschool provides an inclusive and nurturing early learning experience for children aged 1 to 5 years old.

Wild Wapiti Playschool is dedicated to creating an environment based on its core values of Curious Play, Community, Kindness, Independence, and Sustainability. By prioritizing child-led play-based learning, fostering a sense of community, and promoting kindness, inclusivity, and individual uniqueness, the playschool aims to create a supportive and safe environment for each child to thrive.

The outdoor nature playspace was developed in partnership with the Fernie Family Garden and offers children an enriching environment that promotes exploration and learning through outdoor play.

Wild Wapiti Playschool is led by Kelsey Ewert, Manager and Neldyne Saberon, Assistant Manager, Early Childhood Educators who recently moved to Fernie to join the Wild Wapiti team, and an expanded volunteer board, including Marcelle Poulain, Celine Buttazzoni-Hawkins and Mike Pope.

“We are thrilled to see the concept of Wild Wapiti Playschool become a reality. Our board is committed to ensuring the playschool continues to provide reliable child care to Fernie families for years to come,” said Laura Eadie, Chair, Wild Wapiti Playschool Society.

Wild Wapiti Playschool was made possible through countless volunteer hours by local parents, the founding board members and funding from the Government of Canada through the Canada-British Columbia Early Learning and Child Care Agreement and the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund.

The generosity of local organizations and businesses, including Teck Resources, Columbia Basin Trust, MacHydro, TD Bank, Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, Rotary Club of Fernie, and Rocky Mountain Optometry donated almost $85,000 in start-up funding.

Wild Wapiti Playschool is hosting a community Open House this Friday (July 28) from 2-4 p.m.

We invite the public to come see and explore the classrooms and outdoor community playspace that their support made possible. All are welcome.

Wild Wapiti Playschool is a non-profit child care society operated by a volunteer board of local professionals.

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