The City of New Westminster is interested in considering ways to remove barriers that prevent larger child-care facilities from opening in residential areas.
At its March 11 meeting, council considered a motion from Coun. Tasha Henderson that is aimed at supporting child-care development across New West. Council unanimously approved the motion to have staff explore opportunities to amend the city’s current zoning bylaws to increase the allowable maximum of child-care spaces in residential areas.
Henderson’s motion stated that New Westminster recognizes there is a shortage of child-care spaces across the region and is committed to supporting the development of additional local child-care spaces. It also stated the city will be updating current residential zoning bylaws as part of the work to reflect provincial legislation around small-scale multi-unit housing.
“I'm only six months out needing childcare for my kiddos, so I know the crunch very intimately in finding childcare,” Henderson said. “And while the city has used the levers it has to support the development of a lot more child-care spaces across the city, I think we all recognize that we still need more work on this file.”
Noting that the City of Port Coquitlam has been come up in recent discussions in New Westminster council chamber, Henderson said that city’s council had originally opposed a 65-space child-care centre in a residential area of the city after what had been described as a “contentious” public hearing. (Two weeks after voting against that project in October 2023, that city’s council reversed its decision.)
“We don't want to have that same situation here, where child-care operators decide they don't want to set up shop here in New Westminster because the process is long and possibly contentious via the rezoning process,” she said. “We need more child care in every neighbourhood across the city.”
Henderson said New Westminster allows home-based child care with eight spots in all residential zones. With changes coming to neighbourhoods because of new provincial housing legislation, she thinks it makes sense to see how the city can further reduce barriers for child-care operators who want to open larger child-care centres.
Henderson said two larger child-care centres, located in the Glenbrook North and Queen’s Park neighbourhoods, have “woven themselves” into those neighbourhoods. She said she’s not asking staff to do this work right now, but to consider it as part of the work being done as part of the implementation of housing changes from the province.
Coun. Daniel Fontaine said he and his wife required day care for their son when he was a child.
“It was incredibly important to us both as working parents have access to affordable child care within the city,” he said. “And so I applaud Coun. Henderson's efforts tonight to move that forward and perhaps explore other options so that we don't as noted to make this incredibly controversial as it was … in Port Coquitlam.”
Fontaine noted that he and Coun. Minhas are hosting a townhall forum on child care in New Westminster on April 11.
