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NIC Centre of Excellence for Early Learning

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The NIC Centre of Excellence for Early Learning at NIC is designed to serve the childcare needs of the North Island.

Thanks to a $14.2 million investment from the province, the new building will be home to an expanded Beaufort Children’s Centre, with 75 new licensed child care spaces at the Comox Valley campus, more than double its current capacity.

It will also mean new learning spaces for NIC Early Childhood Care and Education programs, whose graduates will help fill the high demand for more educators in the Comox Valley. In 2019, the Comox Valley Child Care Action Plan found

The NIC Centre of Excellence for Early Learning at NIC is designed to serve the childcare needs of the North Island.

Thanks to a $14.2 million investment from the province, the new building will be home to an expanded Beaufort Children’s Centre, with 75 new licensed child care spaces at the Comox Valley campus, more than double its current capacity.

It will also mean new learning spaces for NIC Early Childhood Care and Education programs, whose graduates will help fill the high demand for more educators in the Comox Valley. In 2019, the Comox Valley Child Care Action Plan found a crisis in the availability of childcare throughout the community—one in six children had access to licensed care in the region, with 70 per cent of families unable to find childcare arrangements. Of these, 43.7 per cent delayed a return to work or school as a result.

At a regional level, the 2022 BC Labour Market Outlook expects the need for more trained educators to grow, with approximately 1,590 openings in early childhood and care on Vancouver Island by 2032.

Stay tuned for updates on a site blessing, and construction, or sign up to stay in touch.


Learn more about the Project Team




Stantec, a global integrated design firm is consistently ranked among the top ten design firms by Architect Record, Building Design + Construction, ENR, and more. Supported by company-wide proprietary research and benchmarking, Stantec delivers high-performing, award-winning educational facilities that inspire and engage the next generation of students. Learn more at https://www.stantec.com/en/markets/education.

  • Tree Removal begins for the NIC Centre of Excellence for Early Learning

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    Tree Removal Begins!

    On December 28, contractors will be onsite at the Comox Valley Campus to remove trees from the site for the Centre of Excellence in Early Learning.

    On that day, you can expect to see the following changes:

    • Work crews: You’ll see tree-falling equipment, arborists, and work crews on site.
    • Traffic: Vehicle traffic near the Beaufort Children’s Centre and the Aquatic Centre may be affected temporarily to be sure crews can safely cut and remove the trees without damage to passing vehicles.
    • Noise: The tree removal process is loud and may disrupt activities closest to the site.

    WHY NOW?

    • Less activity on campus: The timing of tree removal during the holiday break will mean fewer disruptions for NIC classes.

    WHAT’S NEXT?

    • Donation: The trees will be stacked and removed from the site as part of a donation to the K’ómoks First Nation.

    HOW CAN I LEARN MORE?

    Keep checking for updates here!

    https://www.engage.nic.bc.ca/nic-centre-of-excellence-for-early-learning

    We appreciate everyone’s patience as we begin this exciting time of growth at NIC!

  • Child-care expansion at Courtenay campus includes more classrooms to train early childhood educators - Times Colonist Article

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    Child-care expansion at Courtenay campus includes more classrooms to train early childhood educators

    The expansion of Beaufort Children’s Centre includes 75 new spaces for kids, and two classrooms to train 48 more full-time students and 20 more part-time students in early childhood education
    Michael John Lo

    A $14.7-million expansion of a child-care centre at North Island College’s Courtenay campus won’t just include 75 new spaces for children — it will have more classrooms to train early childhood educators.

    The non-profit Beaufort Children’s Centre, created in 1994, primarily serves students, staff and faculty at the college.

    Kathleen Haggith, dean of the college’s faculty of health and human services, said the expansion will address demand for both child-care spaces and providers in one place.

    The expanded space will include two classrooms so the college can train 48 more full-time students and 20 more part-time students in early childhood education.



    “We’ve heard from providers that one of the biggest barriers to opening more spaces is finding qualified early childhood educators to work in the centres,” Haggith said in a statement.

    The 75 new licensed childcare spaces provided as part of the expansion, funded by the province, include 12 infant-toddler spaces, 46 spaces for children ages three to five, and 17 spaces for school-age kids.


    The college, which is running a projected deficit of $609,000, is spending $1.58 million to hire new faculty and staff, including in its early childhood education program, according to a board of governors report.

    Construction of the expansion is expected to start in the spring. The child-care centre is expected to continue operating throughout the work.

    The project is funded by three partners: $8 million from the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Futures Skills, $6.2 million from the Ministry of Education and Child Care, and $500,000 from North Island College itself. The initial plans for the expansion were drawn up by the Victoria-based Stantec Architecture Ltd.

    The college says the goal is to have the project completed at the same time as its first-ever student housing project at the Courtenay campus, set to be finished by the fall of 2025. Twenty suites in the student housing facility will be specifically designed for families.

    mjlo@timescolonist.com


    https://www.timescolonist.com/local-news/child-care-expansion-at-courtenay-campus-includes-more-classrooms-to-train-early-childhood-educators-7637629


  • New Centre of Excellence in Early Learning coming to NIC

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    A new centre dedicated to Early Childhood Educators and new child care spaces will be coming to the Comox Valley, thanks to a new $14.2 million investment from the Province and support from the Government of Canada through the 2021-2022 to 2025-2026 Canada-British Columbia Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.

    NIC Media Release

Page last updated: 14 Dec 2023, 08:45 AM