Client Profile: The Town of Carleton Place

Carleton Place Daycare, situated in the Ottawa Valley area, has offered not-for-profit childcare services for its growing community for the past 26 years. Through its multiple locations it has provided the community of Carleton Place with high quality nursery school programs, infant, toddler, preschool and school-age care, as well as municipal summer camps. Recreational programs have recently expanded to include children aged ten to fourteen years of age.

Owned and operated by the Town of Carleton Place, Carleton Place Daycare strives to offer a secure, stimulating environment with services to suit as many needs as possible for the community.

The Project

As the community grew and the demand for childcare increased the Town recognized that operating small individual locations throughout the community had become very inefficient.  A new central facility was designed. 
With 18,000 square feet of space, the new daycare facility will offer up to 170 full-day childcare spaces. The building has been designed to allow for future expansion to accommodate the needs of the growing community. Classrooms were modeled to imitate a home-like environment with artificial fireplaces and low windows for the children. 

The facility was designed with only one entrance, this offers added safety for the children as all visitors can easily be seen by those working in the administrative office. The “U-shaped” building also provides a safe courtyard for the children to play in as well as shelter from the outdoor elements. 

The daycare centre has been constructed to include passive solar heating and residential grade insulation and the windows provide a significant  source of natural light in the day time. Carleton Place continues to look at other options that are both energy efficient and cost effective. 

The Solution

With a project cost of over $2.5 million, the Town of Carleton Place needed an innovative solution to help finance the construction of the daycare centre. The municipality looked to Infrastructure Ontario’s affordable Loan Program to help finance the project. 

Carleton Place was especially pleased with the Loan Program’s flexibility regarding pre-approval, timing of fund advances and the program’s terms. The Town also found Infrastructure Ontario’s rates to be very favourable for a municipality of their size.

“The loan process has been simplified with standard forms created for our own application. Staff working at Infrastructure Ontario are very knowledgeable and accommodating in going through the whole process."

Phil Hogan, Treasurer - The Town of Carleton Place

The Result

The daycare centre makes it possible for families from all types of income levels to receive childcare services without compromising quality. As a result, parents are assured that their child’s well-being is appropriately cared for. The partnership between the Town of Carleton Place and Infrastructure Ontario has helped the daycare centre to expand and continue to offer quality childcare services in a safe environment with its growing community in mind. 

For more information on the client, please visit their website at www.carletonplace.ca.