Grand Re-Opening of Douglas Recreation & Childcare Centre

On Friday, I had the pleasure of attending the grand re-opening of the Douglas Recreation & Childcare Centre. The renovation of the centre was made possible through $4.3 million in joint provincial and federal funding from the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund. Langley City contributed $600,000 toward the renovation.

Honourable Lisa Beare, Minister of Education and Child Care; Councillor Rosemary Wallace; Heidi Worthington, President and CEO, YMCA BC; Councillor Paul Albrecht; Former MLA Andrew Mercier; City Staff; and Children. Select the Image to Enlarge.

Back in the day, the top floor of Douglas Recreation Centre had a caretaker suite. This suite did not meet housing standards and was used as storage space for many years. The renovation converted the top floor into a child care space. The renovation also included expanding the existing child care space on the main floor.

Honourable Lisa Beare and I. Select the Image to Enlarge.

In total, there are 75 new child care spaces operated by the YMCA BC, including early years and before- and after-school care.

The City retained the existing multipurpose hall and created additional new community spaces for all-ages arts, camps, and active-play cultural and recreational programming as part of the renovation of the centre.

This renovation is part of the ongoing investments that Langley City Council is making in our Downtown as we prepare for the arrival of SkyTrain and ensure we have the services our growing community needs. Last fall, the Fraser Highway Oneway had a grand re-opening. This was a $19 million project that included replacing old water, sewer, and stormwater pipes (including wooden ones), undergrounding hydro, and installing new, wider sidewalks and outdoor spaces.

These two projects represent a $24 million investment in our Downtown.