Canadore College and the Lindsay Weld Centre of Children are working together to create 187 new childcare spaces in the former ET Carmichael elementary school on the north end of North Bay.
Officials say the facility will offer many activities and services, including childcare for newborns up to age 12, educational programs, and innovative intergenerational initiatives.
In March, Canadore College acquired the E.T. Carmichael School to expand The Village Collective Impact Project into a model community hub.
“Canadore is pleased to partner with The Lindsay Weld Centre in an effort to provide more childcare spaces in North Bay”, said George Burton, President of Canadore in a release.
“Canadore purchased the former E.T. Carmichael School with the goal of creating an intergenerational hub for our students and the community where infants and children will interact with seniors, and this project is a first step towards that vision,”
The Lindsay Weld Centre for Children announced the partnership during its annual general meeting earlier this week.
"We are so excited for this new partnership and can't wait to see what comes next," the Centre stated via social media.
See related: Canadore purchases two former school properties
The Near North District School Board sold two surplus five-acre properties on which elementary schools were once located to Canadore College earlier this year.
According to NNDSB, the former E.W. Norman site on Lake Heights Drive sold for $825,000 and the former E.T. Carmichael site on Chapais Street went for $650,000.
In June 2023 the Board of Trustees approved a motion declaring the former school properties sold in preparation to sell them. The 2023 opening of NNDSB Maple View Public School made E.T. Carmichael and E.W. Norman redundant.
A new fence has already been put up along the Chapais Street side of the former elementary school.
Canadore believes the new facility will be a benefit, claiming more than 1,500 children are on a daycare waiting list in Nipissing District.
"We are excited about the positive impact this project will have on families in North Bay and the surrounding areas. Together, we are building a stronger, more inclusive community where everyone has the opportunity to succeed," the Canadore release continued.
