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Sioux Lookout, ON – The Municipality of Sioux Lookout has entered into an agreement with the Kenora District Services Board (KDSB) wherein the KDSB will assume responsibility for the two Municipally-run Child Care centres, namely, Biidaaban and Sioux Mountain, effective January 1, 2022.

“Our community is the last in the region to transfer Municipally-run child care services from the Municipality to the Kenora District Services Board,” explained Mayor Doug Lawrance, adding, “this was a difficult but financially prudent decision for Council.”

The Transfer Agreement will see the Municipality’s child care staff become employees of the KDSB, pending cooperation and concurrence with the Union which represents the child care workers. “We worked very hard to ensure the best possible arrangement for our staff,” explained Municipal CAO Michelle Larose, noting, “we did not want to take the ‘wash our hands of child care services’ approach and just layoff those staff members with no measures in place to fill the void that would be created if the Municipality simply decided not to offer the service any more; this arrangement ensures the best possible protection and support for our valued employees, while simultaneously ensuring no disruption to the services.”

The Municipality has been in talks with the Union representing the child care employees, and is hopeful for a smooth transition.

Henry Wall, CAO of the Kenora District Services Board shared, “Through the agreement, the Kenora District Services Board and the Municipality of Sioux Lookout are ensuring that the Early Years and Child Care programs in Sioux Lookout remain affordable, accessible, and sustainable into the future. We believe that through the transfer and under the KDSB’s operating model, we will be able to focus on enhancing the programs in order to offer more child care spaces in the community. We look forward to welcoming the current child care staff to the KDSB, and we look forward to working with the community to create more child care spaces.”

“Parents of children currently attending Biidaaban and Sioux Mountain Children’s Centres will be kept informed of the transition and any implications on their child’s enrollment in the child care programs,” Larose concluded.

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For more information, please contact:
Brian P. MacKinnon, Manager of Corporate Services/Municipal Clerk
807-738-2170 or [email protected]

PDF version available to download at link below.

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