A relatively new children’s program is at risk because of a space crunch in Sylvan Lake.
Earlier this week, town council advised the board of Sylvan Lake Kindercare that it can no longer use a classroom that it has shared with another community group for about five years.
Located in an addition at the west side of the Sylvan Lake Community Centre, Kindercare serves about 450 children in a variety of programs, said town businessman Matt Toonders, who was asked to work as the agency’s liaison with the town.
The additional space was offered to Kindercare in 2004 so it could take on a program identified in a community needs assessment, said Toonders. The program serves 60 to 90 preschoolers who are in an integrated program with high needs and special needs children, he said.
Mayor Susan Samson said the 700-square-foot classroom is needed for other programs in the community.
Sylvan Lake is running out of room for all the programs it wants to offer, but does not want to build right now because that would mean putting people’s taxes up during a recession, said Samson.
Kindercare occupies 3,000 square feet of space in the community centre, not including the classroom.
Toonders said he hopes Kindercare can sit down with the town very soon and work out an alternate arrangement for the space it needs.