Canmore Childcare Centre Draws 200-Child Waitlist Before Opening

A new childcare centre in Canmore has yet to open its doors, but about 200 children are already on the waitlist, underscoring the scale of a long-standing shortage of licensed childcare spaces in the Bow Valley.

Flourish Montessori Learning Academy, operated by Spring Creek Mountain Village, is working toward a mid-April opening, pending final provincial approvals. The centre will offer 41 full-time childcare spaces and nine part-time preschool spaces for children between 18 months and five-and-a-half years old.

“We knew there was a need, but I don’t think we fully anticipated just how quickly the waitlist would grow,” said Taylor Dupuis, director of Flourish Montessori Learning Academy.

The early demand highlights what local officials and the centre’s operator describe as a structural gap in access to care in Canmore.

According to data cited by the Town of Canmore, childcare coverage in the community has historically fallen well below demand. A 2022 childcare assessment found only 18% of children under six had access to licensed spaces, dropping to 13% for children under three. More recent provincial figures suggest coverage has improved, reaching 29% in 2024, but still falling short of a 33% benchmark, leaving the community about 49 spaces short.

“Childcare is an essential service in a municipality with a high cost of living and where both parents in many families have to work one and sometimes two jobs each,” said Mayor Sean Krausert.

While childcare delivery falls under provincial jurisdiction, the town says it has taken steps to support the sector locally, including ensuring zoning does not create barriers for childcare providers, advocating to the province for additional funding and recognition of local demand, and facilitating discussions between operators and government.

“The Town of Canmore and council have and will continue to encourage additional childcare spaces within our community,” said Krausert.

For Dupuis, the rapid growth of the waitlist reflects not only a lack of available spaces, but also a need for high-quality, consistent care.

“It really highlights how limited childcare availability currently is in the Bow Valley,” said Dupuis. “There is a strong need not only for more spaces, but for high quality, consistent care that families can rely on.”

The centre has been designed around a Montessori model, an educational approach that emphasizes hands-on learning, independence, and child-led exploration, with two toddler classrooms and one primary classroom, each capped at 15 children to maintain small group sizes. A separate preschool program will offer part-time options for families seeking more flexible care.

Interest in the program has come from both local residents and families who work in Canmore but live in neighbouring communities, reflecting broader housing and commuting pressures in the region.

“Many families are residents, but there is also a significant number of families who work in Canmore and the surrounding area but live in neighbouring communities. That reflects the broader housing and commuting realities in the Bow Valley, and it reinforces how important accessible childcare is for the local workforce,” said Dupuis.

The project is being developed by Spring Creek Mountain Village, with Dupuis leading the program, after a previous childcare operator was unable to proceed with the space. Dupuis, who grew up in the Bow Valley, described the project as a “full circle moment.”

While recruitment of early childhood educators has been a challenge across Alberta, Dupuis said hiring for the new centre has been encouraging so far, with a focus on building a team aligned with the program’s values and approach.

At a broader level, Dupuis and municipal officials point to the need for coordinated action across different levels of government and development. 

Expanding childcare access will require long-term collaboration between municipalities, developers and the province, including planning for childcare spaces as part of new communities and ensuring funding models reflect the realities of high-cost regions like Canmore.

“Childcare is foundational infrastructure. It supports families, local businesses, and the overall health of the community,” said Dupuis. “When all levels are working together with a shared understanding of how essential childcare is, it becomes much more possible to create lasting, meaningful solutions that truly support families and the future of the community.”

Looking ahead, Dupuis said there is potential to expand the program in the future, but the immediate focus is on opening the centre and establishing a strong foundation for the families it will serve.