Hazel Trembath daycare children may be forced to move again

It’s been a rough couple of years for parents whose children attended Hazel Trembath Elementary and its adjoining daycare in Port Coquitlam.

The lease for the church that is currently housing the children is over this month, and an application has been made to move the kids to James Park Annex.

However, there are concerns around access to washroom facilities, and as of Monday, the move has not been approved. That means that it’s possible the children may not have a place to go if something isn’t worked out soon.

Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West says affected parents found out this past Friday.

“I’ve asked my staff to be in touch with both the school district and Fraser Health to understand why Fraser Health has made that decision. I have been told it relates to the number of washrooms that would be available to the daycare,” he told 1130 NewsRadio Monday.

“My message is: let’s put on our thinking caps here. I mean, it’s at a school. There are certainly a lot of washrooms there. These are not insurmountable challenges. I’m sure that we can find an arrangement that allows the daycare to continue to operate, provides that much-needed childcare to families and satisfies the requirements around washrooms.”

West, who has two young children, understands how upset parents are.

“You’re scrambling last minute to try and get a daycare secured for your children, and it creates a lot of stress and anxiety for a family. Especially when you’ve had your son or daughter in a daycare and then all of a sudden, you’re back to square one to find another space, which is not easy these days.”

In a statement, Fraser Health says, “No final licensing decision has been made.”

“Licensing reviews include an assessment of various factors, such as space feasibility and washroom ratios, to ensure all health and safety requirements are met,” it added.

The health authority says it is prioritizing the application, but explains, “It is the responsibility of the applicant to complete the necessary steps in order for licensing to proceed with a full review and determination. Until those requirements are met, no final approval or denial can be issued.”

West, whose son attended Hazel Trembath Elementary, says shovels still aren’t in the ground when it comes to rebuilding the school.

“The province is making the school district do a business case, which I have real difficulty with. It seems to me to be needlessly bureaucratic and a bunch of red tape … so, I’m frustrated by that,” he said.

“What it means is we’re probably waiting longer. The province is talking a lot right now about needing to get things done quicker and passing legislation to be able to have projects fast-tracked, well, the only holdup on Hazel Trembath is them.”

West adds that the Ministry of Education had previously asked for three different proposals to rebuild the school, but now says there is a fourth option being sought, but he doesn’t have all the details.

The school burned to the ground in October 2023 during a suspicious fire. No arrests have been made.

With files from Monika Gul.