New Cranbrook child care centre enters design phase

Work is quickly underway on a new child care centre set to be built next to Western Financial Place in Cranbrook.

The roughly 13,000-square-foot project will house 123 children from infancy to age five, with dedicated program spaces to support each age group’s developmental needs.

Babies and toddlers will have an activity area and a nap room, while kids ages three to five will have an indoor activity area and a multipurpose room. 

Both spaces will have an “appropriately-sized” enclosed outdoor play area on site, as well as washrooms and a shared kitchen.

Early designs also feature large windows for natural light, mass-timber structure elements and sensory and support rooms.

(Source: Berry Architecture | City of Cranbrook)

“The City of Cranbrook is grateful for the $13.5 million grant funding from the Government of BC through ChildcareBC and the Ministry of Education and Child Care for this project, and for their continued support in helping make this vital project for Cranbrook families a reality,” said the City.

Berry Architecture and Associates is the lead design and site-prep architect, while Unitech Construction Management and Saltair Childcare Society are each responsible for construction delivery and operations, respectively.

The City announced a $13.5 million provincial grant to kickstart the project in September 2025.

Construction is expected to start later this spring, with the centre opening in early 2028.