Community celebrates official opening of new Westhill Child Care Centre in College Park

(l-r) Councillor Haven Lurbiecki, Councillor Kyla Knowles, YMCA BC President and CEO Heidi Worthington, Mayor Meghan Lahti, Port Moody-Coquitlam MLA Rick Glumac, and Councillor Callan Morrison are ready to cut the ribbon at the official opening of Port Moody’s new Westhill Child Care Centre on April 26, 2025.

On April 26, 2025, Port Moody City Council celebrated the completion of the Westhill Child Care Centre with an official opening ceremony, ribbon cutting, and community open house event.

“We are thrilled to celebrate the official opening of the Westhill Child Care Centre with members of the community and our funding partners,” said Mayor Meghan Lahti. “High-quality child care services are critical for healthy child development and for Port Moody’s economy. We are grateful to the Government of Canada and the Province of B.C. for their financial contribution. This is an important project that has improved access to child care spaces for families in Port Moody’s College Park and Seaview neighbourhoods.” 

“Westhill Child Care Centre will make a real difference for families in our community,” said Rick Glumac, MLA, Port Moody-Coquitlam. “It means more Port Moody families will have access to high-quality, affordable child care close to home – helping children thrive and making life easier for parents. I’m proud to see this investment support the daily lives of the people in our community and the positive impact it will have for years to come.” 

The new child care facility, located in Westhill Park (203 Westhill Place) on the second floor of the Westhill Centre building, has 37 licensed spaces for up to 12 infants/toddlers and up to 25 children aged three to five years. The facility is operated by the YMCA.

Construction began in January 2024 and was completed in February 2025. An area north of the building’s entrance ramp has been converted into a dedicated outdoor playground space.

The City received nearly $1.8 million from the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund for this project. The fund is jointly supported by provincial investments and federal funding under the 2021-2022 to 2030-2031 Canada-British Columbia Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) Agreement. As part of the plan to reduce child care fees and expand child care access for all families in BC, the Province is working with the federal government through the Canada-British Columbia Canada-wide ELCC Agreement.

Families may be eligible for savings through the Affordable Child Care Benefit. To learn more, visit gov.bc.ca/affordablechildcarebenefit.