With microphone in hand, five-year-old Max Adrian expressed his delight that the Moose Jaw Early Years Family Resource Centre (MJEYFRC) was officially open and serving families in the community.
“Max Adrian here, and we are seeing what this community (centre) is for. The play centre is available for all kids of all ages and all sizes,” he said, delighting the assembled crowd with his speech.
“And we’re so excited to be here today as a family of the FRC,” Max’s mom, Laura, said during the June 21 grand opening ceremony while holding her two-year-old daughter, Anna.
Local and provincial dignitaries, centre staff and volunteers, early childhood learning staff and dozens of supporters with community-based organizations attended the event, held at 1250 11th Avenue Northwest. The grand opening was one of several activities held during the organization's "Welcome Week."
The venue opened in 2020, but its official opening was delayed for two years because of the pandemic.
Also, during the ceremony, Stephanie Ramsey received the 2022 Early Childhood Practitioner Award for her work with the YMCA’s early learning program at St. Margaret School.
“… parenthood has been the most transformational experience of my life. We have been so fortunate in the last couple of challenging years to have access to such a thoughtful space and team of people at the family resource centre,” Laura said.
Anna was born during the lockdown, so it was great to receive joy bags and story boxes from the FRC, which brought life to the dreary days of the pandemic, she continued. The Adrian family has accessed many of the centre’s offerings, such as cooking classes, story trail, and play space.
Meanwhile, Laura praised the design of the building’s interior, noting it feels homey and welcoming. Max’s favourite area is the kitchen section, while Anna likes to play with babies in that area.
“But what makes the Moose Jaw FRC truly unique are the people that work here … (and) who understand that all children and families are unique and sacred,” she added.
A second guest speaker was the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s Malinda Strueby, who worked with the FRC’s management team the past year. As a former educator, Strueby thought the centre was remarkable and had an immediate effect on people. She thought it was a joy-filled place, while every corner had something exciting to discover.
The centre’s vision is to provide families and children from prenatal to age five with reliable information while offering services that align with the program’s four pillars, she continued. The pillars include early learning, parenting education, family wellness and referrals.
“This facility is truly a gem in our community,” Strueby said, praising centre co-ordinator Wanda Peakman and her team for their dedication to early years programming. “We are so excited for all that is ahead … . The best is yet to come.”
Rob Clark, CEO of the Moose Jaw and District Chamber of Commerce, said that while the chamber is the voice of business, it wants to “step out of that” and work with more with community-based organizations that improve quality of life.
“We believe that a strong community is totally linked to a strong business community. We see the value in supporting our community,” he remarked, noting the first five years of children’s development are critical to their overall well-being.
“We want to see Moose Jaw grow and help our future leaders and entrepreneurs … who will be walking the halls of the Moose Jaw Family Resource Centre.”
Tim McLeod, MLA for Moose Jaw-North, also praised the staff and families for making the centre a reality. He said that it has positively affected the community, as last year it supported more than 700 families and children in person.
Meanwhile, almost 12,400 people attended online classes and programming, there were over 94,000 views on the centre’s social media pages, while the venue distributed 1,900 learning kits.
“Those are truly impressive numbers,” he said, noting the FRC is one of 15 such places in Saskatchewan making a meaningful difference in the lives of children and families.
He added that the provincial government is committed to supporting early learning programs.
