News Releases

October 10, 2025

Construction has begun on a new child-care centre at Riverview Health Centre in south-central Winnipeg, thanks to a capital investment of more than $5.6 million, through the Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund, Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Tracy Schmidt and federal Secretary of State for Children and Youth Anna Gainey announced today.

“Today’s ground-breaking marks a meaningful step forward in our commitment to Manitoba families,” said Schmidt. “By investing in new child-care spaces like those at Riverview Health Centre, we’re making it easier for parents – especially the nurses, physicians, aides and allied health professionals working in health care – to access high-quality, inclusive care close to where they work. The development of these 80 new spaces will help us continue to recruit more front-line staff to our health-care system.”

“This new child-care centre at Riverview Health Centre is an example of the Manitoba government’s vision for Canada-wide early learning and child care – affordable, quality and accessible child care that responds to the needs of children, parents and the wider community,” said Gainey. “Families will have access to child care close to home and to their workplace, helping them save time and money while ensuring children receive the best possible start in life.”

The centre, to be operated by Inspired by Wonder Inc. and located in the Riverview Health Centre, will offer 16 infant and 64 preschool spaces.

“Health-care professionals dedicate themselves to caring for others and access to high-quality child care is essential for building a sustainable health-care workforce,” said Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara. “This new centre ensure staff have reliable care options close to their workplace, reducing stress and improving work-life balance. It’s an investment in the well-being of our health-care professionals and the children who will benefit from inclusive, nurturing early learning environments.”

Inspired by Wonder offers specialized programming to support children with disabilities and additional emotional, and behavioural needs. The new centre will include low-sensory and gross-motor spaces. The centre will also feature an intergenerational child-care program aimed at bringing together older adults and younger children through structured activities, creating mutually beneficial relationships that foster social, emotional, cognitive and physical development.

“It’s the wild, wild west out here trying to find child care in Manitoba,” said Alexa Pitcher, a Manitoba parent. “I put my name on wait lists when I was still six months pregnant with my daughter and by the time I had to return to work, I still hadn’t found her a spot. That’s the reality for so many families. When my daughter finally got into Inspired by Wonder, just two weeks after I started back at work, it felt like a lifeline. Parents like me know how important these spaces are. These tiny humans are the future of our communities and giving families that peace of mind that they have somewhere safe to land is huge.”

These spaces are made possible through the Health and Child Care Infrastructure Project, which provides capital funding to health authorities and non-profit child-care operators to create new child-care centres in health-care facilities across the province. Funded through the Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund Agreement and Action Plan, the governments of Canada and Manitoba will provide up to $20.9 million to create more than 300 new child-care spaces for children under the age of seven in three health facilities across two health regions where demand is high.

The centre is planned to open in fall 2026.

For more information about the Health and Child Care Infrastructure Project, visit: https://gov.mb.ca/education/childcare/resources/health_child_care_infrastructure.html.

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