Carol Baldwin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Wakaw Recorder
The Cudworth Childcare Centre is ready for the next step following the funding announcement from the government in November 2023.
The Centre was one of 51 facilities listed to receive funding from a joint investment between the Governments of Saskatchewan and Canada. The board has issued a call for proposals from a General Contractor to renovate the former Ukrainian Catholic Church in Cudworth for the new daycare which will provide care spaces for thirty children.
The announced timeline calls for a start on the project to happen in April 2024, intending to be open and operating by the fall of this year. The group are eager to get the renovations underway so that the Centre can open its doors and provide the much-needed childcare spaces to Cudworth and the area.
The deadline for proposal submissions is 11:00 am local time on March 22, 2024. Local contractors interested in working on the project are welcome to reach out to the president of the Cudworth Childcare Centre, Kristy Hauber, at 306-292-6470 and she will direct them to the chosen General Contractor.
The board of the Cudworth Childcare Centre first came together in the fall of 2022 after conducting a survey to determine the interest in such an undertaking. Fundraising began almost immediately with a raffle draw, followed by a continuous bottle drive, a cabaret, in April 2023, a Christmas cash lotto, a mini-sticks indoor hockey tournament, as well as pairing up with other groups in Cudworth to work canteens for various events. Individuals and businesses have also stepped up as sponsors to help fill the account with the funds needed for the renovations to the building.
As a former church, there is a large expanse of open space on the main floor, and the Government of Saskatchewan has specific construction and design requirements. The board are holding another cabaret this year on April 20 described as an “Old Hollywood” glitz and glam event.
It was one year ago, that the Board shared they had secured a building for the Centre and were continuing to move forward in their quest to bring a licensed childcare centre to Cudworth. At that time, it was not made public which building they secured, but the former church will soon begin its new life as a childcare centre.
In November 2022, the Wakaw Recorder carried the story of the closure and desanctification of the building resulting from declining membership and escalating expenses. The priest serving Cudworth at the time, Fr. Ivan Nahachewsky, said that while the building was being sold, the cemetery was not, surveys were conducted and the lot the building sits on was subdivided to ensure that no grave sites were erroneously included in the sale of the land and building. As well all sacred items and icons were removed before the decommissioning.
As renovations to the building are just around the corner and the search for a General Contractor has begun, the future reality of the childcare centre is looming large and the greatly anticipated addition to the community will hopefully avoid delays and indeed be opening their doors this fall.
