New Indigenous-led daycare in Waterloo Region offers 61 child care spaces

Waterloo Region’s first Indigenous-led child care space has opened. CTV’s Krista Sharpe explains how it’s different.

Sixty-one brand new child care spaces will soon be open in Cambridge, putting indigenous culture top of mind.

“We prioritize Inuit, Metis, First Nation children, with the intent to provide culture specific learning experiences for all children through play,” pedagogical lead for Ga’nigǫhi:yo Indigenous Child Care & Family Centre, Lindsay Buset said.

Ga’nigǫhi:yo will be the Region of Waterloo’s first Indigenous childcare centre.

The ribbon was cut for the unofficial opening Thursday afternoon. The centre will welcome its first group of children on Feb. 10.

Located in south Cambridge, Ga’nigǫhi:yo can be found on OneList and is participating in the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) program.

Day-to-day operations are being run by the Healing of the Seven Generations.

“If you are Indigenous, First Nation, Metis, and Inuit, please get your name on the OneList and, get registered,” Healing of the Seven Generations founder and executive director, Donna Dubie said.

The infant room already has a waitlist, but the toddler and pre-school rooms still had a few spaces left as of Thursday afternoon.

Centred around Indigenous teachings

“The difference here will be the teachings,” Renata Richards, Ga’nigǫhi:yo’s executive director, said.

“Right now, we don’t have a clear path on where we’re going for teachings. We’re leaving it to the community and where they want their children to be, what path they want [for] the teachings and the language,” Richards said.

“Think about what happened during residential schools, about the culture being stripped away, the assimilation - about taking the Indian out of the child. This daycare is to put all that back,” Dubie explained.

“It’s very important to me because, myself, I’m from Six Nations,” mom Savannah Martin told CTV News while attending the opening ceremonies with her two sons.

For parents like Martin, it’s about her kids being allowed to be true to themselves.

“I know a lot of people that grew up without their Indigenous identity, they’re really searching for it. It’s important to me that I give them the best foundation I feel that I can give them,” Martin said.