Excerpts

... 

It’s the first infant to grace the soft floors of the baby room (zero to 18 months) at 1234 Weston Rd., also known as the Mount Dennis Early Learning and Child Care Centre, which has been open for less than a month. It’s bright, cheery, colourful, and, in the coming months, will be filled with even more pitter-patter of little feet, wails of joy and sadness, laughter, and the cacophony of playtime.

...

To wit: the long side of the building faces south to catch the low, warming sun in winter (an overhang prevents high summer sun from baking first-floor occupants, plus the bulk of the second floor has been clad in charcoal grey to minimize it visually to the single-family houses it faces); there is geothermal heating and cooling under the outdoor play areas; a 100 kilowatt photovoltaic array on the roof and battery power storage system assist the geothermal, provide domestic hot water, and will supply 12 hours of continuous building operation during power outages; walls have 16 inches of insulation and windows are triple pane; and CLT construction (cross laminated timber) reduce off-site emissions.

But none of that would matter much if the building were utilitarian or clinical, or worse, if parents didn’t feel comfortable dropping off their precious little packages each day. Luckily, colour, joy and life begin on the sidewalk just outside the front door, where parents and passersby alike are greeted with a sprinkling of jaunty benches and bright chartreuse tile surrounding a glassy peek into a double-height lobby.

...

It took five years to get the Mount Dennis Early Learning and Child Care Centre built, licensed and full of children. Construction began, unfortunately, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which meant there were numerous delays in getting materials. And, even when things ramped up again, there was additional bureaucracy to deal with, says Mr. Dodaro: “We deal with the [provincial] Ministry of Education – outside our control – and that can take months and months to set up and get licensing.” A building such as this, adds Mr. Pastor, should take about 2½ years from start to finish.

...