Municipal efforts to accommodate a new daycare facility in childcare-strapped Fort St. John are laudable, but the proposed project location will destroy precious wildlife habitat, a local service club says. …

Fort St. John Rotarians have invested a significant amount of money in the site over the years to fund a broad range of enhancements, including a two-kilometre trail system.

Club member Chuck McDowell said the daycare, as proposed, would displace dozens of animals, such as deer, foxes, rabbits and birds from their natural habitat.

"It's a beautiful, natural setting," McDowell said Friday. "It would just be a shame to lose it." ….

The City would like to avoid rezoning the area, as doing so would cost significant amounts of both time and money.

He added that a new daycare facility is definitely needed in Fort St. John. A study last April from the Success by Six Initiative found that in the past year, 48 per cent of parents polled were unable to access childcare.

To resolve the daycare land dilemma, Eglinski said the City is arranging a sit-down with the daycare proponents, which includes partners from the Oil and Gas Commission and School District 60, as well as the Rotary Club and nearby residents.

"I believe that some people might be just getting over-concerned about something that might not be warranted," Eglinski said. "When we sit down and take a look at what is being proposed for those areas, maybe things could be worked out together that makes everybody happy."