City sets childcare hearing: New approval process for larger daycares
North Shore News
Benjamin Alldritt
March 04, 2009

City of North Vancouver city council is moving forward with a pair of bylaws to regulate group childcare within the municipality, over the strenuous objections of two councillors who said the rules would discourage the opening of new childcare spaces.

The bylaws, which passed first reading Monday and will be discussed at a public hearing, only affect childcare facilities in residential areas. They require new facilities which host more than eight children to be at least 90 metres, roughly one city block, away from any other daycare. To be granted a business licence, the daycare operator would also have to submit a traffic mitigation plan, consult with neighbouring residents, and lay out their case at a public council meeting….

When council took up the debate, Coun. Craig Keating moved that the report and bylaw recommendations be sent back to staff, and that childcare be addressed in a more comprehensive way during the upcoming official community plan update process….

Coun. Pam Bookham recalled "intense discussions" on the issue during the previous council term. "No matter what our differences were, we are in agreement that we want to encourage daycare, and the way to do it is to ensure that daycare in residential neighbourhoods is a good fit," she said….

Coun. Mary Trentadue backed Keating effort to return the bylaws to staff.

"The bottom line for me is there are not enough daycares out here and people need them. Coming from small business, I see the bylaws here as being quite limiting for childcare providers. I see it as a difficulty having to go through all these steps in order to have a small business in your home. I don't think we do this with any other small businesses in homes."….

With his deferral motion defeated, Keating argued it was time to get back "to the bare bones on the issue of childcare." He urged his colleagues to ask residents what the chief issue in the childcare debate was.

"I will bet you $100 right now that you're not going to find anyone who says noise or traffic. They'll say 'not enough spaces'," he said….