They put on fairs and rodeos, host family fun days and large-scale ag shows, build community through a host of events, and share their facilities with organizations of every shape and size.
But among the nearly 300 ag societies in the province, the Grovedale Community & Agricultural Society is unique — it’s in the daycare business.
Grovedale is a bedroom community of about 1,700 people, located 25 kilometres from Grande Prairie. Members of the ag society had been talking about a community facility and some thought a seniors’ residence would be a top priority. But when they surveyed residents, a daycare came out on top.
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“There was a need for it,” said Leah Diachuk, the society’s treasurer. “People wanted to see a daycare in the community.”
And there certainly was a need, said Danny Williams, who was the society’s president for nearly a decade. “We knew there were many young, new families moving into the community and we were really lacking a daycare.
“Some schoolteachers who working at the school were driving into town (Grande Prairie) to get childcare and then come back to work.”
The lack of childcare is a national problem.
A 2017 study estimated there were only 1.2 million spaces for the 4.8 million children in Canada under age 12, and that rural and remote regions “are particularly under-served”. And it’s also a big problem for many farm families, said Williams, who raises cattle and has an off-farm job.
“We have farmers who bring their kids down and have them looked after while they’re doing chores,” he said. “Most agricultural families work off the farm, so they need daycare. It’s a big help that way.”
The facility, which opened in June, has about dozen kids (ranging in age from 2 to 12) — some attend full time, some part time, and some come before and/or after school. Parents also have the option of booking a couple of days in a row.
“Our community is a farm community 100 per cent,” said Diachuk.
“We had a few new members come to our ag society and get on the board and they mentioned it was stressful to get childcare. People were going to work and getting up an hour and half earlier to get their kids dropped off at daycare,” added Williams. “Now it’s just a drive-by.”
The effort was recently presented with an Agricultural Society Innovation Award.
“This new business provided a needed service, created new opportunities and jobs, and showed a commitment to support local families and keep them in the community,” a provincial news release stated.
“The ag society took the bull by the horns and got in touch with the Municipal District of Greenview and partnered with them,” said Williams. “They were the financial support of the whole operation.”
Local officials also assisted in the building process, although there were other challenges along the way.
“There were struggles in getting it running, too,” said Diachuk. “Getting every little detail for our licensing. Finding staff to drive to Grovedale — that was a little hurdle. We have phenomenal staff, but it took time to find them.”
There was also a lot of volunteer effort in getting the space ready and outfitting it, such as purchasing play equipment and toys. But the response was worth it, said Diachuk.
“We’ve had nothing but positive comments from parents who are using our facility, so that’s encouraging,” she said. “A lot of the parents whose children attend are also working in Grande Prairie. They can drop their children off, go to work and pick their children up. We’re open 6 (a.m.) to 6 (p.m.) There’s no rush.”
Being close to the hamlet’s K-8 school is another feature.
“The daycare staff can go over and get kids after school and bring them to daycare so the parents don’t have to meet the bus or whatever the case might be,” she said. “The staff walks the kids before and after to school, with written permission from the parents.”
The daycare has also attracted the interest of other ag societies, said Diachuk.
“A lot of other ag societies were quite surprised and interested in what we did and how we did it,” she said.
The Grovedale Community & Agricultural Society (grovedalecenter.ca) also operates a hall and an arena. It supports minor hockey and figure skating clubs, hosts a variety of craft classes, and puts on the Grovedale Fair in August.
