BGC Parksville Child and Family Centre
On June 25, 2022, the City of Parksville and BGC Central Vancouver Island officially reopened the Jensen Centre (formerly Parksville Community Centre) at 132 Jensen Avenue East. The BGC Parksville Child and Family Centre looks forward to welcoming the community, kids and their parents, youth, and everyone interested in the re-envisioned Jensen Centre. The BGC Parksville Child and Family Centre will feature 91 new childcare spaces; 37 spaces for infants to school age and 54 spaces for school age children as well as youth and parent programs and community use space. For information about facility rentals and BGC programs in Parksville, please refer to the BGCCVI website and (External link)jensencentre.ca(External link).(External link)
We are excited to create a vibrant child, youth and community-focused centre for Parksville and region. This process began in fall 2020 with a letter of intent between the City of Parksville and BGC Central Vancouver Island to operate the Jensen Centre to facilitate new childcare spaces and community programming.
This arrangement was dependent on the City being successful with a grant application to the Childcare BC New Spaces Fund, Ministry of Children and Family Development. In May 2021, the Province of BC announced the City was successfully awarded a grant for $2,034,829 to complete significant renovations to the Parksville Community Centre to facilitate the BGC Parksville Child and Family Centre as well as community programming. The province will fund 58 new childcare spaces and the Union of BC Municipalities will fund 33 spaces for a total 37 spaces for infants to school age and 54 spaces for school age children.
Council has taken a leadership role in facilitating the development of new childcare spaces in Parksville by recognizing the key role childcare plays in economic development and stability as well as the benefits to healthy child development. The City chose to partner with the non-profit organization, BGC Central Vancouver Island, to create licensed childcare spaces and programming for our community.