Today, Capilano University (CapU) officially opened the doors to the Fulmer Family Centre for Development during Childhood Studies, the new home for the School of Education and Early Childhood Studies and a second childcare facility on the main campus in Northeast Vancouver. 

The center will also provide training for 20 early childhood educators (ECEs), thereby increasing the number of practicum placements for students on campus. The 23,000-square-foot, two-story facility provides 74 new child care spaces for the North Shore, enabling CapU to increase enrollment in its Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programs by 25 percent. 

“The opening of this innovative teaching, learning, and research space reimagines how we prepare future educators to meet the needs of 21st-century children and provides quality child care that is vital for children, families, and communities to thrive,” said Brad Martin, dean, Faculty of Education, Health & Human Development.
 

 As Western Canada’s only purpose-designed, integrated center for early childhood care and education, the new design brings together researchers, learners, educators, and children under one roof to advance research, education, and innovation in the early years. The building features studio and lab space, classrooms, faculty offices, and a children’s center that will provide care and education for infants, toddlers, and children aged 3 to 5, starting in June. 
 

CapU’s current 69-space Children’s Centre will remain in operation as a not-for-profit childcare facility run by the university and licensed by Vancouver Coastal Health.
 

 The $25 million project received more than $11 million from the Government of British Columbia, including nearly $3 million from the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund. CapU contributed more than $8 million toward the project, with almost $6 million from donors.
 

 “This building and its spectacular playground provide an extraordinary step forward in a beautiful and loving environment to help our children and those who take care of them,” Fulmer said at the building opening event. “Quality child care strengthens our entire community. It supports economic growth, promotes gender equality, and fosters social inclusion. It helps attract and retain talent, ensures that children arrive at school ready to learn, and creates a meaningful site for early childhood education.”
 

Among those in attendance at the building opening were Bowinn Ma, Minister of Infrastructure; Capilano University Chancellor Yuri Fulmer; Rohini Arora, Parliamentary Secretary for Child Care; Susie Chant, MLA for North Vancouver-Seymour; Elder Lorelei Lyons; and Deanna George, Tsleil-Waututh councillor; Mike Little, mayor of the District of North Vancouver; Linda Buchanan, mayor of the City of North Vancouver; and capital campaign co-chairs Derek and Carlota Lee.   
 

 Ma said, "Not only for encouraging equality, but also for enhancing our economy by helping more individuals seek higher education or find a job." Access to high-quality, reasonably priced child care is vital." The new author, Fulmer Family Centers for Early Childhood Learning, increases the number of on-campus childcare slots, supporting local families and providing more opportunities for students in the early childhood field to acquire the knowledge necessary to enter the workforce in their chosen profession. 
 

 Designed by Vancouver-based Public Architecture, the LEED Gold-certified building is situated at the north end of the main campus, close to public transportation and adjacent to woodland and trails. 
 

 Seeing the Fulmer Family Centre for Childhood Studies finished makes me excited," said Brian Wakelin, Principal of Public Architecture. "This facility is more than a building—it's a living laboratory where the art of caregiving meets the science of teaching. It demonstrates Public Architecture's commitment to creating a sustainable future that benefits the community through innovative design ideas. We wish it benefits the CapU community of teachers, staff, students, and children far into the future. 
 

 Since the Nat and Flora Bosa Centre for Film & Animation opened in 2012, it has become the first major renovation project completed on the university's main campus.