With just a few months under his prime-ministerial belt, Mark Carney is attempting to steer a very large and somewhat unruly ship, having never before been a captain. It’s not an easy task by any stretch. We can only hope he doesn’t get distracted because politics is funny that way, and he is rather new at this political thing. 

Laser focused on the economy, Carney appears singular in his mission to put Canada on a stronger footing. But there is an underlying issue that lurks for the prime minister and his team as they seek to strengthen an economy reeling from billions of dollars on the line with our so-called friends to the south. And that issue is childcare. A distraction, some might say, from the bigger trade issues at hand. Certainly not worth Carney’s time or attention. 

Incorrect. With the recent passing of Ken Dryden, one is reminded that Dryden created the foundation for what past Liberal governments had been proposing for decades: a nationally funded childcare system to create improved access, quality, and affordability for families.  

Advocates for the creation of a national system had grown weary of false starts and minimal action. But then Dryden arrived on the scene, and got it done (much like a seasoned goalie delivering his next Stanley cup win). Against the odds, he forged bilateral agreements with all 13 provinces and territories to create a national framework for access to childcare. 

Those agreements put major dollars on the line with premiers in exchange for vastly better access for families. The agreements were subsequently dissolved under the Harper government, but were revived and strengthened in the pro-feminist Justin Trudeau era with a propensity for social investments. 

The results have been game-changing. Many families who once forfeited any attempt at savings in order to spend thousands a month on childcare were tossed a financial lifeline. Others who were historically priced out of daycare were able to access it for $10 to $15 a day, not $100. Quebec had already proven it worked, but now the country was on board. Parents breathed a sigh of relief.

But, predictably, demand has surged off the charts since the program’s launch in Ontario in 2022. And with that demand has come waitlists for childcare so long they boggle the mind. In North Grenville, Ont.—a municipality south of Ottawa—some parents are being told there is little chance of securing a spot before their new baby is eligible for school.

In the wake of a housing boom in smaller communities throughout Canada, families who optimistically moved to towns like North Grenville with its lower housing prices and who are keen to start a family are confronted with the cold, hard facts that—with hundreds of kids on the list for highly limited daycare spots—spaces are at a premium. And most major urban centres are no different.

Carney’s announcements since Parliament’s return are focused on the rehoming industry, fostering energy independence, and diminishing job losses. They are designed to shape an economy nimble enough to weather very stormy seas. 

But for the young and mid-life professionals who do some of that heavy lifting in strengthening this country’s economy, childcare cannot be the forgotten barrier that keeps them at home. As mayor of North Grenville, I have spoken with too many highly skilled parents who have made the painful choice to either leave or change their jobs in the absence of a childcare spot, or to not have children at all.

As we speak, the federal Liberal government is re-negotiating agreements with the provinces for the Canada Wide Early Learning Childcare framework. It is imperative that more funds are injected into the system immediately, and that they are deployed to serve growing as well as struggling communities. Supply must keep up with demand, particularly in rapidly growing areas.

Working families are crucial to the economy of today, and tomorrow and they need to be a serious part of the equation moving forward.

While Carney and Dryden had markedly different goalie careers, let’s hope on this issue, they are aligned so that Carney can deliver on Dryden’s impressive legacy in more ways than one. 

Nancy Peckford is a mayor of North Grenville (comprising the town of Kemptville and several rural hamlets), and is mom to a 13-year-old goalie.

The Hill Times

 

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