Extended hours daycare centre opens in Blairmore

Kyla Penner and KP Squared staff gathered for a group photo during the Feb. 12 grand opening of the organization’s Crowsnest Pass child care centre, the company’s fifth location and its first extended hours site in southern Alberta. Photo by Nicholas L. M. Allen.

Local Journalism Initiative

KPSquared marks fifth location with Blackfoot blessing and a pitch for childcare as community infrastructure

A new childcare centre offering extended hours officially opened its doors in the Crowsnest Pass on Feb. 12, with KPSquared leaders telling attendees the project was designed to better match the realities of shift work and non-traditional schedules in the region.

The grand opening of KPSquared’s The Nest included a Blackfoot blessing by Aileen Bastien of Piikani Nation, who told the crowd she had been called in on short notice after another speaker was unable to attend.

“I will say the blessing in my language, Blackfoot. That’s my native tongue,” Bastien said, before inviting those in attendance to pray in their own way according to their own beliefs.

Bastien also shared details about her work with children, saying she serves as a grand-mother in residence at a school with students from K4 to Grade 6.

“I always say children are the best gifts we can ever have. Those children, these little ones here, will be our leaders one day. And we’re just paving a path for them,” she said.

Following the blessing, Rem Cabili Obod, Chief of Programs and Cultures at KP Squared, described the opening as more than a ribbon cutting moment.

“This is not just a grand opening of a childcare centre, but to us, it represents something much deeper. It represents the beginning of relationship, the start of trust, and the opportunity to become the part of everyday lives of families here in Crowsnest Pass,” Obod said.

Obod said the organization’s approach is built around relationships, both with children and with families, and said the centre is intended to be a welcoming space that supports learning, belonging, and development in the early years.

“We believe early childhood is not a waiting period for real life. It is real life,” Obod said.

He also told the crowd KPSquared wants to build ties beyond the centre itself, saying strong childcare programs “do not exist in isolation” and grow through community con-nections.

CEO and founder Kyla Penner thanked those who attended and acknowledged contributors to the new space, including mural artist Troy Crombie, event organizer Kylie and a list of staff and supporters she said helped bring the project to completion.

Penner also recognized visiting officials in the room.

“I am grateful for the Pass Herald to be here. Mayor Oliver from Pincher Creek. I love seeing the councillors from our community also join us today,” she said.

Penner said the Crowsnest Pass centre is KPSquared’s fifth location and its first extended hours site in southern Alberta. She told the crowd the push for extended hour child-care was rooted in her own experience trying to find care that matched her working hours.

“Years ago, I could not find childcare that aligned with my real working hours. I learned something that shaped the entire trajectory of my life. Childcare is not a side service, it’s structural,” Penner said.

Penner framed childcare as a core part of workforce stability, arguing that when care does not align with jobs, the effects reach beyond individual households.

“When childcare doesn’t align with the workforce, families strain. When families strain, communities feel it. And when communities feel it, it slows growth,” she said.

Penner said the new centre was designed to address those challenges through extended operations and a booking model meant to reflect varying schedules.

“We will operate seven days a week, we offer extended hours, and we use a booking system that mirrors real work lives instead of asking families to pay for spaces that they don’t require,” she said.

Penner linked those decisions to broader goals around regional retention and economic resilience, saying flexibility is essential in communities where work hours can vary widely.

“It allows nurses to take shifts. It allows trades to mobilize. It allows entrepreneurs to build. It allows small businesses to stay open. It allows young families to say yes to stay-ing in our region,” she said.

Obod and Penner both emphasized that the centre’s approach is intended to be collaborative with parents and caregivers. Obod said families should feel comfortable raising questions, sharing concerns and celebrating milestones throughout their time with the program.

Penner told the crowd the organization’s intent in the Crowsnest Pass is not only to operate a childcare facility, but to contribute to the wider community by supporting the households that keep the region running.

Families who want more information about hours, programming and enrollment can contact KPSquared Innovative Child Care directly or visit the centre in person to learn what options are available.