On Front Street in the heart of Whitehorse, the Yukon Family Literacy Center has relocated.
The organization recently moved from the Canada Games Centre (CGC) after receiving notice that its 12-year contract there would expire on November 10.
It is currently operating out of its regular summer location at the Pioneer Hotel at Shipyards Park until December 15 while transitioning to its new site. The new site will officially open in January 2024.
Carrie-Anne McPhee, director of the literacy center program, expressed the team’s enthusiasm and anticipation for the opening of the new location.
The new site, which will debut in January, will offer the same programs and operating hours as the CGC, which it provided previously.
McPhee mentioned that while the plans are still in progress, fixtures, and window blinds are being installed, and they will continue to offer the same unique programs that people are familiar with and love. So, the same services and experiences that you cherished about the previous community literacy center will still be available.
She emphasized that the area will always be “a safe, comfortable, free place for you to come and play with your children, take our courses, read books, and enjoy treats.”
McPhee explained that after receiving the notice to vacate the CGC site, they spent a considerable amount of time searching for a new location for the fall and winter seasons.
Moving out of that old location was a significant change for both us and the community, and now the new location is more convenient. If you have young kids and reside in the Yukon, especially in Whitehorse, you are aware that you spend most of the winter at the CGC while your children are practicing soccer, taking swimming lessons, or doing something else.
She mentioned that the new location offers several advantages, including being closer to the city and having parking available.
“The old place at the CGC was a large concrete room with no windows. That was its main drawback. This new space is a large, beautiful open area with huge windows. It’s incredibly bright and beautiful. It’s just stunning. That’s a significant improvement that will greatly benefit people.”
McPhee also noted that the new location will have its own restrooms.
“We’ll be able to set up a wonderfully large, quiet reading area with very comfortable furniture, which will be somewhat separate from the larger play area. So, that’s also great.”
She informed the News that there would be additional opportunities in the area, which would serve as a multi-use community space and be used for various initiatives and projects.
“We’re not yet entirely sure what that will look like. But during the day, it will function as a family literacy center, and at night, other activities will take place. So, there will be other events happening there. That wasn’t really the case before.”
The center is operated by the Yukon Literacy Coalition, which provides a range of programs and initiatives, including educating young children in the community and teaching them youth employment skills.
Staff members of the coalition also conduct financial literacy workshops to teach locals how to read paychecks, manage money, and develop other financial skills. These sessions are held in schools, community centers, and other locations across the territory.
Another program offered annually through the literacy center is home education.
So, the family literacy project offers opportunities for families in the Yukon to learn through play in various ways. We had the Family Literacy Center, which was a large educational space inside the CGC where you could drop by with your children. We participated in art programs, storytelling, cooking, and various other activities.
McPhee mentioned that the City of Whitehorse collaborated with the family literacy program every summer.
Mark Steudle, a program coordinator for the organization, expressed that the place at the CGC will be missed as it was well-known in the community.
He said, “I hope we can establish the same kind of rapport with the community as we did at the CGC.” “We expect to see the same number of people as in the previous location.” The fact that there were already residents there was one advantage of the CGC. We’re uncertain about what to expect, but we anticipate a temporary decrease in the number of visitors as everyone adjusts to the new environment. This will be a significant change for both the community and us, and we can’t wait to see what the new location has to offer.
Patrick Egwu can be reached at [email protected].