Yes I Can back in North Toronto

[attach]6401[/attach]Yes I Can Nursery School is finally coming home.

After leaving North Toronto for a year, the nursery is establishing a second site at Yonge Street and Fairlawn Avenue, four blocks up from its old location at Bedford Park United Church.

“When I was putting up the sign for the site, a lot of community members were honking and welcoming us,” executive director Janet MacDougall said. “We’re very happy to be back.”

The nursery signed a 15-year lease and will open its doors to 80 families — 20 more than its current location.

The Fairlawn site will offer standard nursery, enriched kindergarten and Saturday programs. It will also add Teeny Two’s for toddlers, and Before and After the Bell where Yes I Can teachers pick up students from their local community schools for programming

North Toronto resident Beverly Lynch is thinking of registering her son Aaron for the afterschool program this fall.
Lynch, whose son just graduated from Yes I Can’s senior kindergarten, said it’s fantastic the school’s returning to the neighbourhood as it has made a positive difference in her son’s life.

“It was a shame when they had to move,” she added.

In 2011, Yes I Can needed to move after Bedford Park United Church’s redevelopment plans left no space for it on the property.

“We felt that we had a strong partnership with them and we were disappointed,” said MacDougall.

The school moved to 25 Old York Mills Rd. in Hoggs Hollow, but Lynch said some parents weren’t able to send their kids to the location due to distance.

“Some mothers have to walk their children to school and daycare,” Lynch said. “It was a real benefit for them to have Yes I Can so close.”

Now back in the neighbourhood, MacDougall is excited to open the school in September.

“This community has a high need for early childhood education and we’re glad to accommodate them,” she said.