Guests, including then-4 Wing and Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Cold Lake Commander Colonel Mark Hickey, 4 Wing Chief Warrant Officer Carlos Oliveira, Cold Lake Mayor Bob Mattice, and representatives from the 4 Wing Military Family Resource Centre Society (MFRCS), officially opened the newly renovated Welcome Centre and expanded First Flights Early Learning Centre—all photos by Brittany Poisson, Communications Coordinator, 4 Wing MFRCS.

Military, Veteran and Defence Team families at CFB Cold Lake now have greater access to childcare and family support services following the completion of a 15-month expansion and renovation project at the 4 Wing Military Family Resource Centre Society (MFRCS).

The MFRCS officially celebrated the grand opening of new classrooms at the First Flights Early Learning Centre and its newly renovated Welcome Centre during a ceremony held late in June.

The project added 40 new childcare spaces for Military, Veteran and Defence Team children, significantly reducing the childcare waitlist. According to the MFRCS, the expansion means no Military, Veteran or Defence Team child requiring care is expected to go without childcare for at least the next year.

In addition to the childcare expansion, the Welcome Centre was extensively renovated and restored to its full capacity. The facility serves as a central point of support for families experiencing relocations, deployments and other military life transitions, offering information, referrals and programs tailored to the unique needs of the military community.

The project, which took 15 months to complete and represents a significant investment in supporting military families at 4 Wing.