It is becoming a familiar business plan for Mark Steadman and Ross George; find an under-used community building, still in good condition, renovate and add a daycare.

The Brigden duo started it in their hometown, repurposing the old Masonic Lodge in Brigden in 2023 and partnered with Kiddies Korner to operate the daycare.

At the time, Steadman, a young father, said they wanted to do something to help deal with the shortage of child care spaces.

Fast forward to 2025 and George and Steadman have replicated the concept in Courtright with a former United Church and will be doing it again in Wyoming in 2026.

George and Steadman plan to repurpose the Wyoming United Church on Second Street over the next year.

The project includes a playground and three childcare rooms: an infant room, a toddler room, and a preschool room.

Construction is expected to complete by late 2026 George told Plympton-Wyoming council Oct. 8.

“It’s no secret that there’s a shortage of childcare in our rural communities, particularly Petrolia-Wyoming area is kind of a hotspot,” said George.

There is a waiting list of 130 families in Petrolia and Wyoming alone.

“Mark, and I have been successful before in other communities in Lambton County with similar projects.”

Ross says the building’s exterior won’t change. But there will be a new playground complete with armour stone barriers.

The province has advised all day cares to make changes after a car crashed into a day care in the GTA earlier this year.

“Our intention is to incorporate armor stone with landscaping. And where we’re not able to fit armor stone, we’re going to utilize bowling posts to prevent any sort of tragedy like there was in the GTA a couple weeks ago,” Ross said.

The developers hope to get building permits in the next week or so.

Through the construction, the building will still be in use by the Wyoming United Church.

“They will have access to their sanctuary, and they will be able to continue their regular worship,” says Ross. “What we’re going to be doing is repurposing the balance of the building – which has been underutilized for a number of years now – into childcare spaces.”

Ross adds the building has “been extremely well kept by the church and parishioners over the years. I’m really looking forward to repurposing it for child care.”

Ross expects construction will take most of 2026 with Kiddies Korner taking over the new day care space late in the fall.