Toddler’s death at daycare probed

The B.C. coroner’s service is investigating the accidental death of a 16-month-old Vancouver toddler at a daycare on Wednesday.

No cause of death was released by week’s end in the accident that took the life of Macallan Wayne Saini. Vancouver police were called to a home in the area of Commercial Drive and Kitchener Street shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday, and detectives later turned the case over to the coroner’s service.

“Mac was like a brilliant star that appeared in our lives for only a short time, but will forever change us all,” said John Sheppard, the child’s uncle, in an online statement to launch a GoFundMe campaign to help the boy’s parents Chris Saini and Shelley Sheppard. By Friday afternoon, the online campaign had raised more than $53,000.

Vancouver Coastal Health, which licenses daycares, said there was no record of a licensed daycare at that location. A community care facilities licence is required for all programs and facilities providing care to three or more children who are not related to the operator.

Police and the coroner did not release the name of the daycare operator.