New public washroom opens in Pat Fiacco Plaza
Anyone spending time in Regina's downtown will now have access to a new public washroom in Pat Fiacco Plaza.
Nearly five years in the making, an accessible single washroom in Victoria Park opened to the public for use Tuesday.
Located on Lorne Avenue in the west corner of the plaza, the onestall universal washroom will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. It is equipped with a baby-changing table.
A news release from the City of Regina announcing the new washroom calls it a “significant step in enhancing public facilities.”
“This initiative, directed by Council, is in response to community needs and underscores the City's commitment to providing essential services for both residents and visitors,” reads the release.
“The City of Regina remains committed to creating inclusive and functional public spaces.”
Operating hours for the new permanent washroom may be adjusted over the summer months, guided by usage data gathered this spring.
Originally proposed in 2019, adding a public restroom was suggested to fulfil a need identified as far back as 2010 in the Regina Downtown Neighbourhood Plan.
People in Victoria Park or at events in the plaza were only able to access a washroom at the nearby Regina Public Library, city hall or the Cornwall Centre.
COVID -19 delayed plans for a pilot project to gauge usage trends for such a facility, prompting city council to agree to skip the step altogether.
In 2021, city council voted to approve administration's pursuit of a design. At that time, the project was estimated at $550,000, plus an ongoing maintenance cost of around $37,000 per year or $100 a day.
The actual spend was lower, at $140,000, as the city renovated the Welcome Services Pavillion rather than building new. That figure includes space for a service provider to oversee operations.
Though a pilot was never greenlit, Tuesday's news release says the installation of temporary porta-potties in Victoria Park last summer did provide insight that informed the permanent restroom.
One set was installed at the plaza in mid-june “to gather data on the need for a permanent washroom,” the city said.
That installation followed after bylaw enforcement removed a porta-potty from Pepsi Park placed there by a collective of local citizens wanting to offer access for people living rough in the neighbourhood, citing a lack of permit.
Some city-owned porta-potties in Victoria Park were later moved one block west to city hall in mid-july, where a group of unhoused
people had been encamped in the courtyard for more than a month.
Communication at the time said the move was to “better address public health concerns on the courtyard.”
Those were removed after the encampment was evicted later that month. The portables in the plaza remained until the new washroom opened Tuesday.