CITY NOT FLUSH WITH TOILETS
Coun. Ball wants to see more public washrooms here to ensure the elderly and those with medical issues can go out with peace of mind
Coun. Elizabeth Ball wants to see more public washrooms in Vancouver.
For Ball, such a movement would ensure older residents and those with medical problems could leave their homes with peace of mind. But it’s not just those residents who would benefit from more loos and a look at what other cities have done offers a couple of tips for Vancouver on how it could plug its plentiful pee problems.
“Access to public toilets is a basic human need and is a critical feature of any age-friendly city,” says a motion from Ball that will be considered by councillors this week and that stemmed from a previous push by Vancouver’s seniors advisory committee for more public washrooms.
The advisory committee had found that public toilets help older adults and those with medical issues to “feel comfortable going out to run errands, exercise and socialize, thus encouraging healthy, active aging,” according to the motion.
There are relatively few public toilets in the city. There are nine automated toilets, mostly scattered around the downtown core, and another two are planned for the North and Jim Deva plazas, according to the city. There are also two “comfort stations” at Main and Hastings and Victory Square, as well as 94 public toilets in city parks (though the majority of them are locked up by dusk and none are open all night).
Meanwhile, major transit hubs like Waterfront Station have none and busy shopping and entertainment areas have precious few. That deficiency puts the burden on private businesses to offer up their facilities for public use. And whether it be out of fear their facilities will be frequented by drug users or require frequent cleaning, many companies limit use of their washrooms to employees or paying customers.
But the lack of toilets doesn’t stop people from going when they must and the consequences of that can be seen — or smelled — in recessed doorways, back alleys and stairwells all over Vancouver.
Other cities have experienced their own issues with public urination and some have found simple solutions to ease the problem that could also work here, including open-air urinals and paid, staffed facilities.
Many European cities use simple door-free stalls that men can step up to and relieve themselves in. These are sometimes permanent metal or concrete structures and other times plastic fixtures that can be moved where needed most.
Vancouver’s automated toilets are owned and maintained by a contractor, though the city paid a portion of the capital costs to install them. Between 16 and 20 Downtown Eastside residents are employed to maintain Vancouver’s comfort stations and the facilities cost the city about $440,000 a year.
“Access to public toilets is a basic ... need and is a critical feature of any agefriendly city.” — Motion from Coun. Elizabeth Ball