It won’t cost $ 1,150 to pee, anymore

I’m speculating, but I’m sure similar conversations have taken place in the past few years.

They probably went something like this:

“Sure, you can race your kayak’s up and down the waterway to your heart’s content for that $ 500 rental fee.

“Oh, what’s that? You have to go pee? Ok, well that’ll cost you an extra $ 1,150.”

Renting the Welland International Flatwater Centre must have seemed like a great deal to user groups. But like most things, when a deal seems too good to be true it usually is.

According to a report that was presented at Thursday’s Welland Recreational Canal Corp. interim board meeting, the cost of renting the WIFC north course was as little as $ 500 for affiliate groups like the South Niagara Rowing Club, $ 895 for community groups and $ 1,495 for large sports associations.

But it included nothing — not even the use of the bathrooms and change rooms. According to the report, access to the loo costs $ 1,150 more.

In brackets, the report says the price included paper supplies. That’s a relief. It’d be terrible to expect people paying that much money to still have to bring their own toilet paper. For that much money, the included paper supplies must have been $ 20 bills.

It was written right there on the report, but it still seemed too incredible to believe. Surely, it was a misprint or something.

I called Mayor Frank Campion to confirm the accuracy of the information. It was accurate.

The extra fees were not charged for some worthy causes, such as a fundraising community dragon boat race organized annually by the Welland Heritage Council and Multicultural Centre.

But now, thankfully, that fee structure has changed for all users.

The WRCC’s interim board members voted Thursday to adopt a revised price list that includes things like using the bathroom.

North course rental charges now range from $ 750 to $ 1,845 a day, but that includes use of the building and numerous other amenities that were previously added to the cost. And although the initial rental cost is higher, the overall bills user groups would be asked to pay are thousands less than they would have been when all those extras are tacked on.

Campion said user groups who had rented the facility in the past complained that “they thought they were getting A, and then all of the sudden when the thing was over, they’d get a bill with B, C and D on it.”

“We’re actually listening to users,” he said.

Despite the welcome changes, the past practice has left me with an ongoing concern.

If people were asked to pay $ 1,150 to use the toilet, I’d think many would probably opt to pee in the canal instead.

Isn’t the city’s drinking water drawn from that waterway?

Just how many people have relieved themselves in our drinking water? I’m sure it’s fine. Niagara has wonderful water purification systems in place. After all, fish pee in the water everyday.

Still, it’s gross.