Two city councillors want to see people have more access to public bathrooms in the downtown area.
Coun. Tim Bennett and Coun. Trudy Klassen have teamed up on a notice of motion, set to go before council Dec. 2, that calls for city staff to prepare a detailed report by the third quarter of 2025 that focuses on expanding public washroom facilities and enhancing access across the downtown area.
In their notice, the councillors point out the growing need for accessible downtown washrooms, especially for tourists, the homeless, the elderly, families with young children and individuals with medical conditions requiring frequent restroom use.
Currently, the city limits access to public washrooms during colder months when park facilities are closed, further restricting availability. Although transitional housing projects are set to bring additional washrooms to some residents, there is still a significant gap in facilities available for the public, the motion states.
The motion suggests expanding public washroom availability at selected downtown locations such as St. Vincent de Paul, Positive Living North (Firepit) and AWAC.
The proposal would include a small grant to support the hiring of people to monitor the facilities during peak hours. The agencies would continue to cover the costs of operation and maintenance while ensuring washrooms are accessible to the public when needed.
Council will also be asked to consider a pilot program to extend washroom hours at Canada Games Plaza from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, with an on-site monitor during operating hours.
This would run from June 15 to Oct.1, with custodial staff cleaning the facilities daily, the notice of motion states.
The notice suggests adding questions to future surveys to assess public demand for washroom access, which would help guide future planning, and recommends that the city explore grant opportunities to improve washroom infrastructure with a focus on year-round accessibility and safety.
A key aspect of the motion is a call to the Standing Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs to develop an advocacy plan aimed at securing provincial and federal funding for public washroom facilities across the city
The councillors also reference solutions implemented in Valemount, where self-cleaning, year-round public washrooms have been installed.
These facilities, designed by Urben Blu, feature automatic sanitation and water-saving technologies, reducing maintenance costs and enhancing hygiene.
Though the funding for Valemount's washrooms was sourced from now-defunct grants, the project serves as a model for Prince George’s potential future initiatives, Klassen and Bennett state.
