Credit: City of Vernon
ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: New public loos will be pricey, and where to put them?

Apr 14, 2021 | 4:25 AM

KAMLOOPS — WHEN IT COMES to real estate and public washrooms, it’s all about location.

Kamloops City council spent an hour on Tuesday talking about an application for a $2.5 million grant from the Province, and most of it was centered around the public washroom mess.

There’s a pressing need for public washrooms in the City’s main shopping areas due to the increasing presence of street people, some of whom exhibit less-than-impeccable bathroom manners, especially when there’s no toilet handy.

As a result, they often do their business in doorways, alleys or streets or in front of businesses. It’s gross and it’s a health problem. Many cities are experiencing the same thing and they’re all looking for answers.

One is to install specially designed, stand-alone washrooms that are resistant to vandalism.

So, along came a new provincial grant program and the City sees an opportunity to get in on it. A proposal to council yesterday, eventually approved, will see an application submitted for projects to improve the health and safety of the homeless.

That would include two so-called Portland loo style washrooms on the North Shore and two on the South Shore.

The Portland loos — once rejected by council due to cost — have become famous but Vernon has its own version that Kamloops might buy. Such facilities are notoriously expensive, and Mayor Ken Christian predicted there will be plenty of public comments about the Kamloops loos costing more than the average house.

Unfortunately, City staff hasn’t done actual estimates yet due to a tight application deadline, but it’s possible and maybe even probable that the four loos alone will eat up most of the grant.

And then, of course, there’s location. Just try to think of a place in our shopping districts where these loos would be welcome.

The need for more public washrooms is clear; what’s not at all clear is how much they’re going to cost, and where to put them.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.

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