Kathy Sheridan: Public toilets are key to dignity, health and wellbeing Dublin is caught short for provision of conveniences – especially for women
about 3 hours ago
Up to the 1970s there were sixty staffed public toilets in Dublin. Today there are less than a handful public conveniences. Irish Times Dublin Editor Olivia Kelly reports. Video: Bryan O’Brien
On Saturday, a friend rang from a queue for the nice public toilets on St Stephen’s Green. It took 20 minutes to get to the top of it. Photograph: Bryan O Brien
Back in December 2015 during a live TV debate for a US presidential primary before seven million viewers, the moderator was well into a question for Bernie Sanders when Hillary Clinton finally wound her way back, late, after a commercial break. “Sorry,” she said, deadpan.
Popular band calls out Toronto for not having enough public washrooms
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People in Toronto have long highlighted the issue of insufficent public washroom access in the city, especially since the pandemic began and the many private-sector facilities previously used by residents were forced to shut down.
Now, one of the country s most famous rock bands is also drawing attention to the problem.
The official Twitter account for the Hamilton-based rock band Arkells shared a tweet asking about a public bathroom near Yonge and Dundas on Saturday, indicating that they had already been looking for one for 15 minutes.
The Government has now launched a consultation into the provision of loos after decades of service inequality.
Women have long complained that they have had fewer stalls than men, but the issue has been ignored. In the meantime the number of council-maintained public conveniences has fallen by 13 per cent over the last decade, with cash-strapped local authorities turning facilities into gender-neutral spaces to save money.
Campaigners say the result is an even greater reduction in options for women, longer queues and the embarrassment of having to walk past men at a urinal to get to their cubicle. Conservative MP Jackie Doyle-Price, co-chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on women’s health, said it was ‘astonishing’ that there was a fight to preserve women’s toilets in the 21st Century.
Public washroom on Main and Powell in East Vancouver. (Kristen Frier)
The Vancouver Park Board plans to build new washrooms and upgrade existing ones in parks, recreation centres, and other public places to address the public’s health and accessibility concerns.
Demands regarding this matter have increased as the pandemic continues to affect businesses like fast-food restaurants or local shops, which originally allow people to use their washrooms. Individuals now turn to public washrooms and portable potties, but the constant usage may present potential health risks for the community.
A comprehensive plan for Vancouver’s public washrooms is in the works containing short and long term strategies for improvements, sanitation, and maintenance, a news release by Daily Hive reports. The Vancouver Park Board allocated around $25,000 annually for janitorial services and added to the budget for the operating costs of 95 washrooms.