Support to maintain extended public washroom hours growing ahead of budget deliberations

The public washroom in the Victoria Park bandshell is seen in London, Ont. on Jan. 26, 2024. (Daryl Newcombe/CTV News London)

The chorus of voices calling on city council to continue funding extended public washroom hours downtown is growing louder.

Shawna Lewkowitz, a PhD candidate in Western University’s Human Environments Analysis Lab (HEAL), is urging council to support a $350,000 business case to continue operating public washrooms in Victoria Park and on Dundas Place for 12 hours each day.

If the business case is not supported during upcoming budget deliberations, hours would revert to five hours a day plus special events.

“I think it serves restaurants and businesses and everybody who's downtown to have these public washrooms. Too often we rely on private businesses to take up that issue of offering out a washroom,” Lewkowitz said.

She said it will aid revitalization efforts if people visiting downtown London have confidence knowing a washroom will be available.

Currently, each of the washrooms is used by 70 to 100 people daily.

The additional costs are related to security, supplies, cleaning and repairs.

The budget business case reads, “Increased Dundas Place and Victoria Park public washroom operation may help to minimize cleanliness concerns reported on sidewalks, in parks, and on private property.”

“We can either invest in keeping these public washrooms open, and giving people a dignified place to go, or if we don't, people will be forced to go elsewhere,” Lewkowitz said. “Using a toilet is not an option. You either have to go or you don't. You are either going to use a proper toilet, or you are going to use parks, sidewalks, and other places."

Council will begin deliberating the 2024-2027 Municipal Budget on Feb. 1.