With No more bathroom breaks for Mariner's Park this year, there are Few options left for those in the downtown area

The seasonal closure of the public washroom facilities of Mariner's Park have the "Closed for the Season signs up" and that means that one less option and maybe the only option that was available, is now gone for those in the downtown area in need of a bathroom break.

The annual closure once again serving as a reminder of the lack of public washroom facilities to be found in the downtown area, something that requires a bit of a mental map of which commercial enterprises in Prince Rupert are welcoming for those that may pop in to take care of some personal business.

The closure of the Mariner's loos also serves as a reminder that there hasn't been much heard about the plans for the more ambitious of public washrooms that was in motion for the area of Third Avenue West and Seventh Street. 

That project, which was moved forward in February of this year, hit a bit of a snag in September, and since then City Council hasn't had much to say about the plan moving forward.

Not that they ever said much about the development plan since February, with Council never really identifying the chosen site as the home for the new downtown bathroom location until it was discovered that the work on it had come to a halt.

There hasn't been much progress seen at the location of the proposed
downtown washroom facility since some worksite troubles arrived in September

If the still to be constructed facility ever makes it to the completion stage it will be open 24 hours a day and make for a much needed addition to the downtown core area.

The public washroom program was to be funded by a grant, but will also require operating funds for cleaning, supplies and services to the washroom station. 

Notes from a February report for City Council
on the plan for a downtown washroom facility

The topic of the need for more public washroom spaces has been an ongoing discussion for past City Councils; the current version of which moved the talk towards some action last year, with the pace of some kind of facility being put in place making progress last year and again this year.

July 7 2020 -- Port-a-Potty peek a Boo!
May 13, 2020 -- Supportive measures for the City's homeless population explored at Council session

Three public council sessions have taken place since the topic of the stalled Third West washroom first came to light and not much has been said about the project. 

With time running out on the calendar for 2021 and work on the project slowing significantly, Mayor Brain and theCouncil members may want to bring the subject up for a public discussion before years end to provide an update on where the project is at the moment. 

As part of their talking points, Council could offer residents a timeline of sorts towards construction and an eventual Grand Opening and until that point, some notes towards if they have any temporary fixes in mind to solve the scarcity of downtown washroom options in the interim.

More notes on City Council themes can be reviewed from our archive page here.

Cross posted from the North Coast Review.