Vancouver has a growing problem with open defecation by the local homeless population.
City council has finally acknowledged this grim reality, unanimously passing a motion to install more public washrooms as the city prepares to host FIFA matches in the hope that it will quell the amount of human waste.
The City of Vancouver is taking steps to correct this issue and has committed to making more public washrooms available in the city.
On Wednesday, the city council unanimously approved a motion called “Places to Be and Places to Go”, which was put forward by councillor Pete Fry.
Fry emphasized the urgency of taxpayer-funded toilets during a recent meeting, noting its relevance as the city prepares to host FIFA matches next year.
“As we get to work to welcome the world of football, we really want to have a handle on this public defecation and urination,” Fry said.
Monique Nicholas of Women Transforming Cities was among those who addressed the council, stressing the broader significance of accessible public washrooms.
“Having access to a bathroom when you need one is a fundamental aspect of human dignity,” Nicholas said in a statement supporting the motion.
The motion’s passing is only a first step, however. Staff will now conduct a needs assessment alongside the provincial government to identify suitable locations for even more washrooms.
It also remains unclear what steps will be taken to ensure the bathrooms are used for their dedicated purpose.
True North’s inquiries regarding the supervision of the proposed public washrooms to prevent misuse for drug use, vandalism, or sleeping went unanswered before the publication deadline, despite the Vancouver motion for more publicly accessible facilities passing unanimously.
