A new public washroom has opened at the corner of Broughton Street and Douglas Street in downtown Victoria.
The washroom is open 24/7 and includes accessibility features, the city announced Friday.
The new public washroom is located near late night hospitality venues and was identified by the city as a prime location for a washroom in 2021.
Installation of the washroom cost an eyebrow-raising $400,000 – with $200,000 going towards construction of the prefabricated washroom unit, and another $200,000 going to infrastructure changes at the intersection.
The project included installing a new accessible parking stall beside the washroom, and an expanded curb and sidewalk.
“I, like others, have a little bit of sticker shock,” said Coun. Jeremy Loveday when the project was approved in March 2022.
“It does seem like a lot of money that needs to be expended but I do think it does need to be expended. Access to public washrooms is a basic human right and perhaps the most basic human need,” he said.
The new washroom follows the design of the “Langley Loo,” a similar public washroom that opened on Langley Street in 2012 for a cost of $90,000.
The city says the new “Broughton Loo” will be cleaned twice per day, seven days per week. A contracted security team will also check the washroom periodically.
More information about the city’s public washrooms, including which ones are open 24 hours a day, can be found on the City of Victoria website.
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Adam Chan
