Courtenay extends hours of operation for downtown public washroom

The City of Courtenay is extending the hours at the Urbaloo public washroom in downtown Courtenay. The washroom opened in late December at the corner of 6^th Street and England Avenue and has been open daily from dawn to dusk. At the end of February, Courtenay Council approved a pilot project that will extend the hours of operation to 24 hours a day for the remainder of 2022.

The pilot project is now underway and will include several overnight security checks and cleaning at least three times a day, up from the current once per day cleaning schedule.

“We all need washrooms – it’s essential to dignity and quality of life,” said Courtenay Acting Mayor Doug Hillian. “The City of Courtenay is extending these hours to fill a need that exists in our community. I’m grateful to staff for developing these measures that will allow this washroom to remain open overnight. The additional security and increased cleaning will help ensure this service can be more effectively maintained.”

The Urbaloo is made in BC, durable, easy to clean, and resistant to vandalism.

Its location was determined following consultation with the Downtown Courtenay Business Improvement Association (DCBIA), as well as analysis of pedestrian and vehicle traffic, proximity to parking, shopping and amenities, site visibility, distance from other public washrooms, and the availability of city-owned land and adjacent power and utilities.

The United Nations recognizes sanitation as a human right, with access necessary to protect health, safety, dignity, and a clean environment. Courtenay’s Urbaloo installation also includes the necessary infrastructure for a Level 2 electric vehicle (EV) dual port charging station to be installed in 2022, funded by the Province of BC and Government of Canada through a successful joint local and regional government funding application with 11 other mid-Vancouver Island jurisdictions.