Public washrooms a possibility for Pleasant Hill & Riversdale

Saskatoon city councillors will soon grapple with how, where and when to potentially approve the installation of public bathrooms in the Riversdale and Pleasant Hill neighbourhoods for the summer.

There are few, if any publicly available bathrooms in the two neighbourhoods that are available after 6 p.m. This is leaving those who are homeless or otherwise living on the street with few options. They find anywhere they can to relieve themselves, including storefronts, alleys, alongside buildings, bushes, or in local parks.

Area community partners have also requested that any available public bathrooms be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week to prevent females from possible sexual assault, damage, and other issues.

According to a report written by Pamela Goulden-McLeod, director of emergency management, six options will be presented to the council on May 29. They are ranging from unstaffed, portable washrooms placed in three different locations, to renting or buying trailers that would require security, maintenance, cleaning, and a damage contingency fund.

The report recommends that the city buy one used trailer with two bathrooms, two sinks, and three urinals. Staff would be hired to maintain and monitor it.

The city would have to also hire a contractor to empty the sewage from the trailer and would need to buy a generator to operate it.

An already established riverbank area public washroom could also be used for the summer. It would have staff hired to monitor it, to ensure it’s clean, safe, and available.

The total cost of the project would be $777,400 plus another $25,000 for any damages that might occur. The money would come from the Capital Expenditures Reserve which currently has an available balance of $1.17 million.

The report notes the money would come from one-time funding in that reserve, and another source of funding would have to be found next year or it would have to be built into the next operating budget.

The bathrooms would open in early June and would close by October 31.

Drinking Water Plan

Goulden-McLeod’s report also notes that access to safe drinking water in the two neighbourhoods for those who are homeless is also limited. A plan has also been outlined for the summer.

It includes continuing a water bottle distribution program, adding three portable water bottle filling stations to Pleasant Hill and Riversdale and the continuation of the misting tents, in conjunction with community partners and summer special events organizers.

The total cost would be about $49,000.