You Asked: Are public washrooms open in Newmarket's Fairy Lake Park?

Mechanical issues shutter public park potty, but finding a loo on the go easier since pandemic restrictions eased

Newmarkettoday.ca
August 21, 2020

You asked:

Newmarket resident Eileen Cummins wrote to ask if the public washrooms at Fairy Lake Park are open now?

Here’s the answer:

Finding a loo on the go during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic was an exercise in futility. But as some restrictions eased with the reopening of the economy so, too, did washroom stalls.

Unfortunately, the public washrooms at Fairy Lake have been shuttered due to mechanical issues and are not scheduled to reopen this year, according to the town’s acting director of public works services.

“We have placed three portable toilets in the northern main parking lot for public use,” Mark Agnoletto said. “The outdoor washrooms at Riverwalk Commons are open for use during the water feature’s hours of operation, which are from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.”

Newmarket offers 11 permanent public washrooms in its parks and aims to open as early as next week four public park washrooms at Haskett Park, Ken Sturgeon, Paul Semple Park, and George Richardson Park.

Portable toilets have also been placed at the Rogers Spray Pad and the Frank Stronach Spray Pad.

Soap and water and hand sanitizers are available in portable toilets and public park washrooms throughout Newmarket.

Agnoletto reminds the public to do the following when using the town’s public washrooms and portable toilets:

• Wear a face mask or covering should when inside a public bathroom;
• Stagger your entrance and exit from the facility to ensure safe physical distancing can be maintained at all times;
• Only share a washroom stall with people from your household or social circle;
• Try to avoid touching high-touch hard surfaces and wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available; and
• If the amenity is busy, wait outside, maintaining a physical distance of at least six feet from others, or consider returning later.