Earliest-ever opening of Toronto park washrooms completed, says city

Last year, John Tory’s administration came under fire for the slow opening of public washrooms and water fountains.

Thestar.com
May 8, 2023
Ben Spurr

After facing sharp criticism last year over the slow opening of public bathrooms and water fountains, the city says it has completed its earliest-ever activation of washrooms in municipal parks.

In a press release Friday, the city said that as of this week 122 seasonal park washroom buildings and the drinking fountains attached to them are operable. Taking into account winterized facilities that are open year-round, a total of 174 park washrooms are now open to the public. Six others are closed for repairs but will open “as soon as possible,” the city said.

In a statement, Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie thanked city staff, who she said had been in the field since mid-April “working hard to open washrooms and drinking water fountains in record time.”

“Extending the availability of our seasonal park washrooms is key to ensuring Toronto residents get the most out of their parks,” she said.

The city has not yet finished activating all 750 stand-alone park drinking fountains and bottle filling stations, but aims to have them up and running by May 26, according to the release.

Last spring, then-mayor John Tory came under fire for initially defending the city’s timelines for opening park fountains and washrooms, which staff said were intended to give them time to test the water and avoid the risk of a late frost damaging pipes.

Last year, just 60 per cent of Toronto’s public fountains were operable by the end of May, despite residents’ growing demand for green space and climate change making for warmer spring seasons. Critics claimed the slow opening was evidence that Tory’s administration was failing to deliver basic services to residents.

Last June, Tory introduced a motion at council asking staff to “modernize” their operations and open the facilities earlier. The 2023 budget Tory steered through council before resigning in February included $2.8 million in additional funding to speed up the process and keep washrooms and fountains open later in the year. The city’s annual budget for the maintenance, staffing and operation of Toronto’s approximately 1,500 parks is more than $180 million.

According to the news release, the city plans to open splash and spray pads by May 20, and start opening some outdoor swimming pools on a partial schedule in mid-June. All pools and wading pools are scheduled to be open on a full schedule by June 30.

Residents can track the status of park fountains and washrooms on a new city website.