Need for clean public washrooms key lesson from COVID-19, Edmonton businesses say
'A lack of washrooms was one of the most immediately harmful impacts of the pandemic'
Natasha Riebe
Cleaner public washrooms are high on the wish list of Edmonton's business groups as the city recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Puneeta McBryan, executive director of the Downtown Business Association, said the fallout was apparent last March when Edmonton public libraries and city facilities shut down, and in turn, cut off the bathroom facilties.
"It was very clear that a lack of washrooms was one of the most immediately harmful impacts of the pandemic on downtown," McBryan said during a council executive committee meeting Monday.
The city placed porta-potties in key areas while city facilities are closed but McBryan noted this temporary replacement plan runs only until October.
"It's a huge need," McBryan said in an interview with CBC Monday afternoon.
"There are the LRT washrooms — there's a few but they're, just to be totally blunt about it, they're kind of gross and scary."
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmon...eid=b81cde227f