Concerns are being raised over the upcoming closure of two public restrooms in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES), CBC News Online reported. The restrooms, located at Pigeon Park and 144 East Hastings Street, were installed as a temporary measure in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and homelessness, and city officials say they will no longer receive funding from the BC government and the Union of BC Municipalities in July.
Sarah Brice, executive director of the Overdose Prevention Society, which manages the toilets, said the closures would have a major impact on many DTES residents who are homeless. The toilets are open year-round and serve between 15,000 and 22,000 people a year, she said. She also said the closures would benefit local businesses and tourists by preventing waste from being dumped on the streets.
City officials say the Hastings toilets and Pigeon Park toilets cost about $34,000 a month and $27,000 a month respectively, and they are looking for new funding sources but have not yet found one.
The BC Ministry of Housing will partially subsidize the toilets in East Hastings until the end of March 2025. The ministry is reviewing its proposal after receiving requests to subsidize toilets in the DTES.