Surrey mayoral candidate says he'll build washrooms at every transit hub | Daily Hive

'A basic thing': Surrey mayoral candidate says he'll build washrooms at every transit hub

Lynairi/Shutterstock

Mayoral races are heating up around the province, and while much has been made about the Vancouver election, there is some noise being made in Surrey, too, in this case, regarding public washrooms.

The frontrunners in most people’s eyes are likely the current mayor, Brenda Locke, former mayor Doug McCallum, and councillor-turned-mayoral candidate, Linda Annis.

However, a promise that came from Imagine Surrey’s Mike Starchuk might raise some eyebrows, due to the pronounced lack of public washroom facilities around Metro Vancouver.

Starchuk, a former MLA, has made a promise to build washrooms at every transit hub and also at neighbourhood centres in Surrey. A statement from his camp says the washrooms would be in partnership with TransLink.

There has been some movement on highly requested transit-accessible washrooms in recent years, notably a now-live washroom at Metrotown SkyTrain Station.

TransLink has also suggested it would be building another washroom at North Vancouver’s Phibbs Exchange. Starchuk’s statement addresses the potential for more.

“TransLink’s 10-year plan funds six public washrooms for the entire region. The first opened at Metrotown last September. Phibbs Exchange in North Vancouver is next. Scott Road Station is on a list of places TransLink says it is doing early planning work to ‘potentially’ add one. Most of the new Fraser Highway stations are being designed with washrooms behind the fare gates that only an attendant can open. At that pace, Surrey waits. Riders and drivers alike are stranded,” Starchuk’s statement said.

“We can do better,” it added.

Starchuk said that under an Imagine Surrey council, the washrooms would be built by the City itself.

“It’s a basic thing, and basic things are what City Hall keeps skipping while it argues about the big ones,” said Starchuk.

“A senior shouldn’t plan their day around whether there’s a washroom at the bus loop. Neither should the driver.”

Yousef Aldabainah-Barakat, Imagine Surrey council candidate, also chimed in.

“Every parent knows the panic of a bus loop with no washroom,” he said.

“Building washrooms for families at transit hubs and in neighbourhood centres is long overdue in our city. A city of champions builds public washrooms, and that’s what Mike Starchuk and Imagine Surrey will do,” he added.

Surrey is not the only city dealing with a lack of public washrooms, as it has been a frequent complaint in Vancouver.

TransLink response to Surrey washrooms promise

New expansion of SkyTrain’s Surrey Central Station. (TransLink)

Daily Hive Urbanized heard from TransLink, which stated that it has not entered into any agreement with Imagine Surrey or Starchuk regarding the construction of washrooms at transit hubs in Surrey.

“The 2022 Investment Plan provided funding for six customer washrooms at key transit locations across the region. This led to the development of TransLink’s Washroom Implementation Strategy in 2024, and the opening of the Metrotown customer washroom in 2025. Work is continuing to identify opportunities to expand customer access across the transit system in the future,” a TransLink spokesperson told Daily Hive Urbanized.

The spokesperson added that any additional expansion beyond the commitment would require additional funding through future investment plans, which are approved by the Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation and TransLink’s Board of Directors.

“While municipalities can propose and fund public washrooms on property under their jurisdiction, adding customer washrooms to TransLink facilities requires coordination with TransLink and careful planning. Several factors must be considered, including available space, plumbing and utility requirements, safety and security, accessibility, and ongoing operating and maintenance costs,” the spokesperson said.

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