City of Vancouver looking to make it easier to find a public washroom | Daily Hive

"Portland Loo" public washroom at Coopers' Park on the northeast False Creek seawall. (Kenneth Chan)

Staff with the City of Vancouver have created a citywide framework aimed at improving access to clean, safe, and accessible public washrooms, with a focus on better coordination, clearer wayfinding signs and stronger partnerships across public and non-profit organizations and businesses.

The recommendations, expected to be formally approved by Vancouver City Council next week, outline the Washroom Strategic Framework and a series of interim actions planned for 2026 that would guide how the city plans, delivers, and maintains public washrooms in the years ahead.

The framework responds to years-long calls from the public about a lack of washroom access, particularly in high-traffic areas and areas of the city with higher populations of people experiencing homelessness, mental health issues, and addiction.

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City staff describe public washrooms as “essential to the dignity, health, and well-being of all residents and visitors,” noting that the ability to find a nearby, clean and safe facility shapes how people experience Vancouver.

While the city already has an extensive network of washrooms operated by the Vancouver Park Board, Vancouver Public Library, and various city departments, City staff state access remains uneven and coordination across is limited. The Park Board alone operates 129 facilities — about 83 per cent of the municipal government’s public washrooms — but policies and service levels vary by location.

vancouver granville robson automated self-cleaning toilet public washroom

The automated single-stall, self-cleaning public washroom at the intersection of Granville and Robson streets in downtown Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan)

The framework is intended to create a more coherent, citywide approach that accounts for the needs of older adults, families, people with disabilities or chronic illnesses, shift workers, tourists, and people experiencing homelessness.

If approved, the first year of implementation will focus on practical, low-cost actions that can be delivered within the City’s existing 2026 operating budget.

The envisioned measures include piloting new technologies such as smart sensors and automated locking systems at high-use washrooms to improve reliability and maintenance efficiency, and developing alternative operating models by partnering with community organizations, service agencies, and businesses.

Map of existing public washrooms. (City of Vancouver)

Map of public washroom demand. (City of Vancouver)

vancouver public washroom demand priority map

Map of public washroom demand (priority areas). (City of Vancouver)

2024 feces cleanup map. (City of Vancouver)

There will also be an effort to integrate public washroom planning into future capital projects — such as new civic facilities and major street upgrades — and encourage businesses to enable their private washrooms to be usable by the public, which would be achieved by distributing accessibility best-practice guidelines to businesses during the business license renewal process.

Currently, common types of businesses that offer public access to their private washrooms include shopping malls and hotels.

Fast-food locations and cafes have also been known to offer access, although it has become much more limited in recent years since the pandemic, with an increasing number of businesses now limiting washroom access to only paying customers to reduce the location’s staffing needs for upkeep and ensuring safety. Most notably, in 2025, Starbucks abandoned its open-door washroom policy, now requiring people to be a paying customer before granting access.

The report places particular emphasis on the Downtown Eastside, where demand for washrooms is higher, and access is complicated by health, housing, and public safety issues. Planned actions include expanded signage and mapping of all municipally-funded washrooms in the area, continued pilot projects of “Portland Loo” standalone washroom facility designs, and short-term strategies to maintain staffed washrooms at locations such as Pigeon Park and Oppenheimer Park.

portland loo coopers park public washroom northeast false creek seawall

“Portland Loo” public washroom completed at Coopers’ Park on the Northeast False Creek seawall. (Kenneth Chan)

portland loo washroom surrey memorial hospital

“Portland Loo” public washroom outside Surrey Memorial Hospital. (Fraser Health Authority)

To support Vancouver’s new framework, City staff analyzed where new public washrooms may be most needed by using location data, pedestrian demand, and 311 service reports. Areas with high washroom demand are more than a five- to 10-minute walk from an existing facility, as well as clusters of public feces cleanup reports.

City staff will also report back in late 2026 with an update on the framework and recommended priorities for 2027.

Closed public washroom at sθәqәlxenәm ts’exwts’áxwi7 (Rainbow) Park, as of January 6, 2023. (Kenneth Chan)

City staff also state the municipal government will continue advocating to the provincial government for continuous funding for attendant-based and community-operated washrooms, arguing that washroom access in high-needs areas cannot be addressed through infrastructure alone.

While the upfront one-time capital costs of building a washroom with vandal-resistant, durable, and safe features can be relatively high — for instance, a single-stall Portland Loo washroom structure can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars — the real cost comes from the ongoing high annual cleaning and maintenance costs, especially if a public washroom sees significant use and a high standard of ongoing cleanliness and safety has been established.

In September 2025, TransLink opened its very first new public washroom at SkyTrain’s Metrotown Station in Burnaby, as part of the public transit authority’s strategy of opening new washroom locations at major public transit hubs, including in Vancouver. Over the years, TransLink emphasized that the ongoing upkeep needed was the main challenge for such a strategy.

2025-opened public washroom at SkyTrain’s Metrotown Station. (Kenneth Chan)

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