‘It doesn’t solve the issue’: Advocates concerned over city’s decision to close public transit washrooms

Article content

The city’s decision to close public transit washrooms as a way to cut the risk of drug poisonings only shuffles people around and will fail to reduce overdoses, harm reduction advocates say.

Article content

On Feb. 24, city council approved the Transit Safety and Security plan, which recommended closing select washrooms within the transit system. City spokesperson Olena Babiy said in a statement the washrooms are “high-risk” locations, with limited opportunities for staff to intervene safely and provide help in a drug poisoning situation.

“Washrooms are not supervised nor do they have proper tools to assist in these circumstances. As a result, our teams are investigating options to make them safer,” Babiy said, adding security guards have been trained and supplied with Naloxone to supplement the efforts of transit peace officers.

The report noted there have been increases in medical calls on Edmonton transit property. Calls for medical aid increased 819 per cent since 2017, with transit peace officers attending nearly 1,500 calls in 2021.

Article content

There are 30 public washrooms in 18 transit centers and LRT stations across the city. Since March 7, 16 out of the 18 locations have been closed until further notice.

Alyssa Miller, co-founder of Boots on Ground, a harm reduction group that patrols Edmonton streets and pedways handing out supplies, Naloxone kits, and attending overdoses, said that while using substances in washrooms can be unsafe for both the user and the general public , closing washrooms will not address drug poisonings.

Substance use will happen regardless if washrooms are open or not, and this decision only moves people around.

“It’s analogous with saying you’re going to clean your house and you just take a pile of things from one room and put it in another room and close the door … it doesn’t solve the issue,” she said.

Article content

“It’s not addressing the core needs and the core needs are being more safe consumption spaces, including for inhalation, because we have nothing for inhalation. We need more shelter spots and we have a dire lack of inclusive supportive accessible housing.”

Jonathan Harline, spokesperson for Boyle Street Community Services, said not having access to public washrooms is detrimental to the vulnerable community’s overall wellbeing.

“There’s a level of dignity that’s affected, that our clients no longer have access to these facilities and it kind of further marginalizes an already vulnerable community,” he said.

“Drug poisonings are already at record levels. It should be a concern to everyone. And so it’s really overdose prevention programs, easily accessible overdose prevention sites are among the things that we would like to see instead of closing down the washrooms.”

Article content

Coun. Anne Stevenson told reporters Friday the decision to close the washrooms was a challenging one, and she appreciates people’s frustration. She said she had asked whether other options had been looked at.

“I understood from city staff that all of those options have been explored, and there wasn’t really anything further that could be done with the current design of the washroom.”

But Harline said Boyle Street would be ready and willing to work with the city on alternatives, such as having attendants like at the washroom on Whyte Avenue.

“It doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing solution,” he said.

While the transit washrooms remain closed, Babiy said there are a number of permanent washrooms throughout the city that remain open in parks, and city facilities, such as the permanent washrooms on Whyte Avenue and at Tix on the Square.

The city will also be providing up to 10 mobile washrooms in locations with the highest need as part of work to implement the city-wide public washrooms strategy, which started in 2019. They will be in place for six months beginning May 1, and locations are currently being determined.

— With files from Lauren Boothby

[email protected]

Twitter.com/JunkerAnna