Calgary launching washroom attendant pilot in two downtown parks
Posted May 2, 2023 10:19 am.
Last Updated May 3, 2023 12:31 pm.
Two busy downtown Calgary parks will see attendants monitoring washrooms in a pilot project this spring.
The city is partnering with Alberta Alliance Who Educate and Advocate Responsibly (AAWEAR) for the pilot.
AAWEAR will hire, supervise and train the washroom attendants who will be working in Olympic Plaza and Century Gardens.
Olympic Plaza and Century Gardens were chosen for this pilot due to their central locations, existing public washrooms, past incidents and data collected from emergency services, city staff and outreach groups such as the Downtown Outreach Addictions Partnership (DOAP) team, according to the city.
“To make downtown a place that fosters connection and brings people together, we must improve the safety of our public spaces,” said Mayor Jyoti Gondek in a news release. “I’m excited for this pilot project to take shape as these washrooms will be more accessible, clean, and safe for everyone.”
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Starting May 8 until mid-October, attendants will report incidents and provide light cleaning and litter pickup daily at both parks from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., except during ticketed events like festivals.
Attendants will also have information about community resources on hand to share with the public as needed.
The pilot project is partially funded by the provincial government and is expected to cost $600,000.
AAWEAR executive director Kathleen Larose said the pilot project is geared towards increasing park safety for everyone.
“This washroom attendant project will expand the continuum of care for community members who currently face barriers to paid work,” she said.
“This is a project that will benefit the entire community by making the washrooms more accessible, inclusive and safe.”
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The project also aims to create connections between service providers and individuals in need of services.
All AAWEAR staff members are either people who come from lived or living experience of mental health, substance use and houselessness, and/or individuals who are empathetic to the cause, according to the organization.
Manager of Centre City Parks Operations Carmen Hindson said Edmonton has a similar program that has been successful in reducing incidents and repair costs for public washrooms.
Information about incident trends and feedback will be collected throughout the pilot by the city and AAWEAR.
Once the pilot wraps up decisions will be made around continued funding and extension of the program.
Citizens are encouraged to visit calgary.ca/washroomattendant for more information and to contact 311 with questions or comments.
