Edmonton's freshly renovated Hawrelak Park was bustling with families this Sunday, with every picnic site occupied and children playing Frisbee and volleyball. The new all-gender washrooms, however, have become a point of contention for some visitors.
Mixed Reactions from Park Visitors
Lloyd Onishenko, an Edmonton resident, conducted an informal poll of 10 people outside the bathroom on Mother's Day. Responses included: "Gross," "0 out of 10," "I had to wash the seat with toilet paper dipped in the bowl," "Much worse than I expected," "I can't believe we have to accept this," "Absolutely sickening," and "It didn't feel right that a man was using the cubicle next to me." Onishenko described the all-gender bathroom as "extremely unsanitary."
"Males need urinals and females require clean toilets. Assuming that men and boys will leave the toilet seats clean is unrealistic. And expecting women and girls to clean those seats is extremely gross," he said.
Support from Local Officials
Ward papastew Coun. Michael Janz offered a different perspective after his Sunday visit to the park, which he considers Edmonton's 'Central Park.' He noted that many newer facilities in Edmonton already have gender-neutral restrooms, typical homes lack gender-specific bathrooms, and event-goers are familiar with gender-neutral portable toilets.
"If anything, I've heard a concern about the need to just have more washrooms and more facilities that are gender neutral... People are realizing that you can move more fluids per minute if you allow more people more options and more stalls," Janz said. "You don't want to have those situations where there's a really long lineup at one gender and no lineup at the other. It allows more people to move through the washrooms. It speeds it up." He emphasized that the stalls are separated from floor to ceiling.
Concerns About Missing Urinals
Andrew Preville, a former Riverdale resident who now lives in Kelowna but visits Edmonton often, pointed out that gender-neutral restrooms have been on the city's agenda for a decade. However, he expressed concern in a letter to Postmedia about the absence of urinals. He suggested that the space taken by two toilet stalls could accommodate five sanitary, easily maintained, ecological water-saving urinals on the wall.
"City planners can tell us about gender fluidity till the bulls come home, but what about human physiology? It seems obvious that on any given day in Hawrelak Park, half the people there watching the ducks, basking in sunshine, or enjoying a bike ride, empty their bladder standing up. Who benefits from urinal-free 'inclusive' washrooms? Nobody. Who loses most? Clearly, by a wide margin, women and girls," Preville said.
Positive Feedback from Regular Users
Jessica Ansell, who meets fellow runners at the park's pavilion three times a week, expressed satisfaction with the shared space. "I approve of the washroom. No complaints, especially because there's so many people in the space and it's easy to get in and out. Accessibility is awesome, right?" she said.
Overall, the debate highlights the challenge of balancing inclusivity with practical concerns in public facilities. As Janz noted, "Overall, I think there are more positives than negatives, and I hope that it's something that Edmontonians are able to adjust to in time."
