The City of Colwood has officially cut the ribbon on a new public washroom aimed at making Meadow Park Green in Royal Bay even more family friendly.
At the ceremony Wednesday morning (March 2), Mayor Rob Martin voiced excitement about the new facility.
“In 2017 we did a citizens’ survey of what things we were doing well in the city, and what things we needed to improve. Public bathrooms had the lowest rating, and the community was saying we needed to have more public washrooms within our community,” he said.
The structure, constructed by GableCraft Homes as part of Royal Bay’s development plan, features two separate washrooms, wheelchair accessibility, water fountains for people and pets and changing tables in both washrooms.
While a public washroom may not seem significant or “sexy,” Martin said, it is an important step in improving infrastructure to better support Colwood’s growing population.
Responding to that need for more such facilities, the city has set up portable toilets at several parks, including Herm Williams, Colwood Creek, Lookout Lake and the Esquimalt Lagoon beach, with permanent facilities planned for Colwood Creek, Ocean View and Lookout Lake parks.
Beyond the new washroom facilities, Meadow Park Green – its new playground facilities opened a year ago – also features electric vehicle chargers, power sources for food trucks and hookups for decorative lights on light standards. The park has already hosted live music and is set to be one of four locations for the city’s popular Friday night Music in the Park events.