Toilet tourism: B.C. communities using public restrooms to create 'must-go' destinations

Several small communities are turning to toilets to help make them the "number one" choice for tourists road-tripping across British Columbia.

From Quesnel to Smithers to Fort Nelson, the need for adequate roadside facilities is growing as small towns increasingly turn to tourism to drive their economy — and as the public health need for accessible toilets gains recognition.

"A lot of the feedback we get from people is we're a beautiful community to drive through," said Quesnel Mayor Bob Simpson, whose community recently opened a new downtown space that includes accessible public toilets.

"We want to build a whole bunch of reasons to stop in Quesnel, so we'll have signage on the highway indicating that there's a public and accessible washroom in Quesnel."

Likewise, the community of Smithers, between Prince George and Prince Rupert, has invested in a public toilet designed by the City of Portland to help draw more people to its downtown.

"It's an absolute necessity," said Mayor Taylor Bachrach.

"Our goal in Smithers is to have Main Street be a really successful and vibrant public space, and I see basic amenities like public washrooms being such a key part of that."

A public good

Many members of the public agree.

When the North Peace Economic Development Commission conducted a survey of travellers along the Alaska Highway — a popular tourist route in northeast B.C. — some of the most passionate responses were about the condition and relative lack of roadside rest stops.

"I had a lady in here the other day on her way back from Alaska," reads one comment from an employee of the Taylor Visitor Info Centre.

"She was upset and said it was terrible how few bathrooms were along the way."

Another respondent noted travellers often resort to using the bushes due to the lack of public washrooms along the route.

As a result, the commission is lobbying for funds to help improve rest stops throughout the region.

Public toilets address health concerns

There are also health aspects to increasing the number of toilets open to the public.

In 2015, Chron's and Colitis Canada launched the GoHere campaign, emphasizing the need for people with medical conditions that increase bowel activity to have access to washrooms.

"People living with this invisible disability must plan their daily activities around being close to a washroom," the organization writes on its website.

"This can severely impact work, school, and personal relationships."

In Quesnel, Simpson said that while the city's new washrooms are being pitched to travellers, they were built after years of lobbying from local seniors facing similar concerns.

"As our population has aged... we've had more and more requests from seniors to have access to a public washroom that isn't an embarrassment," he said.

"They don't have to pop into a store where they're not buying anything ... a lot of seniors don't feel comfortable doing that."

He also said families with small children have told him they avoided downtown because of the lack of facilities.

In Smithers, Bachrach said he believes investing in public washrooms is a baseline requirement of any community that wants to pitch itself as a good place to live or visit.

"We want our downtown to be a great public space," he said.

"Great public spaces ... need public washrooms."