Yellowknife Officials Consider Adding Public Washrooms Downtown
City councilors and service providers say more public restrooms could reduce street urination and defecation in Yellowknife's downtown core. Police and the Salvation Army have renewed calls for additional facilities.
Calls to add public washrooms in downtown Yellowknife have resumed after police and a local service agency said the facilities could reduce public urination and defecation. A police inspector made the suggestion during a foot patrol earlier this month.
The officer said officers receive regular calls about people relieving themselves in public and noted that accessible outdoor facilities might reduce those incidents.
The Salvation Army operates five public washrooms during business hours and receives daily requests from people seeking restroom access. Its executive director said many unhoused individuals are turned away from business-owned facilities. The director stated the organization rarely needs police assistance for incidents inside its washrooms and said the city should consider adding more downtown facilities.
A city councilor said several public washrooms already exist downtown, including locations at Somba K'e park, city hall, and the library. The councilor noted that some facilities are not near areas where unhoused people gather most often. The councilor added that a mobile restroom could serve concentrated areas during peak hours and said any permanent solution would likely fall to the next city council.
City staff acknowledged that previous councils have examined the issue and said further consideration remains possible.
