Logging a complaint: Halifax’s No. 1 Problem

A look at (the lack of ) public washrooms around Halifax

(Photo by Amin Helal)

Guess how many easily accessible public washrooms there are in the downtown (I’m defining downtown as below Brunswick Street, from Cogswell southward). Go ahead, guess. I’m not going to judge you on this guess.

If you’ve guessed, then let me tell you how many there are now – 4. There used to be 5, but the Central Public Library closed shop on August 30th, for its replacement to be opened later in the summer. The 4 which are currently available in the downtown are as follows:

Scotia Square mall – 5201 Duke Street – Out by the hallway which leads out from the Food Court to the parking elevators, these ones are rather clean and spacious, if limited – they are technically only open during the hours which the mall is, although I’ve been able to sneak into them by walking in via the Parking Garage and the elevator.

Ferry Terminal – George and Lower Water Streets – Right near the front, if not immediately obvious – but again, like the Scotia Square Mall, it just isn’t open during hours which the Ferry isn’t operating (after midnight on most days, after 6 on Sundays).

Seaport Farmer’s Market – 1209 Marginal Road – A bit far for one to walk to use the washrooms.

Bishop’s Landing – 1477 Lower Water Street – next to Hamachi Steakhouse, is a door you wouldn’t even notice walking down the boardwalk. It shuts sometime late in the evening, before 11pm for sure.

As you can see, we’re left without much any places to use the facilities, well in most places downtown. Without trying to be exhaustive, the South End has very few (the ones in Point Pleasant only being available from Dawn to Dusk, if you choose to follow the municipal legislation on them), the ones at the universities all being rather hidden away and restricted in access at various times of day, and most all of the bus terminals are lacking in these facilities. The North end’s hardly better, and the Commons has a lonesome little washroom in its centre.

For most of us, it means that we’re restricted to either our own homes and to the few businesses and communities which we make ourselves regular patrons of. But if you aren’t at any of those locations, Halifax for you will be a very uncomfortable place for you.