City of Toronto opening some public washrooms at parks ahead of schedule

The city is opening up most of its washrooms at Toronto parks ahead of schedule, with about 80 per cent now open to the public.

Mayor Olivia Chow said the warmer temperatures this month have allowed staff to open the washrooms a little early.

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“I know right now it doesn’t feel all that summery but it is coming,” she told reporters at a news conference on Friday.

“What we are doing now is we are opening the washrooms earlier this year. It is not yet May but we have a head start.”

She noted that it takes crews up to three weeks to prepare and the daytime and overnight temperatures must stay above zero degrees.

“When you factor in all of the washrooms, water fountains, splash pads, waiting pools and outdoor pool across 1,500 parks, that is a lot of work,” she said.

The vast majority of seasonal park washrooms will be open by May 3, followed by splash and spray pads on May 17. Some outdoor pools will be open for evenings and weekends swims on June 15, with the remaining open on a “partial schedule” on June 22. All outdoor pools and wading pools will operate on a “full schedule” starting June 28.