Petition aims to keep public washroom open longer

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This article was published 28/02/2023 (921 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A University of Manitoba professor is seeking to ensure a permanent public washroom serving vulnerable downtown community members remains open beyond eight hours a day.

The facility next to the Circle of Life Thunderbird House, named Amoowigamig, opened in June 2022. The Free Press reported last week the 715 Main St. structure will have its operating hours reduced from 10 to eight hours a day in May, as City of Winnipeg funding falls short of maintaining its current schedule.

After learning about the change, U of M associate professor of religion Justin Jaron Lewis wrote to the city and province, and created an online petition at change.org to garner support for the facility to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The petition already has more than 100 signatures. Lewis said he will bring it to city council once it gains more support.

“It just seems so obviously wrong that this isn’t fully funded,” he said Monday. “And there are lots of problems in the world, obviously, but this is just so very, very clear.”

According to Lewis, Amoowigamig would cost $650,000 a year to keep open and staffed 24-7. The facility, operated by Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre, currently has a budget of $200,000, provided by the city.

Lewis said he was motivated to create the petition because Amoowigamig provides a clean, accessible place for vulnerable people in the area. He criticized the city for not prioritizing its budget accordingly, improving basic facilities to improve the city’s walkability.

“This place is demonstrably saving lives, in addition to being such a needed facility,” the Daniel McIntyre neighbourhood resident said. “It just didn’t make any sense to me that anybody could stand by and let the hours be cut further.”

Peer-support programs at the site, designed for people experiencing homelessness, have provided thousands of clean needles, pipes, feminine hygiene products and condoms since it opened in June 2022, says a report to city council’s community services committee.

The facility is more crowded in the summer, according to several people in the area, but it still generates a crowd in winter months. Around the facility, the snow is coloured with faded human waste from nights when it’s closed.

“That’s the only option we have, and then if it’s closed, I don’t know,” said Andrew Brown, who regularly relies on the service.

“Twenty-four hours (of operation) would be crazy.”

Several bystanders also expressed disappointment the hours would be reduced.

One man, who called himself Robert, said even the current hours are “ridiculous.”

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Robert said he currently lives on an upper floor of a nearby shelter and it doesn’t normally let people in to use the bathroom at night.

“Yeah, it should be 24 (hours). I thought it was going to be a 24-hour thing,” he said.

Amoowigamig is currently accessible from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. Hours are slated to be cut to eight hours a day as of May 16.

The washroom closes routinely for brief periods so staff can take a break or clean the facility.

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca