A $4.8M Toronto park upgrade has a porta-potty instead of a winterized washroom. Here's why

A popular midtown Toronto park recently reopened after more than four years and nearly $5 million worth of construction — and along with all the new pathways, benches and lighting, David A. Balfour Park also has a sleek new washroom building.

But it's closed for the winter and there's only a porta-potty to stand in for it — a situation that's all-too familiar to anyone who's ever decided to go for a stroll in a Toronto park in the winter months.

"When we're designing new parks, aiming for parks that meet people's basic needs is really just the baseline bar for entry," Adri Stark, a senior manager with the charity Park People, told CBC Toronto in an interview.

"A failure to provide winterized washrooms is not at all unique to Toronto. But it does contribute to accessibility barriers and restricts park use, particularly for vulnerable communities like older adults and people living with limited mobility."

Of the 187 washroom facilities in Toronto parks, only 52 are equipped for winter use. An additional 47 washrooms are available at the city's seasonal outdoor ice rinks. Two more winterized park washrooms are currently under construction, according to the city. And staff note that high-use parks are equipped with portable washrooms.

But that's not enough for some residents. During COVID-19 lockdowns, with more people outdoors, there were calls from Torontonians and city councillors to increase the number of year-round washrooms and water fountains in city parks.

The City of Toronto says there's never been a plan to winterize the new washroom building at David A. Balfour Park, which is located near St. Clair Avenue East and Mount Pleasant Road.

According to a statement from city staff, planning for the park upgrades, which began in 2015, "pre-dated discussions around introducing more year-round washroom facilities."

Making it clear she's only speaking for herself, Deborah Briggs, a midtown resident and president of the Summerhill Residents Association, says she's surprised the new building isn't winterized but "not upset" about it.

"The park has little or no winter activities. The children's playground probably doesn't get used much in the winter, if at all, and there is no outdoor rink," Briggs wrote in an email.

She notes that the park paths aren't cleared of snow during the winter either.

"That being said, I cannot speak for all residents," Briggs clarified.

But for Edith Wilson, a PhD candidate at the University of Guelph, public washroom access is a human rights issue.

Wilson has studied the issue in Toronto specifically and says lacking a place to go to the bathroom is a barrier to participating in society.