Ontario plans to require women-only bathrooms on large construction sites
CTV
Monte McNaughton is set to announce Wednesday that he is proposing to amend rules about bathrooms on construction sites to make them cleaner, safer and provide some for women only.
Ontario's labour minister is aiming to solve an excrement predicament.
Monte McNaughton is set to announce Wednesday that he is proposing to amend rules about bathrooms on construction sites to make them cleaner, safer and provide some for women only.
A Ministry of Labour bathroom inspection blitz last month at more than 1,800 construction sites found 244 violations, the most common being no toilets provided, a lack of privacy, or a lack of cleaning.
"In what other industry would this be acceptable, right?" McNaughton said in an interview.
"These are men and women, not livestock, and it's important that they get the respect that they deserve. If we're going to encourage men and women into the skilled trades, then we need to ensure that we have proper facilities for them to use."
McNaughton said he hears often from women in the skilled trades with stories about deplorable bathroom conditions. The labour minister set the stage for this announcement last month when he put out a call for workers to send him their bathroom horror stories.
"It's just a big pile of feces," said iron worker Mahee de Repentigny in a video featured on McNaughton's Twitter feed.
