Last week, Callander’s much-awaited new public washroom was installed near the municipal dock on Lansdowne Street. It’s a self-cleaning wonder, complete with a shower facility, and now council has decided that using that shower will cost $50 per year for all the showers you can handle, or $5 per visit.
Council expects the shower will be popular among boaters who spend a few days on the water and for some residents on the islands. Folks can contact the town and purchase a code. The keypad on the shower door allows up to 1,100 unique users, so keep that in mind.
As for the new bathroom, Mayor Robb Noon noted, “They are very well used. From a municipal standpoint, it’s a very good step forward for not only our residents but tourists alike and the boaters. It’s a good thing for our community.”
The bathroom monitors all, including how many times it’s used, when the soap is low, and sends this data back to the town. Shower time limits will also be set, with a warning voice letting people know when their time is ending. Council has not set the shower time limits yet.
See: Callander’s self-cleaning bathroom project is afloat after all
Some residents worried that the new public washrooms, open all year and heated, may become a beacon for homeless people much like a mulligan stew attracted hobos in years gone by. However, there are many security features in place to deter overnight guests.
BayToday reached out to Urben Blu, the Quebec-based manufacturer of Callander’s new public washroom, and mentioned that concern. Alain Bolduc, of Urben Blu, said “That’s something that we address, and there are few things to impede people staying inside of the restroom.”
He noted that you can control the opening and closing hours of the bathroom. Say you set the closing time at 9 p.m., and a voice in the bathroom will announce to any users that they have so many minutes left before they must exit.
After ample warnings, Bolduc explained, “The door will open and then there’s going to be another message saying that the authorities have been called.”
This authority can either be the town or the police. It all depends on what the owner of the bathroom chooses, and the warnings and calls are all made automatically. The bathroom even knows when to call a plumber (or alert public works) if a pipe is clogged. It does it all.
Bolduc also added that Urben Blu’s bathrooms have been installed throughout North America, including Burnaby, B.C., Albany in New York State, and other urban areas, so they’ve been keen to take measures to prevent unwelcome stays.
Moreover, the company is always innovating and can update all of its facilities remotely through its head office in Quebec, Bolduc added. For example, they are investigating ways to monitor if someone is having medical issues within a washroom and may need help. Say someone passes out from a heart attack or a drug overdose, the bathroom may be able to identify that and call for assistance.
That’s in the future, but right now, the interiors of the washrooms are monitored using a volumetric system, which can sense a presence within the space. There are multiple sensors in the washroom, so even if someone lies (or sits) very still the volume their body takes up in the bathroom will be noted, and the system will know a person is inside.
It’s for safety, Bolduc emphasized, “We want to make sure that no cleaning cycles start if somebody is in the room.” And after hours, “If somebody is inside and doesn’t move, we’ll know someone is there, and a message will be heard asking them to leave.”
Currently, Callander’s bathroom is open 24 / 7, but that could change if any issues arise.
Mayor Noon noted, “We’ll see what happens over the next month or two and we’ll adjust. This is very new to us, so we’re not sure what we’re going to experience, but it’s a great step forward for the community. You live and learn as you go forward, and we’ll adjust accordingly.”
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
