Public washrooms at Port Coquitlam parks are now open later.
This week, the city changed its hours for neighbourhood park bathrooms to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., to meet demand for outdoor activities during the pandemic.
The summer hours are for the facilities at the following parks: Castle, Settlers, Lions, Citadel Landing, Evergreen, Cedar, Aggie and Gates. As well, the extended hours apply for washrooms at DeBoville Slough and the city cemetery.
The toilets at McLean Park will also be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; however, the lavatory times for the sports fields (Thompson, Ecole des Pionniers, Minnekhada middle and Terry Fox secondary) will be coordinated with bookings by the sport user groups.
“We are monitoring the need at each location, and will look at additional options as required,” a city spokesperson told the Tri-City News.
In Port Moody, the restroom times at Rocky Point Park will switch from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., starting May 1.
And, in Coquitlam, the park bathrooms are open from 7 a.m. to dusk.
Kevan Cornes, the city’s facilities manager, said the washrooms are equipped with GPS timers “so they automatically adjust as the seasons change to lock the doors at dusk.”
“However, where we have washrooms adjacent to lit sports fields such as Town Centre, Mundy or Charles Best, the opening hours are extended into the evening to accommodate field programming,” he said, noting the bathrooms can be open as late as 10 p.m. depending on the field booking.
BOOZE IN PARKS
Washroom hours at Tri-City parks have been a hot topic many visitors this spring, with several complaining to the Tri-City News about the dinner-hour closures of the restrooms — especially where open drinking is permitted in parks.
Last June, PoCo began a pilot program to allow booze in seven parks: Castle, Settlers, Gates, Lions, Aggie, Evergreen and Cedar Drive. In February, the program expanded to include Peace, Dominion and McLean parks. To comment, visit letstalkpoco.portcoquitlam.ca/alchohol-in-parks.
Neither Coquitlam nor Port Moody has plans to allow booze in its public parks, city managers say.
