Image: City of Chilliwack / A picture of a vandalized public toilet on Young Road. Chilliwack Mayor Ken Popove is expressing frustration with the ongoing damage and abuse of these publicly funded washrooms, saying they cost the City of Chilliwack a couple hundred thousands to install and were meant to replace portable toilets that were burned years ago. The City of Chilliwack spends an estimated $5 million a year to keep the city clean, Mayor Popove said. 

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Damage to downtown public restroom

Public restroom in downtown Chilliwack repeatedly damaged, ‘abused’: Mayor Popove

Nov 14, 2024 | 11:39 AM

CHILLIWACK — Chilliwack Mayor Ken Popove says a public restroom on Young Road meant to serve Chilliwack’s unhoused street population has been repeatedly vandalized and abused.

Popove told 89.5 JR Country Morning show host Glen Slingerland Thursday morning (Nov. 14) the public washroom near Five Corners on Young Road was intended to replace portable toilets that were previously damaged and burned.

“Back in the day, a few years back when I was on council, we put in a half dozen porta-potties for that reason, for hygiene, and it made perfect sense to do it,” said Popove. “It gives the folks that are on the streets to go do their business. So, what happens with that is, they burned them down. We decided, look, let’s just take them out. If they want to go poop in the bush, that’s what they want to do.”

The City of Chilliwack replaced the portable toilets with something more permanent and more indestructible. Or, so they thought.

Image: City of Chilliwack / A picture of a public restroom on Young Road in downtown Chilliwack.

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“So, we took it upon ourselves to build something substantial,” Popove told Slingerland. “These things are made out of stainless steel. They’re supposed to be indestructible, but [now] a far cry from being indestructible.”

Mayor Popove confirmed that the Young Road toilet is being destroyed and vandalized. The City of Chilliwack shared a picture with Fraser Valley Today that depicts a burned toilet lid with overflowing fecal material.

“Hat’s off to our staff that have to go in there and clean these things and fix what’s been destroyed,” Popove said. “I don’t get it. Like, why? It’s open to the public. I don’t think I’d go in there. It’s frustrating.”

Slingerland said the photos he saw depicted fire damage to the interior of the restroom.

“There’s no respect, there’s no support for what we’ve done,” Popove said. “Each one of those is a couple hundred grand. They’re not cheap, and they’re there to serve the public’s purpose. The abuse they get, the garbage that folks see around town, the amount of money that we spend to try to…make our town look good, $5 million a year. It’s crazy. We’re not alone. Every community is facing this problem. The province has gotta get their crap together and start creating more housing.”