Gender-neutral washrooms planned for city-owned buildings in Charlottetown

Charlottetown is taking steps to have gender-neutral washrooms in all city-owned buildings.

A dozen signs for gender-neutral and accessible washrooms have been ordered and will be installed in the coming days,said Coun. Alanna Jankov.

The city will begin by placing the signs on five single-use washrooms at City Hall.

At budget time, council will consider allocating money for more extensive renovations, such as converting multi-stall bathrooms into single-use, gender-neutral bathrooms, Jankov said.

The plan would be to eventually have gender-neutral washrooms in rinks, fire stations, police stations and all other city-owned buildings.

"The priority for the city of Charlottetown is to work toward a fully inclusive city where all people feel welcome, included and safe," Jankov said.

In 2015, the city began implementing recommendations from a report highlighting the need for wheelchair-accessible barrier-free washrooms in city-owned buildings. Jankov said gender-neutral washrooms are a continuation of that commitment to inclusion.

Work on an accessible, gender-neutral washroom was recently completed at the city-owned Hillsborough Park Community Centre, and work is scheduled for two gender-neutral bathrooms at the West Royalty Community Centre, she said.

Putting the gender-neutral signs on some existing washrooms will help create awareness of issues facing people who may not identify as male or female, Jankov said.

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