Bannerman Park bathrooms will reopen, and around the clock, city says
Bathrooms had been closed since Wednesday
The City of St. John's will reopen the public washrooms at Bannerman Park 24 hours a day, beginning on Saturday at 4 p.m. NT.
In a controversial move, the city closed the bathrooms Wednesday amid a nearby tent encampment that is protesting homelessness. City officials cited vandalism and a lack of staff to keep them clean.
Residents of the encampment and advocates had already been campaigning for the washrooms to be kept open after 8 p.m.
A news release from the city late Friday afternon said additional resources have been arranged in collaboration with the provincial government. There will be more resources for security and enhanced cleaning.
The move to reopen the bathrooms comes a day after the provincial government announced a task force to address homelessness, which included the city and community groups.
Residents of the encampment will also have access to a porta-potty on Saturday morning, which was secured thanks to donations from the public and the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees.
Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Click here to visit our landing page.
