Bathrooms are back along stretch of Highway 6

Restrooms installed on Highway 6 over a year ago are now permanently in place.

Bathrooms are back for travellers making the long trek along the 750-kilometre stretch of Highway 6.

On Friday, the province confirmed it had opened a permanent rest stop at the Devils Lake rest area roughly halfway between Winnipeg and Thompson. The stop includes washrooms with running water, which will be serviced regularly for garbage pickup and maintenance.

“The rest stop at Devils Lake not only provides a much-needed place to rest and recharge, but also improves safety, accessibility and comfort for Manitobans travelling along this remote stretch of highway,” Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor said in a news release.

Along with the permanent stop, the province said a temporary restroom at Williams River will remain open to the public.

In May 2024, the province installed portable toilets at Williams River and Devils Lake as a part of a six-month pilot project. However, the toilets were removed in October 2024 when the pilot wrapped up.

At the time, Naylor said the province had to analyze the data—which showed both stops had hundreds of visits every day. At the time, Naylor said during the peak of summer, the Devils Lake rest stop saw more than 300 vehicles a day, while the William Lake rest stop saw about 100.

The province said it hopes these rest stops will help reduce the risk of driver fatigue, support commercial and tourism traffic, and improve safety.