City-owned portable washrooms dwindling amid vandalism, theft: report

A city strategy to provide increased public washroom access is proving popular in some areas, but not in others.

A public washroom installed in downtown Winnipeg, offering a free toilet and resources, recorded a rise in users last year, while the city’s portable washrooms dwindled due to a rash of vandalism, fires and theft.

According to a report submitted to the city’s standing policy committee on community services, the Main Street permanent public bathroom, Amoowigamig, had an estimated 48,400 visitors last year, which is an average of 4,033 people each month.

That’s an increase of about 4,000 people compared to 2024.

The Main Street facility meets several basic needs in addition to an accessible toilet, the report said, with a staff of peer support workers on-hand to provide harm reduction supplies like naloxone, essential hygiene products, and employment and housing supports.

“This unique approach goes well beyond providing onsite security, transforming the facility from simply a place to use the toilet to establishing it as an important resource centre and community hub,” the report said.

Peer support workers are staffed by the Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre. The facility is open seven days a week for 16 hours a day.

Still, the report notes staff encountered safety challenges ranging from verbal threats to physical assault.

New protocols were added, the report explained, including limiting the number of people, keeping doors locked and temporarily suspending access to those exhibiting violent behaviour.

City’s portable washrooms hit with vandalism, theft

Meanwhile, the report notes the city’s portable washroom initiative is struggling.

Some washrooms, which are hosted and serviced by third-party contractors, have experienced rashes of vandalism, structural damage, fires, improper disposals of sharps, and theft.

These incidents have made it difficult for the washrooms to be serviced and maintained.

“Ongoing misuse and damage have frequently required units to be removed from service or relocated, contributing to service disruptions and increased operational strain,” the report said.

These issues have caused the city to seek new sites, which has been a challenge.

As a result, the number of active portable washroom units decreased from as many as six in prior years to two in 2025.

“This reduction reflects the difficulty in identifying and sustaining appropriate host sites given the operational challenges described above,” the report said.

With fewer portable washrooms comes unused funding, city staff explained, which was redirected to improve Amoowigamig and to broader homelessness response efforts.

Still, the city is actively searching for new partner sites to bring more portable washrooms back into use.

The full report can be read on the city’s website.