Port Alberni city council has agreed to receive a pair of donated "robo washrooms" from the City of Calgary.
In June 2024, while attending the Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference in Calgary, Port Alberni Councillor Debbie Haggard was offered two “robotic washrooms” donated on behalf of the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation. The Exeloo Automated restroom systems are self-cleaning and include features like automated door locks and automated flushing.
The washrooms, which had been installed in Calgary’s East Village, had to be closed due to high maintenance costs, partially attributed to Calgary’s cold temperatures in the winter.
“The water does tend to freeze in the winter time and cause slip hazards and a lot of additional work,” explained Port Alberni's CAO Mike Fox during a regular meeting of council on Feb. 24, 2025.
He warned council that the “free” washrooms will have a cost associated with them. The city has to pay for them to be delivered (at a cost of approximately $11,000) and installed (approximately $43,300), as well as ongoing operational costs (which were around $30,000 annually in Calgary).
Based on these costs, said Fox, city staff recommended not accepting the washrooms.
However, Haggard said she still wants to see the washrooms installed in Port Alberni. Although a location hasn't been chosen yet, the first phase of the city’s Parks, Recreation and Culture Master Plan identified washrooms as the “most needed” item in many of Port Alberni’s outdoor recreation facilities.
“There are many places in our community that are in need of washrooms,” said Haggard.
Council voted to reach out to the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District and local First Nations to see if any other local governments would be interested in taking on the costs or sharing the costs of the washrooms. Fox said the city will reach out to local service organizations, as well.
“Exploring those options is appropriate," said Councillor Todd Patola. "Otherwise, given the pricing, I would not be in support of keeping them.”
However, council also agreed that if no one else will take on the costs of the washrooms, the city will still pay to have them shipped to Port Alberni. Councillor Dustin Dame, who was also acting mayor on Monday, said he's “not opposed” to taking on the cost of the washrooms and admitted to being “skeptical” that anyone else would want to take on the cost.
“I think that we have understandably been in a mindset of trying to save and make cuts," he said. "But what we’re trying to provide is value, not necessarily reduction. I think potentially these [washrooms] still bring a value to our community for their dollar.”
Haggard says the washrooms don't necessarily need to be installed right away. She suggested the units could be stored until the city can afford operating costs, or the city can take a “phased approach” in installing them.
