Washrooms at some of the city’s 1,500 public parks will be reopened over the next two weeks as the city continues to loosen some of the restrictions put in place to limit the spread of COVID-19.

The city shuttered all of the washrooms in parks as part of an order to close park amenities back in March but with public health officials changing their tone and now encouraging people to head outside so long as they practice physical distancing, a decision has been made to reopen the washrooms.

City spokesperson Brad Ross tells CP24 that the fieldhouse washroom at Trinity Bellwoods Park will reopen in time for this weekend with other washrooms at public parks reopening over the next two weeks.

The move to reopen the washrooms comes after police received numerous reports about people urinating and defecating in the driveways and backyards of nearby homes as thousands of people gathered at Trinity Bellwoods last weekend.

Ross said that in order to get the washrooms ready, the city will be recalling some staff who may have been redeployed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We need to do a deep clean to get them open and then regular cleanings throughout,” he said.