Toronto Mayor John Tory says he wants to see water fountains and washrooms opened at city park facilities sooner in the season.

Tory's office said Friday that he plans to bring a motion before city council next week that would direct staff to ensure seasonal facilities are accessible to park users as soon as possible after winter.

In a statement, Tory said he'd like to see the city park services "modernize" so that water fountains and washrooms could open up earlier in the spring, and so that sports fields are mowed and de-littered sooner.

In a release from his office, Tory said he is not looking for a staff report or debate, but wants to see city staff “take action right now.”

"We must make a conscious effort to modernize operations and procedures in city parks and start opening parks and turning on services earlier and faster after the winter," Tory said in a statement. "My motion asks staff to adjust and modernize park operations to conduct service improvements earlier in the spring."

The city has faced criticism in the past for being out of step with the public in terms of when seasonal facilities are needed.

According to the city, staff begin opening spring and summer washrooms and drinking fountains in May. The process takes about a month, is weather-dependent and can take longer if some of the facilities require more extensive repairs or maintenance.

That means that many facilities might not be open by late May or early June, when there have usually been at least several hot days.

As an example, Toronto saw its first heat event of the year less than two weeks ago at the end of May when temperatures were into the 30s and felt even hotter with the humidex. Toronto in fact broke a 78-year-old temperature record for May 31, when it saw a temperature of 32.1 C.

In recent years, the city has made an effort to make seasonal services which some rely on available in a more ongoing away, such as replacing temporary cooling centres with a summer-long network of open cooling spaces.

While not being able to find an open washroom or water fountain can be a nuisance for some, some activists have said it boils down to an equity issue for some residents who might not otherwise have easy access to cool drinking water or bathrooms.

Even more people came to rely on city park facilities during the pandemic and Tory said it is “critical” that the city continue to find opportunities to improve the experience at parks.