LavaMaeˣ is a nonprofit that teaches people around the world to bring mobile showers and other services that promote well-being to people experiencing homelessness. Members have access curated events, do-it-yourself toolkits, community discussions, and troubleshooting support from LavaMaeˣ and other service providers worldwide.

LavaMae also delivers services on the streets of San Francisco, Oakland and Los Angeles, with a Radical Hospitality® approach—meeting people wherever they are with extraordinary care—helps restore dignity, rekindle optimism and fuel a sense of opportunity.

Three new temporary washroom spaces in Winnipeg opened their doors Tuesday as part of a City of Winnipeg project to make it easier to find a bathroom for people experiencing homelessness. The project, called Places to Go, features three bathroom spaces at 473 Selkirk Ave., 345 Portage Ave. and 26 Osborne St. The locations were chosen in consultation with End Homelessness Winnipeg and other community stakeholders. “The Places to Go strategy is about profound human dignity and making sure that Winnipeg’s most vulnerable among us have access to basic human rights and necessities.

Public spaces in downtown Vancouver becoming washrooms during the COVID-19 pandemic, as homeless residents ‘have no other options’

The mission was to apply innovative design to make public bathrooms accessible for everyone regardless of gender, age or disability, so that people feel comfortable using public toilets and to foster a spirit of hospitality

The City of Ottawa has announced the seasonal washrooms at Andrew Haydon Park, Britannia Park, Westboro Beach, Mooney’s Bay Beach and Petrie Island beaches. Water fountains at the five parks and beaches will also be turned on.

Funding to the Town’s Emergency Operations Centre will go towards portable toilets for domestic farm workers (and vulnerable people). These porta-potties with hand washing stations will be installed on the Town-owned lot on Main Street, at the Oliver Visitor Centre, and the empty lot on Station Street (adjacent to the food bank). Bilingual signage promoting social distancing will be installed in parks, ball fields, beaches and the hike and bike trail. Funds will also go towards bylaw enforcement (via park ambassadors) in May. The ambassadors will patrol local parks seven days a week providing education on social distancing.

The lack of public toilets in Toronto has long been a glaring public health issue, but the issue of access to restroom facilities has grown more urgent as the public is encouraged to wash hands frequently in order to curb spread of COVID-19.Earlier this month, the city opened eight portable washrooms and hand-washing stations and six locations with showers and access to drinking water for people who are experiencing homelessness.

A newly released map details the various rest locations where portable toilets have been installed at select commercial vehicle brake-checks, inspection stations and chain-ups.The B.C. Trucking Association has pitched in with a food truck project, offering free meals for truckers at cardlock fuel stations in Chilliwack, Kelowna, Kamloops and Prince George.

The City of New Westminster has installed porta-potties in the downtown and uptown neighbourhoods, some which are wheelchair accessible. This is to ensure access to bathrooms for vulnerable populations, who may otherwise not have them, given all of the businesses being shuttered and otherwise.

The City of Vancouver shared a map of public facilities, including community centres, remain open and welcoming to all, especially those who need access to washrooms.