'Canada's best toilet' being installed in Smithers, B.C.

It's been called the perfect public toiletand the best toilet in Canadaand now Smithers, B.C., is getting its very own own Portland Loo.

"It seems to have got a lot of the design aspects of a great public washroom right," said Mayor Taylor Bachrach, in explaining the decision from the community's finance committee.

Created by the City of Portland, the toilet is designed to be durable, low-maintenanceand deter criminal activity.

"It's very small, it doesn't have a sink so people's time in the facility is shorter," Bachrach toldDaybreak Northhost Carolina de Ryk.

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Instead, the sinkis outsidein order to encourage people to get in and out quicker.

There are also angled slats so that law enforcement officials can monitor people using the toilet without compromising their privacy.

"While there's a lot of visual privacy, they've also tried to not make it a place where you're hiding away and you can do whatever you want," said Bachrach.

Winning design

The units are also lightweight, made of stainless steeland come with graffiti-proof coating in order to require minimal ongoing maintenance.

Bachrach said he hopes the toiletwill play a key role in Smithers' development.

"We want our downtown to be a great public space, and great public spaces ... need public washrooms," he said. "And there are a lot of public washrooms out there, I'm sure your listeners will agree, that are either disgusting or downright sketchy."

The community has been using an off-street port-a-potty in the summer months, but council voted to purchase a Portland Loo after hearing about its success in other communities as a year-round facility.

Notably, a unit installed on LangleyStreet in Victoria was voted the best public washroom in Canada.

Cold weather a challenge

One challenge with bringing the Loo to Smitherscould be the weather.

While current units are rated for use down to -15 C, Smithers islooking into retrofitting them to accommodatefor Northern B.C. winters that often dip to below -20 C.

Bachrachsaid he hopes to have the Portland Loo installed in Smithers' BovillSquare by this summer.

To hear more click on the audio labeled 'Smithers mayor Taylor Bachrach explains why he wants to buy a toilet from Portland.'

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