New public washrooms

Overview

The RMOW is implementing a multi-year washroom strategy to meet the large demand for public washrooms in Whistler Village.

A washroom building was constructed and opened at PassivHaus in 2020.
Construction at Whistler Olympic Plaza is complete and the washroom is now open to the public
Construction has begun on a washroom building at the Village Entrance with an anticipated opening date of early Winter 2022.

All new washroom buildings are built to a high-durability and commercial grade standard.

The washroom buildings at PassivHaus, Whistler Olympic Plaza and Village Entrance are all 100 per cent funded through the Province of British Columbia's Resort Municipality Initiative (RMI).

Latest status

Updated June 2021

The PassivHaus and the Whistler Olympic Plaza washrooms are open for public use. The Whistler Olympic Plaza washroom opened in the Spring of 2021, just in time for the busy summer season.

Construction on the Village Entrance washroom location has begun with an expected completion date of early winter of 2022.

COVID-19

All construction will occur in accordance to the BC Provincial guidelines for COVID-19, with safe working practices implemented at all sites, during all stages of the project.

The projects will continue to employ over 15 Sea to Sky trade companies and their employees, aiding in local economic recovery. The three new facilities will improve the guest experience.

Background

The need for more washrooms in Whistler has long been identified. The majority of washrooms in Whistler Village are under private ownership, and the washroom experience varies considerably. Tourism Whistler and the Village Hosts regularly receive feedback from visitors that there are not enough washrooms, washrooms are hard to find, and washrooms are not maintained to a satisfactory standard.

Details

This project will significantly increase the number of toilet and urinal stalls in Whistler Village with supporting mechanical and janitorial space. The commercial-grade buildings have been placed in strategic locations throughout the Village and will share similar materials, wayfinding and signs.

Each building will have several inclusive/universal/family compartments. This will help ensure Whistler is safe and welcoming to all visitors.

These commercial-grade washroom buildings have been purposefully designed to meet the needs of the public. They will be durable, easy to maintain and able to withstand Whistler's climatic conditions. The flexible design permits portions to be closed during slower demand periods thus reducing ongoing operational costs.

The washrooms will be built to Step 2 Energy Efficiency Standards. This means the washrooms will be 20 to 40 per cent more energy efficient than the B.C. Building Code minimum.

The design was vetted through the RMOW’s Advisory Design Panel, whose membership includes several community members, including architects and builders.

PassivHaus - Complete

The facility at the PassivHaus supplements the existing washrooms within the PassivHaus which are oversubscribed and unavailable when the building is closed.

The facility increased the number of washroom stalls to include:

3 inclusive/universal/family compartments

View the site plan

Whistler Olympic Plaza

The new building replaced the existing blue washroom facility which is cramped, oversubscribed, possesses ongoing maintenance and operational challenges, and approached the end of its useful lifespan.

The new facility will increase the number of washroom stalls to include:

Men – 3 urinals, 2 toilets (1 accessible)
Women – 4 toilets (1 accessible)
5 inclusive/universal/ family compartments

View the site plan

Village Entrance

Construction has begun at the proposed new facility located at the main entry point to the village.

The new facility will provide these additional stalls:

Men – 3 urinals, 2 toilets (1 accessible)
Women – 3 toilets (1 accessible)
3 inclusive/universal/family compartments

View the site plan

Timeline

Winter 2020: PassivHaus washroom building opened for public use
Early Spring 2021: Whistler Olympic Plaza washroom building opened for public use
March 2021: Village Entrance washroom site preparation and mobilization
April 2021 to Early Winter 2022: Village Entrance washroom building construction
Early Winter 2022: Village Entrance washrooms open for public use

Impacts

Each site will have a contained construction footprint to reduce impact to the surrounding areas, with traffic and pedestrian control and re-routes. Disruptive or major impacts will be communicated as construction progresses in the specific areas to be affected.