New public washrooms

Overview

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

PassivHaus opened in 2020
Whistler Olympic Plaza opened in Spring 2021
The Village Entrance opened in Spring 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 percent funded through the Province of British Columbia's Resort Municipality Initiative (RMI).

Latest status

Updated July 2022

All three washroom buildings are now open for public use and 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 new facility has several universal washrooms. These universal washrooms are accessible, gender-neutral, and family-friendly with extra space and baby change tables mounted at accessible heights. The gender-neutral washrooms were developed in consultation with the LGBTQ2S community. As a result of the consultation, some signage is now being changed to a gender-neutral toilet symbol. RMOW is proud to be providing a more welcoming environment to help serve and celebrate the diverse population of Whistler

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 were built to Step 2 Energy Efficiency Standards. This means the washrooms will be 20 to 40 percent 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 universal washrooms

View the site plan

Whistler Olympic Plaza - Complete

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 universal washrooms

View the site plan

Village Entrance - Complete

Construction on the village entrance washroom is now complete. Landscaping is expected to be completed in the Spring of 2022.

The new washroom facility will provide these additional stalls:

Men – 3 urinals, 2 toilets (1 accessible)
Women – 3 toilets (1 accessible)
3 universal washrooms

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