Building public washrooms is the least CNV can do

Old age can bring sudden realizations. Since joining the new fraternity for the aged, I’ve observed a few things that had not previously occurred to me. With more time available, I like to walk along our own CNV sea wall, now that our City has completed the spirit trail, which fronts the Concert Properties. It has become a very popular location for many of our North Vancouver Citizens, but it’s often difficult to find a parking spot around the whole area. I have now discovered why.

A large preponderance of car togo vehicles are taking up space all around the whole foreshore.
Can this be an overflow from the car dealerships, thus keeping citizens away from the beach area?  I’m told they are often ticketed, but of course that is simply treated as the cost of doing business. The problem still remains it continues to remove the parking spaces for use by taxpaying citizens. But, in those vehicles which can still park facing the water one can often see senior citizens just sitting enjoying the view. I’ve also noticed that while there are families, dog lovers, cyclists and many individuals briskly walking the pathways, I seem to be one of a very few “older” persons that walk the Sea Wall Trail.

Pondering that thought, I realized there are no public washrooms in the whole area. Although I did locate an old wooden one, literally plonked down on the shoulder of the road near the beach, sitting on an angle seemingly dumped and forgotten. I cannot imagine anyone would dare to enter it. While many people enjoy the Dog Play areas, Handball sand courts, marked trails for Cyclists, and Pedestrians and picnic areas near the Beach; no sanitary Public Wash Rooms are available.

It’s partly because I was the oldest member of the City Parks and Environment Committee, no longer in existence, that approved and help to create this whole family concept, that it maintains my interest today. While there are two large buildings along the waterfront, they provide no facilities for the general public.

It just seems inconceivable that for such a large public location, even the simplest of private portable facilities are not provided. Perhaps the facilities in the School or the large office building might be made available for public access. While the City has now completed the Seawall Spirit Trail that connects the area to the QUAY at great expense, more Citizens will be enjoying the walk, especially as the weather improves. This makes the lack of public facilities a major oversight.

I also wish to draw the City’s attention to the growing amount of litter along the trail beside the river. This was brought to my notice by a lady friend who has continuously picked up glass juice bottles, juice cartons, paper wrappings, paper cups, cigarette packages, cigarette butts, Paper plates, plastic plates, chocolate wrappings etc., all thrown into the bushes beside the bicycle trail.  I have joined her efforts on occasion. The garbage ends at the road beside the school. Perhaps if there were garbage bins located along the trail it would help to ease the problem. There have been fires in the bush along the river in the past.

These are my observations as one who has always cared about our city, and where and how we live for many years. I would like to suggest that we all continue to voice our opinions no matter how small or how large when we notice something amiss in the community. I know we all care about it, just like the lady who took it upon herself to struggle through the bushes and pick up someone else’s garbage simply because she cared.