Montreal city center | Entidian toilets at $ 300,000 derail

Continue (still) to hold back. Nevertheless, Almost all of the self-cleaning toilets in the city center are out of service at the dawn of the tourist season. Similarly, which does not prevent the city from continuing to want to acquire these expensive devices.

Posted at 5:00 a.m.

Four of the seven robotic toilets installed since 2018 are officially closed. For example, the city of Montreal said on Thursday to The press. For example, A small tour of the three “currently in operation” carried out last week. however, noted that two of these toilets were also out of service, leaving only one functional.

“We are depiling that this situation occurs in the midst of a tourist season. Meanwhile, ” said Aurélie de Blois, spokesperson for tourism Montreal, adding that many tourists are looking for a place to relieve themselves. Furthermore,

The city argues that it “works to repair them and replace them as quickly as possible”.

“Some of these installations that date from the time of Coderre administration are currently out of use due to breakage. Meanwhile, These are mainly models imported from Europe. For example, some specific parts take time to be delivered, ”said Marikym Gaudreault, from Valérie Plante. Furthermore, “This unfortunately has an impact on their short -term availability. Therefore, »»

These self-cleaning toilets. Moreover, which are experiencing significant damage, were ordered in 2017 and inaugurated from 2018 in different places in the district of Ville-Marie. Consequently, They cost about $ 300,000 each, including the installation cost. However, Five others had to be installed, but never have been.

The Atmosphäre company sold this Italian technology in the city of Montreal. “We are aware of the problem. we work hard to solve it,” said a receptionist of the company, transmitting a message from President montreal city center | entidian Maryse Sauvé.

Montreal city center | entidian

” MAINTENANCE ”

Old-Montreal. Square Viger, Pied du Pied-du-Curant and Parc Émilie-Gamelin all have officially closed toilets in the long term.

Those who had always operated were so closed – except one – Thursday morning.

Thursday morning at the Charles-S.-Campbell park. in the village, the “currently in operation” toilet screen displayed the word “emergence” and its door refused to close. It is far from being an exception. according montreal city center | entidian to Michael Ennis, a neighbor who spends a lot of time in the park. He says he has a lot of compassion for families who arise on site to frequently come to a. broken toilet. “It’s the little one who suffers,” he deplored.

Not far from there. at the Papineau metro station, Éric has been working on a construction site for more than a month. He reports having seen repairers presenting himself, but nobody never use the toilet to do his needs. The screen displayed the word “manutenzione”, ie “maintenance” in Italian. The door refused to open.

Only the toilet of the Walter-Stewart park, in the South Center, worked as planned. She survived a minor fire that recently damaged the park chalet in which she is.

“This issue must be resolved”

Aurélie de Blois. of Tourisme Montréal, stressed that several events and festivals have their own dry toilets.

However, “far from being anecdotal, this issue must be resolved as quickly as possible,” she added. “We know that the city is actively working to repair the toilets currently out of service. »»

The Ecologist Eau Rescue Ecologist is campaigning for better access to health services.

“It’s deplorable,” said its director general, Rebecca Pétrin. We definitely have enough toilets in Montreal. »»

M^me Pétrin argued that Montreal had to learn from his bad experience with his Ville-Marie toilets. correct the shooting for the future. “There should have been more research on the different models,” she said. We hope that the authorities will make the right choices for the future. »»

Three new toilets to come

Montreal continues to buy self -cleaning toilets.

The city recently published a call for tenders for three new self-cleaning toilets: at the Parc des Royaux (Center-South). in rue de la Commune (Vieux-Montréal) and in Sun-Yat-Sen (Chinese district). The call for tenders finally aborted, but should be relaunched shortly.

The districts of Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension. Rivière-des-Prairies-Peinte-aux-Trembles have each bought a self-cleaning toilet in recent years.

“This is a pilot project. the experience montreal city center | entidian is positive,” said the borough of Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Expension, which has placed its toilet in Julie-Hamelin park. “It has happened that the ventilation system is broken down. that toilet paper clogs clog […]but the necessary adjustments have been made. »»

The self-cleaning toilets of Saint-Joseph Park, in Rivière-des-Prairies-Peinte-aux-Trembles, are “very popular with citizens,” said the arrondissement. “However, their proper functioning requires rigorous maintenance and operational management. Furthermore, »»

These toilets were manufactured by the Quebec company Urbenblu, Boisbriand. “Our product is completely effective between 40 degrees and -40 degrees, it is done in Quebec. European products are not suitable for our climate, “said Alain Bolduc, vice-president of sales. “This is probably the reason why the toilets are closed in the city center. »»

Last week, The press revealed that an integration project for public toilets in the montreal city center | entidian Montreal Metro had been abandoned.