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Washrooms On Trail Creates Divisions

May 7, 2018 | 5:45 AM

Some want them — but others don’t.

Regional District of North Okanagan staff say input from the public shows an equal 50-50 split on adding washrooms to the Coldstream portion of the Okanagan Rail Trail.

Greater Vernon Advisory chair Juliette Cunningham says the opposition has them looking at the options.

“My understanding is it’s around aesthetics. People living in the area don’t want to see blue port-a-potties, so we can find ways to mitigate that, and probably within the next month, we can make that decision,” Cunningham tells Beach Radio News.

Ideas include putting a shell or landscaping around the facilities.

The Rail Trail is currently closed for construction, but lots of people have still been using it.

“We are looking at a soft opening, probably in a month or two, so I think a lot of this stuff is going to come together pretty soon in terms of signage and washrooms,” adds Cunningham.

RDNO staff say another option is to not have washrooms on the trail, but to have signage directing people to use the public facilities at Kal Beach several blocks away.