In our day-to-day lives, something as simple as the comfort of a bathroom might slip our minds, but for some, the decision of what bathroom to use is daunting — and in some cases, a really difficult decision to make.
With a city as diverse as Toronto, inclusive facilities are needed now more than ever. And many establishments are taking the necessary steps to make that happen.
Yorkdale Shopping Centre recently opened its first all-gender washroom.
The new all-gender washroom provides an option for a wide variety of shoppers, including transgender people, those who require accompaniment, and non-binary individuals. Open to the public for just under two weeks, the new addition features 10-stalls, and joins the North York shopping centre’s six men and six women’s washrooms, three nursing rooms, two family facilities, and 12 single toilets.
And with more than 7,000 employees and 18 million shoppers annually, the more bathrooms, the better! Shoppers now have the choice to use whichever facility they feel most comfortable in.
While the unveiling of the all-gender washrooms has been met with some criticism, most shoppers are welcoming the new option with open arms.
Yorkdale Shopping Centre joins a list of restaurants, community centres, and other institutions who are moving towards better inclusivity.
Other malls have also been implementing all-gender washrooms. Ivanhoe Cambridge, a real-estate company which operates shopping centres across Canada, has been adding universal washrooms to its properties since 2012.
Ivanhoe Cambridge, which owns shopping destinations like Vaughan Mills and Conestoga Mall, has implemented 20 universal washrooms at nine of its 28 properties, and has plans on adding more universal facilities at older locations. New projects will incorporate the universal washroom concept, which addresses the needs for families, gendered, and non-binary individuals.
Featured image: Courtesy of Yorkdale Shopping Centre