There含羞草研究社檚 no relief in sight for ballplayers at Layritz Park in Victoria.
Since the washroom facilities at the park were closed a couple years ago, the players using the half-dozen ball diamonds at Layritz have had to make the trek along a trail through the bush to the new washrooms put in at the Prospect Lake soccer pitch.
含羞草研究社淲e have kids from the age of three and four all the way up to teenage years,含羞草研究社� said Mark Ward, who coached at Layritz from 1988 to 2014. 含羞草研究社淎 lot of them don含羞草研究社檛 bother going to that washroom. They pee in the bushes.含羞草研究社�
Ward said it isn含羞草研究社檛 so much a question of distance, as the Prospect Lake washrooms are only a couple hundred metres from the diamonds, but more of a safety issue, as the children have to travel along a trail in a wooded area and would be outside the view of their parents.
Gary Darrah, manager of Saanich Parks planning and development, said the washrooms were closed due to concerns with the septic system.
含羞草研究社淭hat septic system in there must have been at least 40 years old, our maintenance guys reckoned, and it had just stopped functioning,含羞草研究社� said Darrah.
Compounding the situation was the proximity of a nearby grove of Garry oaks.
含羞草研究社淸Replacing the septic field] would have meant quite a bit of disturbance, in fact we probably would have lost some Garry oaks. We were reluctant to do that, given that we were working with the Prospect Lake soccer folks on a better alternative.含羞草研究社�
Complicating matters is the , meaning while the Prospect Lake facility is connected to sewer, facilities on the other side of the park are not allowed to hook up to the municipal system.
Shannon Nakatsu, acting president of Layritz Little League, said she has heard an earful from parents and other visitors about the lack of access to washrooms.
含羞草研究社淧arents can含羞草研究社檛 just let their kids walk off to the bathroom,含羞草研究社� said Nakatsu. 含羞草研究社淭hey含羞草研究社檙e completely invisible to the naked eye from any ballfield. They含羞草研究社檙e in behind trees. That含羞草研究社檚 the bigger issue than the distance.含羞草研究社�
While porta-potties have been brought in to the park, she said those aren含羞草研究社檛 accessible for people with mobility challenge. And youngsters aren含羞草研究社檛 the only ones unable to make the long trek to the Prospect Lake facilities.
含羞草研究社淲e saw an older lady walking up to the washrooms that had been existence all those years,含羞草研究社� Nakatsu recalled. 含羞草研究社淪he didn含羞草研究社檛 have the time, or didn含羞草研究社檛 know to go to Prospect Lake, and she ended up squatting in the bush.含羞草研究社�
It含羞草研究社檚 a situation that含羞草研究社檚 unlikely to change, as Darrah said there are no plans to construct a new washroom at Layritz.
含羞草研究社淚f we were to try and provide clear sight lines to every single washroom building in every single one of our parks, it含羞草研究社檚 just not feasible,含羞草研究社� he said, adding the district is currently undertaking a washroom strategy for the entire park system.
含羞草研究社淧robably washroom buildings are the No. 1 amenity that the public tend to request. But it含羞草研究社檚 not feasible to put a washroom in every park,含羞草研究社� said Darrah, who didn含羞草研究社檛 want to put a pricetag on the cost of a new washroom.
含羞草研究社淚 don含羞草研究社檛 even want to guess, because if I give you a number that含羞草研究社檚 the number you含羞草研究社檒l remember. Let含羞草研究社檚 just say they含羞草研究社檙e probably more expensive than people think.含羞草研究社�
Additional ports-potties will be brought in when .
