West Van citizen unimpressed with renovation of women’s washroom

A West Vancouver citizen is wondering if the recent renovation to the women’s washroom at the West Vancouver Recreation Centre were a good use of taxpayers’ money.  The renovation lasted for as many as four months but there are still issues that need to be addressed, the citizen wrote.

“I have enjoyed attending the classes for several years now and was very happy that at last this area was being upgraded and improved. I was, however, extremely upset to find out that this was not up the standards I expected. The drainage has been improved but the choice of tiles is very unhygienic and will be very difficult to clean which will result in spreading infection. The small tiles will collect all kinds of human and other debris,” the citizen wrote.
The washroom is also in need of lockers, the citizen wrote.

“There is a great need to have at least eight lockers, especially in this incremental weather. I was very upset to find out that the two of the four lockers still have non-existent locks. I prefer to pay to use these lockers and often find them to be full and not paid for,” she wrote.

Anne Mooi, the director for Parks, Culture and Community Services said the renovation delays stemmed from the tiles as the their initial delivery was delayed and the installation took longer than anticipated due to unknown site conditions. Some areas of the women’s washroom, Mooi said some areas had to be redone due to incorrect installation.

“The tile was chosen to provide safe traction on a wet surface. As the floor tiles are cleaned with a motorised tile cleaner, both small and large format tiles respond equally well to this cleaning method,” she said. Mooi also said the replacement of lockers was not a part of the project scope, and therefore they were only refinished and not changes. She said the locking mechanism has been an ongoing maintenance issue.

“Facilities staff will prioritize replacement of the missing lock mechanisms to minimize the number of locks unavailable. The handrails in the shower are back in place and all of the new showerheads are working,” she added.
The West Vancouver Recreation Centre has garnered praise from users online for its design and a plethora of programs, although some users say the changing rooms need improvements.

“Great community centre but the aquatic change rooms really need some work. My only gripe is that the family change rooms can be a bit dirty at times and the showers seem like they need more looking after,” said one user. “Really good pool, teachers very nice but gotta agree that the change rooms are a bit small and could use attention. Overall really good, said another user.

The recreation centre will get a financial boost from a $700,000 donation by West Vancouver’s Lalji family, whose donation will go towards programing and buying new equipment at the Aquatics Centre and an Ice arena. Meanwhile Anne Mooi said citizens can contact Sue Ketler, Senior Manager of Community Services, if they have any further questions. Sue can be reached at 604-925-7126 or at Sketler@westvancouver.ca.