On the surface, a new public washroom facility in Calgary's East Village may seem like a mundane amenity, but The Open is anything but ordinary.
The Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) has partnered with RadiCare Ventures, co-founded by third-year University of Calgary Nursing student Bill Zheng, to implement the city's first dedicated washroom attendant program at the new public washroom facility. The goal: ensuring it is a safe and welcoming space for East Village visitors.
Bill Zheng (left) and Amanda Eveson of Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) tour The Open Kyle Sieben
The facility, located on the west side of Calgary's The Confluence Historic Site and Parkland on 6th Street S.E, opened to the public on Jan. 9, with a unique design that combines a washroom with viewing stands for an adjacent pickleball court. The washroom has four stalls, one of them being wheelchair-accessible. Replacing a previous facility along the nearby RiverWalk, The Open is located next to the East Village dog park, playground and community garden.
To ensure the washrooms are safe, welcoming and inclusive for all visitors, CMLC partnered with RadiCare Ventures to deliver a one-year washroom-attendant pilot program. RadiCare is a for-profit social enterprise, specializing in delivering cleaning services in urban areas, with an emphasis on hiring those facing employment barriers.
There are currently two dedicated washroom attendants on site every day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., including holidays. "The attendants have been trained extensively in crisis intervention, washroom checks, vulnerable population support, as well as custodian services to really support CMLC's mission" says Zheng.
The Open is an important part of CMLC's East Village Master Plan, a 20-year strategy to revitalize the neighbourhood, which was once filled with warehouses and worn-down buildings. The area is now home to a growing number of mixed-use residential buildings, dozens of retailers, and attractions such as Studio Bell and the new Central Library.
"At its heart, the Master Plan has people at the street level interacting with the community," says Amanda Eveson, CMLC's senior manager of Community Engagement and steward of safety and vitality initiatives in East Village. Eveson says the facility is a perfect fit with the Master Plan's goal for residents to engage with other community members and the amenities in the area.
The Open washroom facility. Photo Credit: Kyle Sieben
"So far, we've already been hearing great things from the community," says Eveson. Tools to enable CMLC to measure The Open's success, include a posted QR code inside the facility so visitors can let CMLC know their experience directly. "Whether they found the facility to be safe, clean, welcoming, their experience with ambassadors we're measuring all of that," says Eveson.
RadiCare was chosen by CMLC through a competitive process based on the breadth of experience it has dealing with the community at all levels. "We have values that align really closely with the work the team does," says Eveson, emphasizing both parties' desire to build and better the city of Calgary.
Zheng speaks highly of his UCalgary nursing education in how it has helped him create and manage RadiCare. "I realized how important it is to build an inclusive workplace and to provide stable employment for folks who haven't had that before," says Zheng, who has also managed the Calgary Pop-Up Care Village events held downtown over the past few years.
Without the support of UCalgary and Innovate Calgary's Social Innovation Hub, RadiCare would not be here today, he adds.
Currently, RadiCare is working with four major Calgary business improvement areas (BIAs), including those in the Beltline, Chinatown, Crescent Heights and Marda Loop, helping with comprehensive outdoor clean-ups, including graffiti removal and picking up litter.
"RadiCare's partnership with CMLC is significant," says Zheng, noting it is his company's first big contract. Zheng says he's excited to continue to grow RadiCare, which he says is proud to support the East Village Master Plan.
Learn more about RadiCare Ventures, as well as about CMLC's work in keeping East Village, as the washroom attendants proudly proclaim on their vests, "safe, clean and awesome."
Innovate Calgary was founded in 1986 to support the University of Calgary's innovation community. Our team of experts offers intellectual property and business incubator services to researchers, entrepreneurs, and businesses within the advanced technology sector. Innovate Calgary supports commercialization by providing business and technical advice, workshops, assessments for commercial potential, access to sector resources and networking events, licensing and intellectual property protection, impact measurement discovery, company creation/incubation programs, and office and lab space. Learn more about Innovate Calgary.
