The plight of the birthing woman, who suffers from an intestinal illness, has inspired a woman to initiate a petition to persuade merchants to keep their toilets within reach of customers during these booking times.

“It is insulting […]. “Going to the bathroom is no fancy,” says Marie-Yves Dubuque, 40.

The topic is sensitive, but she is ready to break the taboo: She is awaiting a diagnosis of Crohn’s disease. Often she experiences sudden attacks, forcing her to urgently go to the bathroom.

You deliver orders to DoorDash for short periods. Sometimes he has to travel from Mauresian to Awais to get an appointment with an orthopedic specialist.

So his life has become more complicated since the pandemic, while many companies have reduced or closed access to their bathrooms. Newspaper He also toured the main banners to find out about their policy on the topic (see other text).

“I can no longer go to the places where they refuse to accommodate me […]. I have to plan my travels around that. ”

“We are in the process of stripping some of our dignity,” says Julie Holly-Sirwatinsky. It was she who launched the petition a week ago, shocked at the situation in which Marie-Yves Dubuque was in. Nearly 400 people signed it on Friday.

Forbidden to a girl

This is the case of Valerie Gravel Dubois, a Makuch resident who says her 4-year-old daughter was denied access to Tim Hortons’ toilets last November.

She was going to take her injured partner from the St. Jerome Hospital and she had just received the order from the car, when the girl felt an urgent urge to urinate. She finally had to go outside.

Her mother said, “She was crying.” “She did not understand why she was deprived of that.”

For the many workers who have to spend their day in their cars, the problem occurs every day.

“The worst story I’ve ever heard is a truck driver defected at the door of a café because he could no longer hold back,” explains Stephane Lavoy, Regional Director of the Quebec Professional Truckers Association.

“For a man, it’s less bad [parce qu’il peut uriner dehors]He said. “But there are more and more women driving the trucks.”

Protect employees

In general, companies try to keep restrooms open, says Jean-Francois Bello of the Canadian Retail Council. The catch is that the opinions of employees are sometimes the same as those of the public.

“It can’t be mixed up. The National Council of Economic and Social Sciences is asking employers to protect their employees,” explains Mr. Bello.

For its part, the Ministry of Transport stated that it cannot force private companies to allow road users to access their toilets.

Fortunately, MTQ-managed service and comfort areas are still accessible and the frequency of maintenance has increased, as congratulates Marc Cadieux, President of the Association du camionnage du Québec.

However, for Stephen Lavoy, these stations are not numerous enough to meet the demand and cover the region. Lavoy stresses that their absence is a problem, especially in large cities.

Where can we still go to the bathroom?

Finding a toilet that is open to the public can sometimes be a game of luck these days, as access varies widely from branch to branch, even on some large chains.

Tim Hortons

The media relations team said Tim Hortons restaurants continue to allow their customers to use the bathroom, where they can order ready meals. A rejected ‘guest’ can call 1-888-601-1616 to ask Tim Hortons to review the situation.

Starbucks

If the dining room is closed, the bathrooms are closed to clients, except for uniformed emergency responders.

Costco Walmart

In supermarkets like Costco and Walmart, public toilets are always open, confirms Jean-Francois Bello of the Canadian Retail Council.

grocery shop

At IGA, toilets are always accessible at most supermarkets, says Anne-Hélène Lavoie, a Sobeys spokeswoman.

Generally speaking, big grocery stores kept their toilets open, Mr. Bello explains. They will likely be closed at nearby grocery stores or when there is only one bathroom.

Terminals service

The situation varies from branch to branch, especially because the stations under the same logo can be managed by different operators.

Road stopped

Service areas operated by Transports Québec are always accessible and leisure areas open year-round. Their list is in Quebec 511.

At time of publication, McDonald’s, Metro and Koch Tard did not respond to questions from magazine.

To view the petition: https://www.petitionenligne.net/signatures/toilettes_accessibles_au_quebec_durant_la_pandemie/