ELORA – A new public washroom facility proposed for Downtown Elora, has received council support.
At Monday’s meeting, Centre Wellington Council approved signing an agreement with Kat Florence Canada Company Limited, for the design and construction of 4 additional public washrooms, adjacent to the Elora Fergus Tourism Centre on East Mill Street.
Staff reported that Kat Florence is donating the project costs including design, construction, permits, and site preparation costs.
During the discussion, Councillor Lisa MacDonald wondered if the township had the capacity to support the water.
Colin Baker, Managing Director of Infrastructure Services, said staff had planned ahead for the proposed project, leaving services at the property line during last year’s East Mill reconstruction to facilitate future washroom installation.
When asked by Councillor Barbara Lustgarten Evoy if something like this could be planned for Downtown Fergus, Pat Newson, Managing Director of Community Services says right now data shows Elora’s washrooms receive significantly more visitors than Fergus.
In 2023 data was collected to determine how many visitors were entering the Tourism Information Centre.
Staff says the total number of visits on an annual basis is estimated at just over 90,000, with peak months such as July at 15,256 and August at 18,930.
Mayor Shawn Watters shared his support for this project, noting Downtown Elora businesses need some help.
Council unanimously approved the agreement with Kat Florence and also approved a $25,000 budget to be funded from the General Capital Reserve for annual operating costs for cleaning and utilities for the space and washrooms.
You can read the full report here.
