In the town of Port Edward near Prince Rupert in northwest British Columbia, residents are being offered free toilets on a first-come, first-served basis. These low-flush toilets have been stored in the district office basement for the past 20 years following a water conservation project in 2003.
Tyson Schofield, the district’s chief administrative officer, noted that the toilets were taking up unnecessary space in the basement and decided to distribute them to residents for their intended use. Schofield, who joined Port Edward in June from the City of Delta, discovered 35 unused toilets in the office basement and initiated the program to give them away for free.
The district announced the free toilet giveaway on social media, using an image of Oprah Winfrey with the caption, “You get a toilet! You get a toilet! You get a toilet!” By the following day, 18 toilets had already been claimed by residents.
One of the residents, Teresa Andrews, expressed her gratitude for the initiative, mentioning that it allowed them to upgrade their toilets without having to purchase new ones from a hardware store.
Schofield explained that the toilets were originally purchased in 2003 as part of a water usage reduction effort during the reconstruction of the water treatment plant. He acknowledged that the toilets are more than two decades old and cannot guarantee their quality but mentioned that they have been successfully installed and used in the district office.
While he admitted that these toilets may not be perfect, Schofield emphasized the importance of water conservation and reducing water usage.