With the trio who patrol the metro
Le Devoir’s Jeanne Corriveau accompanied the trio called EMIC, Équipe métro d’intervention et de concertation, who move through the system and talk with the homeless people they find.
A police officer, a special constable, and a social worker make sure these folks don’t don’t lie down to sleep or hang out on the platforms – these are the hard lines they draw – and direct them to resources for help they need. But the point is made that there are no bathrooms in the metro (except for Snowdon, which I didn’t know) which limits the usefulness of the metro as a shelter.
Tux 23:18 on 2023-02-24 Permalink
Snowdon has been my metro for years. There’s a public bathroom there? First I’ve heard of it. There are bathrooms throughout the system as far as I know, but only for employees.
Kate 11:14 on 2023-02-25 Permalink
There would have to be an employee bathroom in the space behind the ticket booth. You occasionally see a bus driver bust out of the bus into a metro station, obviously in need of the facilities.
The only station I’m aware of that had bathrooms intended for public use is Jean‑Drapeau, which has bathrooms directly accessible from the platforms. I don’t know how long they were available after Expo 67 closed, but I don’t think it was long before they were permanently locked.
Basically, you can’t pay anyone enough to deal with the biohazards of cleaning public bathrooms in the metro.