The City of Duncan is considering adding a transgender option to its washrooms.
Council will discuss adding transgender bathroom signage to the washroom on the second floor of city hall at its meeting on March 19 after the recommendation was made at the city’s committee of the whole meeting earlier this month.
But Mayor Phil Kent said he expects the discussion at the council meeting will also include adding the signage to other city-owned washrooms as well.
“We thought that we’d be proactive and consider it,” he said.
“The transgender signs would indicate that the washrooms can be used by males, females and people of other genders. In most places that I’ve travelled around the world, there are no designations at all.”
A staff report indicates that staff have analyzed other municipalities that have incorporated transgender washroom signage to make civic facilities, operations and programs safe and inclusive spaces.
“Changes to the public washroom at city hall (would be) a single-user washroom sign to reflect universal use,” the report said.
“Consideration to change (washrooms in) city-owned facilities elsewhere could be considered in the future.”
The report said that, if the recommendation is passed by council, the costs would include the creation of the sign(s) and staff resources to make and install the signs.
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The City of Vancouver made transgender washrooms in all its buildings and facilities mandatory last year.
As well, Canada enacted new federal protections for transgender people in June.
Bill C-16 updated the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code to make it illegal to discriminate on the basis of gender identity or expression.