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Better than nothing… a sign of the times
Sunday, 7 June 2026You’ve seen it at the end of North River Road in our ward: one sad little portable toilet.
It’s not well maintained.
But when you gotta go… it’s better than nothing.
As your councillor, I will demand a Public Washroom Strategy that actually befits the Nation’s Capital—not this.Maybe you have a parent or relative whose park visits are limited because there’s nowhere to go.
Maybe you’re personally affected.
Mr. King has had seven years. This is what we get: equitable access to porta-potties.Tell me what you think: peterkarwacki.overbrook@gmail.comThis time around, vote differently. Vote wisely. Vote for Peter Karwacki for Rideau-Rockcliffe.The Idiot Index meets Ottawa’s Washroom StrategyThe Idiot Index (Elon Musk’s term) measures how much extra cost and complexity you add to something that should be simple. A high score means bureaucracy is eating the actual value.The real problem: People in parks need a bathroom.What this 24,000-word draft strategy builds instead: 12 sections, 4 park tiers, 5 facility types, 6 layers of NCC cooperation, a 10-year phased plan, annual MOUs, daily inspection logs, digital gap-mapping, 311 integration, accessibility ratings, anti-vandalism specs, and $35–$55 million over a decade.
It’s not well maintained.
But when you gotta go… it’s better than nothing.
As your councillor, I will demand a Public Washroom Strategy that actually befits the Nation’s Capital—not this.Maybe you have a parent or relative whose park visits are limited because there’s nowhere to go.
Maybe you’re personally affected.
Mr. King has had seven years. This is what we get: equitable access to porta-potties.Tell me what you think: peterkarwacki.overbrook@gmail.comThis time around, vote differently. Vote wisely. Vote for Peter Karwacki for Rideau-Rockcliffe.The Idiot Index meets Ottawa’s Washroom StrategyThe Idiot Index (Elon Musk’s term) measures how much extra cost and complexity you add to something that should be simple. A high score means bureaucracy is eating the actual value.The real problem: People in parks need a bathroom.What this 24,000-word draft strategy builds instead: 12 sections, 4 park tiers, 5 facility types, 6 layers of NCC cooperation, a 10-year phased plan, annual MOUs, daily inspection logs, digital gap-mapping, 311 integration, accessibility ratings, anti-vandalism specs, and $35–$55 million over a decade.
Here’s where the Idiot Index is sky-high:1. The classification system is pointless overkill
4 park tiers + 4 ball-diamond levels = 8 categories just to answer one question: “Is this park busy enough for a toilet?”
Usage data already exists (permits, 311 calls, park counts).
Fix: Two-question test. Active summer programming? → Portable unit. High-traffic destination? → Permanent structure. Delete the rest.2. Custom site-built washrooms are the biggest rip-off
A Type D custom building now costs $700k–$1.2M (up from $300–350k in 2015) because it needs “architectural character.”
A basic weatherproof enclosure with a toilet, sink, and lock does not.
Prefabricated modular units do the job for $80–150k in other cities.
Fix: One standardized prefab design, bought in bulk. Savings: 40–60% on capital costs. No custom builds except flagship parks like Mooney’s Bay.3. Five facility types should collapse to two
Temporary (rental portable) or permanent (standardized prefab).
The fancy automated self-cleaning units? Make them the default—they’re cheaper long-term and already proven in Toronto and Vancouver.
4 park tiers + 4 ball-diamond levels = 8 categories just to answer one question: “Is this park busy enough for a toilet?”
Usage data already exists (permits, 311 calls, park counts).
Fix: Two-question test. Active summer programming? → Portable unit. High-traffic destination? → Permanent structure. Delete the rest.2. Custom site-built washrooms are the biggest rip-off
A Type D custom building now costs $700k–$1.2M (up from $300–350k in 2015) because it needs “architectural character.”
A basic weatherproof enclosure with a toilet, sink, and lock does not.
Prefabricated modular units do the job for $80–150k in other cities.
Fix: One standardized prefab design, bought in bulk. Savings: 40–60% on capital costs. No custom builds except flagship parks like Mooney’s Bay.3. Five facility types should collapse to two
Temporary (rental portable) or permanent (standardized prefab).
The fancy automated self-cleaning units? Make them the default—they’re cheaper long-term and already proven in Toronto and Vancouver.
4. The NCC section is six solutions to a one-layer problem
Six cooperation mechanisms, annual MOUs, festival protocols…
Fix: One sentence: “If the park boundary is shared, the higher-traffic jurisdiction pays.” One standing agreement. Done.5. The 10-year plan buries urgency in paperwork
Two full years of “planning” before a single new toilet is installed.
Fix:
• Months 1–3: Issue portable contract and deploy to every active park.
• Year 1–3: Build permanent units at the 10–15 busiest spots.
• Year 3+: Fill gaps. Problem solved.6. Dozens of obvious rules that add zero value
“Signage must be visible.” “No unit within 5 metres of water.” “Annual needs assessments.”
These are common sense or already law. Delete the process dressing.The one-page simplified policyParks with active summer programming get a portable unit.
High-traffic destinations get one standardized permanent washroom.
Decisions based on real usage data, not 8-tier spreadsheets.
One NCC agreement. One procurement. One accountable person in charge.That’s it.This isn’t rocket science. But if we took the advice of a rocket scientist and applied the Idiot Index, Ottawa could have clean, working public washrooms in months—not another decade of studies.What do you think?
Let’s stop accepting “better than nothing.”
Fix: One sentence: “If the park boundary is shared, the higher-traffic jurisdiction pays.” One standing agreement. Done.5. The 10-year plan buries urgency in paperwork
Two full years of “planning” before a single new toilet is installed.
Fix:
• Months 1–3: Issue portable contract and deploy to every active park.
• Year 1–3: Build permanent units at the 10–15 busiest spots.
• Year 3+: Fill gaps. Problem solved.6. Dozens of obvious rules that add zero value
“Signage must be visible.” “No unit within 5 metres of water.” “Annual needs assessments.”
These are common sense or already law. Delete the process dressing.The one-page simplified policyParks with active summer programming get a portable unit.
High-traffic destinations get one standardized permanent washroom.
Decisions based on real usage data, not 8-tier spreadsheets.
One NCC agreement. One procurement. One accountable person in charge.That’s it.This isn’t rocket science. But if we took the advice of a rocket scientist and applied the Idiot Index, Ottawa could have clean, working public washrooms in months—not another decade of studies.What do you think?
Let’s stop accepting “better than nothing.”
Let me know what you think.
peterkarwacki.overbrook@gmail.com
This time around, vote differently, vote wisely, vote for Peter Karwacki for Rideau Rockcliffe.
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