Female hygiene products, change tables being made more available in city facilities

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C – The City of Fort St. John continues to make female hygiene products and baby change tables readily available for the community.

Council will be presented an update regarding the availability of products and tables in recreation facilities on Monday.

“The modest cost of supporting this program is justified by the improvement to the quality of life and dignity for those that benefit from the availability of these change tables and hygiene products,” says CAO Milo MacDonald.

The report states product dispensers were installed at the Pomeroy Sport Centre in the East and West women’s washrooms on the first floor. The same floor also has baby change tables in the family change rooms and the men’s and women’s washroom on the second floor and both family washrooms on the third floor.

The pool has had hygiene products available for many years at the front desk and is having a dispenser installed in the women’s lobby washroom next month. It also has several baby change
tables installed in the men, family and women’s washrooms and change rooms.

Over the next couple of months, City Hall, the Kid’s Arena Field House, and the North Peace Arena will also have dispensers installed. The field house and arena will receive change tables in the men’s and women’s washrooms over the next two months.

With the closure and reduction of people in the facilities in the past year, staff weren’t able to monitor the cost of feminine hygiene products.

At a June 24, 2019 council meeting, the City approved a 12 month trial on offering free hygiene products in public city facilities. This came after news the government was supplying the products to students. During the meeting, the cost of baby change tables for male and female washrooms in city facilities was also included in the City budget.