Highway 6 without a bathroom break again... at least for now

Folks making the trek to and from Thompson along Highway 6 are once again without a bathroom break… at least for now.

A pilot project that brought seasonal washrooms to the 750-kilometre stretch of highway has wrapped up. A provincial spokesperson confirmed the temporary toilets have been removed.

“We are moving forward now with the analyzing of the data from the successful pilot project so that we can plan for the next step,” Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor told CTV News.

The province launched the six-month pilot project back in May, adding portable toilets and garbage facilities to rest stops at Devils Lake and William River.

Portable toilets and garbage facilities were added to rest stops at Devils Lake and William River in May 2024 as a part of a six-month pilot project. (Source: CTV News Winnipeg)

The goal was to address safety concerns, as there are limited areas to stop, rest, and relieve yourself along the major north-south corridor stretching from Winnipeg to Thompson.

A provincial spokesperson said the rest stops had steady use during the summer travel season, with hundreds of visits every day. Naylor told CTV News during the peak of summer, the Devils Lake rest stop saw more than 300 vehicles a day, while the William Lake rest stop saw about 100.

“I had lots of people send me pictures, selfies outside the washrooms because they were excited about it,” she said. “People are using these facilities.”

Despite the success, the province said the temporary toilets have been removed as the six-month pilot wrapped up on Thanksgiving weekend.

• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
• Sign up now for daily CTV News Winnipeg newsletters

“I can completely understand that for folks who are using that highway that the preference would be to continue to have something over the winter months,” Naylor told CTV News. “We are moving towards a permanent solution, but from the beginning this was announced as a pilot project. We funded a pilot and have fulfilled that commitment.”

Naylor said the province is now going to analyze the data collected during the pilot project, along with feedback from folks who made use of them. This will be used to inform potential options for rest stops along Highway 6 for future years, a provincial spokesperson said.

“We're looking at budget and what our opportunities will be going forward. We would like to have something more permanent definitely along Highway 6,” Naylor said.

As for when that will happen, Naylor wouldn’t give a timeline but said the project is a priority for her government.

“We know it’s important,” she said. “This is not the end of the story or the end of the road.”