The washrooms at the 108 Mile Heritage Site rest stop were temporarily closed this week, following concerns about their maintenance raised by the local historical society.
100 Mile & District Historical Society director Mal Wood said the upkeep of the rest stop – which falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure – has been a problem for several months with overgrown lawns, unkempt planters and foul-smelling washrooms.
The contract for the work is held by Dawson Road Maintenance. It had been sub-contracted to a private citizen, prior to last fall when Dawson took over.
Wood said many visitors to the heritage site have complained about the state of the washrooms, mistakenly thinking the maintenance is the responsibility of the volunteer-run landmark. The washroom doors both need replacing and are difficult to open, and Wood suspects there is a septic issue with the washroom as evidenced by an “unbelievable” smell.
“Quite often people come over to us and they say ‘you’ve got to clean up your washrooms, they’re disgusting,'” Wood said. “It’s reflecting badly upon us.”
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure told the Free Press this week that the washrooms were closed temporarily to allow for interior painting this week, as well as a septic inspection. Following complaints from the historical society, the ministry said Dawson would be increasing the frequency of its maintenance. The ministry noted that $50,000 had been invested in upgrades to the rest area over the past year including upgrades to heating, ventilation, plumbing and resurfacing of the parking lot.
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With regards to ongoing upkeep, a spokesperson said there are certain “performance measures” that must be upheld by Dawson, and according to ministry audits, Dawson “continually meets or exceeds contract specifications.”
However, a Dawson employee who was on-site mowing Thursday afternoon after hearing that complaints had been filed, was not surprised to hear that the upkeep had been a concern for locals. The employee – who asked their name not be shared – told the Free Press that the company is facing a staff shortage and doesn’t have the manpower to tend to the 108 rest stop, and others in the area, as often as needed.
“We don’t have enough people, we’re pulling from all different areas,” the employee said. “We need more help out here to get this stuff done.”
The historical society is feeling “cautiously optimistic” that the issues will be addressed in a timely manner, but said they won’t back down until the conditions are vastly improved.
Ideally, the historical society would like to see a “total overhaul” take place on the rest stop washrooms, Wood said, but noted that addressing the septic smell is a priority.
“You talk about COVID and disease, when you walk in there, what are you breathing in?”
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