She initiated a petition asking merchants to make their toilets available to consumers

A delivery woman suffering from intestinal disease has filed a petition to persuade traders to make their toilets available to consumers during these detention hours.

“It simply came to our notice then […] Going to the bathroom is not a hobby, ”said Mary-Ow Dubak, 40.

The matter is sensitive, but she is ready to break the ban: she is waiting for Crohn’s diagnosis. She often has sudden attacks and forces him to go to the bathroom urgently.

She delivers for a short period of time for foresight. For an appointment with an orthopedist he will sometimes have to travel from Marisi to the Autouis.

His life has become more complicated since the epidemic, with many businesses reducing or closing access to their bathrooms. The journal also visited the main banners to find out their policy on the subject (see other text).

“I can no longer go to places where they refuse to keep me […] I have to plan my trips around it. ”

“We are working to take away some of our dignity,” Julie Howell-Servantinski said. She opened the petition a week ago, shocked by the situation facing Mary-Ow Dubak. Nearly 400 people signed up on Friday.

One girl was denied

This is the situation in which Valerie Gravel Dubois, a resident of Moscow, said last November that her 4-year-old daughter had refused Tim Hortons’ toilets.

She was about to take her injured partner to Saint-Jerome Hospital and took the order from her car when the girl had an urgent need to urinate. Eventually she had to defecate outside.

“She’s crying,” her mother said. “She could not understand why she was rejected.”

Most workers have to spend the day in their vehicle, the problem is daily.

“The worst story I’ve ever heard is that a truck driver is flawed at a cafe door because he can no longer step back,” explained Stefan Lavoie, regional director of Quebec’s Professional Truck Drivers Association.

“It simply came to our notice then [parce qu’il peut uriner dehors]He said. “But more women are driving trucks.”

Protect employees

In general, businesses try to keep their washrooms open, said Jean-Franకోois Belle of the Retail Council of Canada. The catch is that employee opinions are sometimes the same as people.

“It simply came to our notice then. CNESST asks employers to protect their employees, ”Mr. Belle explained.

The Ministry of Transport explains that private businesses cannot be forced to allow road users to their toilets.

Fortunately, the service areas and leisure areas managed by MTQ are still available and the frequency of maintenance frequency has been increased, congratulating Marc Kodiux, president of the Association du Camonez du Quebec.

Still, for Stefan Laoi, these stops were not enough to meet the demand and cover the territory. Their absence in the big cities is particularly problematic, Mr. Laoi stressed.

Where else can we go to the bathroom?

Even at some large chains the branch is very different from the access branch so it is sometimes possible today to open the washroom to the public.

Tim Hortons

The Media Relations team said that Tim Hortons restaurants continue to allow their customers to use the washrooms. Rejected “guest” Tim Hortons can call 1-888-601-1616 to review the situation.

Starbucks

If the dining room is closed, the washrooms for customers will be closed, except for emergency responders in uniform.

Costco and Walmart

In supermarkets such as Costco and Walmart, dedicated toilets are always open to the public, assures Jean-Franకోois Belieu of the Retail Council of Canada.

Grocery

At the IGA, toilets are always available in the majority of supermarkets, suggests Sobies spokeswoman Anne-Helen Lavoie.

Mr Belly explained that in general, large grocery stores keep their toilets open. They are more likely to be closed at neighborhood grocery stores or when there is a single bathroom.

Stations-Service

The situation varies from one branch to another, especially since stations under the same banner can be operated by different operators.

The road stops

Transportation Quebec and the rest of the service areas that are open year-round are always available. Their list is in Quebec 511.

At the time of publication, McDonald’s, Metro and Couche-Tard did not respond to questions Journal.

To view the petition: https://www.petitionenligne.net/signatures/toilettes_accessibles_au_quebec_durant_la_pandemie/