BONNYVILLE –Repeated vandalism at the new public washroom facility at Slawuta Pond has forced the Town of Bonnyville to reduce its hours while additional security measures are put in place.

The issue was raised during the Aug. 25 council meeting, with Chief Administrative Officer Quinton Wintfley telling council the washrooms have been damaged approximately three times this summer.

“We’ve had a lot of issues with vandalism,” Wintfley said. “It’s been destroyed about three times this summer.”

The latest incident caused enough damage that the Town has filed an insurance claim.

Wintfley later told council the most recent damage was believed to be more than $10,000.

“I believe the last set of damages were over 10 grand,” he said. “It was pretty substantial.”

Town increasing security

The Town has already taken steps to address the ongoing problems, including increasing security around the facility and working with a security consulting company.

Video surveillance is also being considered.

“We’re looking at getting some video cameras put on the building as well,” Wintfley said. “There’s some mitigation pieces that we need to get in place before we can open up the hours again.”

The Town is also working with the Bonnyville RCMP in an effort to reduce further vandalism.

For now, washroom hours are being kept within existing staff hours. Wintfley explained that extending access beyond those hours could require overtime and potentially a three-hour staff callout, adding another cost for the municipality.

“We’re just trying to make sure that we keep the cost down, but as well as maintaining as much as we can,” he said.

There is also a safety consideration for Town employees responding to incidents at the facility.

Wintfley said staff can potentially be exposed to contaminants when dealing with the aftermath of vandalism.

The situation drew frustration around the council table, particularly given the investment made in the new public facility.

“Rather unfortunate that we have a beautiful new facility that we can’t keep open due to vandalism,” Mayor Elisa Brosseau said.

Wintfley agreed the situation has been challenging.

“It’s unfortunate, but the hours are reduced due to that,” he said.

The Town hopes additional security measures, including potential cameras, will eventually allow the washrooms to operate with expanded hours again.