In a move to declutter their storage space, the small town of Port Edward near Prince Rupert in northwest British Columbia is offering free low-flush toilets to residents on a first-come, first-served basis. These toilets have been stored in the district office basement for the past 20 years, unused remnants from a water conservation initiative dating back to 2003.
Tyson Schofield, the district’s chief administrative officer, noted the unnecessary storage burden and decided to repurpose the toilets by distributing them to residents. Upon discovering 35 of these toilets gathering dust in the office basement, Schofield, who joined Port Edward in June, initiated the program to give them away for free.
The district used social media to announce the free toilet giveaway, using an image of Oprah Winfrey with the caption, “You get a toilet! You get a toilet! You get a toilet!” Within a day, 18 toilets had already been claimed by residents.
One of the residents, Teresa Andrews, expressed gratitude for the initiative, highlighting the convenience of upgrading their toilets without incurring additional expenses. Schofield explained that the toilets were originally purchased in 2003 during a water treatment plant reconstruction project to meet grant requirements for reducing water usage in the community.
While acknowledging that the toilets are aged over 20 years and therefore their quality cannot be guaranteed, Schofield mentioned that two of them have been successfully installed in the district office, emphasizing the importance of water conservation despite potential imperfections in the toilets.
