Two recently-installed public water stations Downtown have been quietly and suddenly disconnected, a move one advocate called a “heartless” decision by the city amid temperatures so hot it prompted a heat warning in Edmonton this past weekend. The City of Edmonton in May announced plans to install up to 20 temporary bottle-filling stations attached to fire hydrants this summer so the public can have access to safe drinking water and avoid dehydration. There were 17 locations with six in or around Downtown as of mid-June. Postmedia visited the six stations previously announced in the city’s core and found two disconnected by Monday — the station next to Bissell Centre West at 96 Street and 105A Avenue, and outside Stanley A. Milner Library at 100 Street and 102 Avenue. Four other stations in the core were still working.
Tory wants to open water fountains earlier in the year. Councillors ask why they aren't all open now
After a late May heat wave when only 60 per cent of Toronto's public water fountains were operational, Mayor John Tory says he plans to introduce a council motion next week to see park amenities up and running sooner after winter. Tory said in a news release his motion will make sure "existing seasonal facilities are accessible as soon as possible to park users following the winter." But why aren't all these amenities operational now?
Lack of working water fountains a symptom of Toronto's 'bad management,' advocate says
Despite an early start to summer weather, the City of Toronto revealed it has some 245 water fountains that aren't turned on, something an urban planning advocate says spells a bigger problem for those who rely on public amenities. Mayor John Tory revealed Tuesday only 60 per cent of the city's 700 public water fountains were up and running during recent record-breaking heat spells.