“Don’t shit or piss in the park.” It’s not the first thing you’d expect to hear from a city Councillor in an informal chat about Occupy Regina. It’s not even on the top ten. But it was what I remember hearing first from Councillor Clipsham. Perhaps that’s because he repeated it several times. I asked him if it was his position or the City’s, and he said City’s. The City’s uncrossable line is that there must be no case of a person pooping in the park, or the Constitutional rights of the other protesters to assemble will cease to be a priority. That’s what I got from the conversation.
– Your dog contributes, why can’t people contribute to democracy? (I’m anti-park-pooping, to be perfectly clear.)
I said I don’t want to see anyone pooping in Victoria Park, but since he brought it up, and humans have animal needs, why aren’t there more all-season public facilities for the public to access at times the Library isn’t open. He said I was changing the subject. Staying on the topic of public defecation, I wondered aloud what public washrooms looked like 80 years ago, and if there were more or fewer of them. Again, I was told I was changing the subject. He then asked what I thought about democracy. Since the Councillor had just given a decent definition of participatory democracy and its importance, during his brief formal speech to the crowd that night, I echoed his sentiments. Then I said that protestors are participating in democracy, and are doing it for both themselves and for those who do not have the means, in order to object to a political system they feel no longer represents their interests.
Because I used the word “but” in my objection to his line in the sand, he said I’d “lost him” right then. I think it’s perfectly reasonable to ask why there aren’t public toilets around most parks, when a politician brings up public defecation as a reason to shut down a global political protest. I didn’t notice this problem just tonight. Tourist destinations need bathrooms that are not all inside commercial properties. It also makes no sense to have a 10:00 p.m. park closing time, while the BID wants to revitalize the downtown nightlife.
Since he referred to me by my screen name Saskboy, I have to assume that he understood that I might talk about our discussion on my blog. My wife, April (who happens to be a truck driver’s daughter and is well versed in the cursing vocabulary), had the unfortunate experience of being there to hear this absurd conversation with Councillor Clipsham, and had to pick her jaw up off the floor. After I saw her “not happy” face (which I get occasionally…) I knew he had it coming. She sort of laughed to herself and said, “We were talking about why they are in the park. Their point isn’t to shit in the park. What does that have to do with the reason they are there?”
I also remarked that it was kind of random to bring up park pooping. The Councillor asked, “Yeah, what is the point?”, and we could only ask the same question in return since we hadn’t brought it up in the first place and were unclear as to the point. He soon after excused himself from the discussion, I shook his hand saying it had been a pleasure to shoot the shit with him, and I proceeded to have less notable (but worthwhile) conversations with other citizens and Councillors.
Food for thought:
If an adult uses Depends in the park, does Occupy Regina get bulldozed? What if a baby is changed on the ground on the newly paved 12th Ave? Since the Councillor said it was okay if people were using chamber pots and emptying them properly, does that mean diaper use is also acceptable? Could a saboteur “pinch a log”, steal away without being pinched by the police, and then have the planted poop pinned on a protester? Probably.
The Occupiers have their shit together. There are experienced activists running for political office, and those who are coming for the first time to flex their participatory-democratic muscles. They know the system needs change, and not the impotent kind ushered in by Obama that leaves the 1% on Wall St. out of the courts and ready to offend again.
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saw 3 young adults walk from occupy to alley beside tower 1 yesterday and piss in the alley,,, a lovely sight for the two business ladies who came around the corner and were visibly upset by the sight
just saying
Well that cinches it, shut it down. Or, you know, have public toilets available where there are people.
Have PUBLIC washrooms! how HARD IS THAT! Just because they walked from Occupy doesn’t necessarily mean that it was them, but if it was then perhaps instead of being disgusted that they relieved themselves there, why not be disgusted that there is NO PLACE to relieve themselves other than businesses (most businesses say “washrooms are for customer use only”). I think it’s disgusting that people who are not at occupy have to hold it because Regina’s downtown is SO BADLY DESIGNED.
I’m sure someone will point out that if there are public washrooms in Regina, that some people will leave them messy, or even use them as shelter or to hide in for drug use. It’s anti-people to NOT have bathrooms; the negative parts have having them are simply an excuse to make life difficult for the homeless, and to force tourists into businesses they’d rather not bother.
Occupy Regina has repeatedly contacted the City to try and work out issues such as having them turn on the power in the park outlets (the power to which, I was interested to discover is supplied free by Sask Power) and arrange to get porta-potties. To date, we have encountered the stone wall you so aptly describe. If the City wants to solve the problem rather than dodging and weaving then let them stop blowing smoke and work with us.
I think Regina deserves better leadership than what we’re seeing here and I hope that people remember that in the coming city elections.
I wonder if SaskPower is aware that the City is choosing to dole out their gift to the public? Not much of a gift if it can be taken away for particular people, is it?
As far as porta-potties, that’s a temporary solution. I’d like a permanent solution, and to see actual public facilities for a public park. Are there even any drinking fountains in the park (in the Summer of course)?
Councillor Mike O’Donnell, who I give full credit to for participating in many of Design Regina’s events, told us his focus is on making Regina attractive during the Winter. Would it be hard to invent a public drinking water solution after freezing temperatures arrive? Perhaps there’s no demand for that; it’s just an additional idea.
yer right about the 9$ mil,spent on 12ave/Vicky’s park. Wiyhout public water either.Why do such short sighted people, get to run our community.
Nobodey from CoR ever called / or snailmailed me a questionairre, on the spending/ design / philosophy.
So now on 12th, there are wavy noodles between “chopsticks”
changing colour. very Slow at that too.
Driving on 12th? CoR should automatically buy the 1st 2 way accident vehicles, on the walking ? driving mall new cars. Just for fun.
I hope for the sake of literacy you typed that on a cell phone.
This post was mostly written on a cell phone by two people.
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