In a city such as Ottawa the needs of tourists, outdoor activities of families, an aging population and people with disabilities, and the need to ensure effective public health combine to make the case that a network of safe, clean, accessible and environmentally responsible public toilets is essential. Which of us has not been caught short by our need for a toilet? The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation surveyed their members and donors in 2010 only to find that more than 75% of them had been humiliated in this way.