Dirty streets are nothing new to a city-goer. It’s very normal to see trash littered everywhere, gum stuck to walls, and someone putting out a cigarette butt on a public bench and then promptly chucking it over their shoulder. Cities tend to gather grime build-up rather fast, considering how densely populated they are.
There are plenty of other cities in the world that have the same problem as Vancouver, but recent levels of human waste on the streets have raised questions amongst Vancouverites about public health.
A PUBLIC PROBLEM
Public defecation has recently hit an all-time high on Vancouver streets. Residents and business owners alike are questioning what can be done to improve the cleanliness of their streets. At this point, they say, the problem is beyond routine clean-up jobs.
People like Walley Wargolet, the executive director of the Gastown Business Improvement Society, launched his own initiative called the “poop fairy program”, run by Clean Start B.C.. Although halted funding prevented it from continuing in 2024, it has since been reinstated in March 2025.
The program has cleaned up Gastown’s streets 155 times, while the Downtown Eastside had 267 clean-ups. As of now, it is difficult to analyze which excrement is which– dog or human– but the point still stands: this is a major problem the city needs to tackle.
THE SOLUTION?
Unfortunately, Wargolet’s program is only a bandage over a wound that is far larger than what can be contained by conventional means. He notes that if people need a street or alley to relieve themselves, then there’s a much bigger and systemic issue that’s going on.
Things like increasing public washrooms can help, but it is again only a temporary measure for these ongoing troubles. With safe spaces for the homeless community dwindling, there are few areas for unhoused people to safely and healthily relieve themselves.
Obviously, no one wants to see another person defecating on the streets. Likewise, no one actually wants to defecate on the streets themselves. It’s demoralizing for everyone involved.
Wargolet points out that the City of Vancouver must consider the root cause of the issue. This includes things like a lack of housing, support, and access to healthcare and resources for the unhoused population. These only add to the growing piles of waste in the city’s streets.
You might also like
