No number two for this bathroom — a Lac La Biche gas station now has official confirmation it is the number one public restroom in Canada.
The Beaver Hill Shell gas station has won the 2019 Cintas Canada’s Best Restroom Contest.
The annual loo competition is ultimately decided by public voting, and the owner of this year’s winner says he believes the small details that have been added to the facilities are what put it ahead.
“We strive to offer travellers a nice space to relax before getting back on the road,” Beaver Hill Shell owner Mo Kabalan said.
“We’re honoured to be recognized.”
The washrooms feature granite countertops, wood framed mirrors and a herringbone floor pattern.
“[Customers] don’t feel like they’re in a gas station, they feel like they’re in some fancy house,” Kabalan said.
When the gas station was built in 2017, Kabalan said he decided to put in the extra effort into the washroom design after his wife had some bad experiences elsewhere.
This is the second year in a row that an Alberta washroom has taken the top spot in the contest. In 2018, the facilities at St. Albert Honda won.
Alberta actually has quite the track record in the competition: a bathroom in our province has won four out of the last 10 years.
The winner receives $2,500 in washroom products and services from Cintas.