Last year, for November Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Month, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada staged “Locked Out”, a PR stunt to raise awareness of the need for washroom access for people living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis using a symbolic installation of an “out-of-order" portable toilet. The event was a massive success, generating 9,000+ social media engagements (reactions, comments, shares), 130 articles published, and an incredible 6,000% increase in daily downloads of the GoHere® app from November 26-27, 2024. Since then, the GoHere® Washroom Access Program has continued to receive a lot of attention, and as a result, we’re beyond pleased to see more locations being added to its directory.
Crohn’s and Colitis Canada is thrilled to announce the addition of 349 new locations to the GoHere® Washroom Access Program in 2025 to date.
Some of the newest additions include:
- City of Delta, BC
- City of Richmond, BC
- Town of Sidney, BC
- City of Maple Ridge, BC
- City of Brampton, ON
- City of Milton, ON
- City of Markham, ON
- City of Montreal, QC
- Town of Goderich, ON
- Town of Grimsby, ON
- Shopping centres across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador
- All London Drugs locations
For many Canadians living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, the fear of having an accident because they cannot access a washroom may lead them to change their plans or stay home entirely.
GoHere, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, helps ease that anxiety by making it easier to find nearby, available washrooms. The app features more than 3,600 washrooms across the country available for those that need a place to go.
Addition of washrooms led by volunteer efforts
Crohn’s and Colitis Canada volunteers play a critical role in confirming additional washrooms to GoHere by reaching out to local governments, businesses, and organizations to facilitate new partnerships.
Their outreach makes all the difference in encouraging participation and securing new locations, ensuring washroom access is a recognized priority for those affected by inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Without these efforts, GoHere would not have nearly as many publicly available washrooms listed on the app.
London Drugs joins GoHere
In 2024, London Drugs joined GoHere, initially piloting the program at 6 of its locations in British Columbia. This partnership was made possible thanks to the efforts of longtime volunteer Matthew Sebastiani.
Following the positive reception and measurable impact of the pilot, London Drugs expanded the program to an additional 11 locations. Then, this past May, they announced a major commitment: all remaining 51 locations across Western Canada would be joining the program.
London Drugs is now the largest private business to join GoHere, second only to the grocery store chain Farm Boy.
Partnerships of this scale would not be made possible without dedicated volunteers like Matthew.
Help add more locations to GoHere
GoHere is always looking to expand washroom access and add more locations to the app. If you know a business or organization that would be interested in joining the GoHere Washroom Access Program, learn how to sign up on our website or email us at gohere...crohnsandcolitis...ca.