Shhh… What do you do when you’re outside at a party or an event and, you know, you gotta go?
As your grandmother might have said, it’s not something we talk about in nice company.
That was then. Today you say Toddy’s Potties, and everyone relaxes.
Bathroom in the wild
Part of the charm is the catchy name, of course. But the other part is the units’ comfort and cleanliness. They’re a lovely and convenient way of bathrooming in the wild (or backyard).
Lightyears removed from their outhouse ancestors, Toddy’s Potties are even pretty. There are units for construction sites ‒ for landscapers, builders, and on farms; but also for outdoor parties; fundraisers, fairs, golf courses, riding facilities, and campgrounds.
Bigger wastes
Randy Todd is the clever fellow behind Toddy’s Potties, which is actually a service of his larger company, Carleton Environmental Services, which takes care of bigger wastes by cleaning and maintaining septic systems.
Randy brought Toddy’s Potties into his company’s lineup more than 20 years ago and now there are 800 units, not just toilets but separate hand washing sinks and even showers.
Charitable potties
Toddy’s Potties show up, donated by Randy, at charitable events such as those held for local legions, the Humane Society, and the Lagois Motorcycle Ride for ROSSS. Toddy’s Potties has been a Ride for Dad sponsor for many years.
It was the pandemic that drove the rapid development of Toddy’s Potties. Randy describes how it was a double-edged sword. Because of COVID, suddenly fast-food restaurants could only operate as drive-through establishments without customer access to washrooms. Indoor facilities, public restrooms and libraries were closed.
A serious issue
The lack of public toilets was serious for many, especially for people with health issues. The demand was urgent everywhere in the Ottawa region in parks and downtown or anywhere people could gather outdoors.
As a result, portable toilets like Toddy’s Potties were in great demand. Outside sinks became critical for handwashing. It was a great opportunity for a business such as Randy’s, but it was also an enormous challenge.
Randy had to acquire many more units and also find the labour force to deliver and maintain them.
“It was mentally challenging,” he recalls. “We couldn’t get to where we needed to be fast enough.”
He did it – with high, unrelenting stress. He recovered, but it took a toll on his health.
Fancy potties
Some of the units are accessible to accommodate wheelchairs. The prettiest are the ones you can rent for outdoor weddings. They’re silver (as opposed to the standard beige or brown), with mirrors, a sink with soap, towels and a hook to hang your coat.
Randy has provided Lagois with waste needs for decades, and Toddy’s Potties are part of the scene of several Lagois large-scale renovations. He supplies other notable places such as Saunders Farm and Abby Hill Farms, food shows, and (in the past for more than 20 years) Richmond Fair.
Cowboy boots or tuxedos?
When organizers want to know what kind of portable toilets they should get for an outdoor wedding, Randy asks what the guests are likely to be wearing: cowboy boots or tuxedos? Cowboy boots generally mean the standard units are appropriate. Tuxedos suggest the silver ones, which are more expensive ‒ but fancy.
When customers order Toddy’s Potties, the units arrive in numbers from one to many hundreds depending on the venue, the crowd and the size of the site or farm. When the event is over, or the construction site or farm no longer needs them, the units are cleaned out immediately with the powerful vacuum method in the Carleton Environmental Services truck and all are removed at once, sometimes requiring a massive trailer to transport them.
Catchy potty talk
Back at the four-acre Carleton Environmental Services site, they’re pre-washed, power-washed, sanitized, and ready for future use. Before they go to another site, they’re washed again.
The name, Toddy’s Potties, is pretty catchy, but Randy went one further.
On the big Carleton Environmental Septic Trucks, there’s a bumper sticker that says “Join the Movement”. He says he sometimes spots people driving behind the truck who suddenly burst into laughter when they read it.
Even in nice company, Toddy’s Potties makes potty talk perfectly acceptable.
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