We Made a Change
WTC and Friends’ Diaper Change-in at Vancouver City Hall on Nov. 25th, 2026.
Council rolls back removal of baby change tables following Diaper “Change-In” at Vancouver City Hall
I never expected that an offhand comment I made in a group chat would lead to almost 100 people changing diapers on the floor of City Hall.
But that’s what happened Tuesday morning, in one of the most wholesome protests I’ve ever been a part of. Women Transforming Cities and parent advocates organized a Diaper “Change-In” to highlight crappy budget cuts resulting from a zero percent property tax increase.
In their budget presentation to council, city officials warned that finding $120 million in ‘efficiencies’ would result in less capacity for maintenance and repairs to public buildings. They were exploring removal of baby change tables and period product dispensers in some city washrooms because they “take a lot of time and money to actually replace” in high-vandalism areas. But people who menstruate and people who have babies need to access civic facilities in high-vandalism areas, too.
This is just one example of how the “zero means zero” cuts and fee increases would short-change women, gender diverse people, and working families – people already struggling most under the weight of unaffordability.
As council prepared to vote on the budget, we took over the city hall lobby to demand a change.
Close-up of parent and child at the diaper change-in.
Parents and children occupying the media room in City Hall.
Kids’ toys and colouring pages were strewn about on blankets. We handed out free diapers, tampons, Goldfish crackers, and applesauce. We sang familiar library time songs, adapted to our message like “the more we fund our city, the better it will be,” and “zoom zoom zoom this budget’s not for you.” Shoutout to co-organizer Margie Sanderson for the creative lyrics.
We invited all city councillors to attend and heard from several on their commitments to fight for gender equity in the budget.
Pictured left to right: City councillors Sean Orr, Lucy Maloney, Pete Fry.
We shared our vision of what a budget that reflects our needs might include.
And yes, we changed some dirty diapers.
A dozen media outlets picked up the story, including CTV News, The Tyee, and CBC’s On The Coast.
Clara speaking to a local broadcast reporter.
Our message was clear: removal of change tables was just one example of how this budget harms women and gender-diverse people. We wanted council to go back to the drawing board. And we wanted a transparent budget.
Our voices made a difference. Just hours after the Change-In, Council passed an amendment to replace change tables in some areas rather than remove them, and to invest in more vandalism-resistant materials. The budget line for replacing change tables was less than $30,000 per year, in a budget that includes a $50 million increase to police. Installing a stainless steel change table, which is much harder to damage, only costs $2,000 more.
We didn’t get everything we asked for. The amendment certainly didn’t address our concerns about transparency or chronic underfunding of libraries, community centres, pools, and other social services. But it’s clear we got council’s attention.
Walking back this idea is one small win in a budget full of cuts that disproportionately affect women, gender-diverse people, caregivers, and marginalized communities.
The photo on the left: Clara, Margie, Iona. The photo on the right: Flo with baby.
Our Change-In was part of a chorus of voices opposing a budget that lacked transparency and asked those struggling the most to make sacrifices:
600+ speakers in opposition, including dozens of WTC members
Thousands of emails to council
Hundreds of healthcare professionals, city workers, and businesses signed open letters
Thousands more survey responses from previous years overwhelmingly in support of a tax increase in order to maintain services.
We remain concerned about cuts to heat protections for low-income tenants, sustainability, and sex worker safety, to name a few.
The Change-In was a joyful display of people-power. We showed what it looks like to take up space in the very building where decisions are made about our daily lives. We demonstrated that when we speak up together we can make a change. This wouldn’t have been possible without parent organizers in our community who helped turn out a large crowd of caregivers and adorable babies.
Thank you for your labour.
Clara Prager
Civic Engagement and Advocacy Manager
We’re committed to fighting alongside underrepresented communities for the change we need from city hall in the years to come. You can get involved by signing up for updates on the Our City Hall campaign, or becoming a WTC member.
