Regina International Airport ahead of the curve in providing free menstrual products

The Regina International Airport (YQR) has shown its well ahead of the curve – providing free menstrual products more than a year before a federal regulation made it mandatory.

Free menstrual products must now be available to workers at all federally regulated workplaces.

The new regulation came into effect Dec. 15 and includes public service departments, crown corporations, airports and banks.

The federal government has described the new rules as “making work places safer” and ensuring employees “feel looked after” while at work.

• Download the CTV News app to get breaking news alerts from across Saskatchewan sent to your device

However – at the Regina International Airport (YQR) – dispensers of free menstrual products have already been installed in its washrooms for over a year.

When the new federal regulations were announced, YQR implemented them for all employees ahead of the official date.

“Enter any public female washroom and you can grab that menstrual product as required, at no cost to you as a passenger or a member of the public,” James Bogusz, president and CEO of Regina Airport Authority, told CTV News.

Advocates say the policy has been a long time coming, and is a positive step in the right direction.

“We’re super proud that [the government] understood that it was part of regulation code. Making sure these period products were in all washrooms, it doesn’t matter what gender,” said Jana Girdauskas, founder of The Period Purse.

Going forward, Liberal MP Carolyn Bennett hopes the new implementation will catch on within the private sector.

“I think it’s about what becomes the norm,” she said. “This becomes normalized in a way that people all want to do it, and it becomes an expectation.”