Canadian restrooms duke it out for 2012 King of the Throne

Does British Columbia have what it takes to win the title of the best restroom in Canada?

Well, we may have been named among the worst wardrobes in the world but we seem to know how to cut the crap when it comes to stylish waterclosets. We've got two chances to be named the 2012 King of the Throne.

The third annual Cintas' Canada's Best Restroom Contest has announced that the five finalists of this year's competition include two West Coast contenders: the Georgian Court Hotel in Vancouver and the Langley Street Loo in Victoria.

The Georgian Court Hotel lobby washrooms were designed in 2009 by Canadian designer Louis de Araujo. The luxurious design includes Petrus Pebbles inset in the marble countertop, plush velvet seating, and chandeliers.

Meanwhile, Victoria's Langley Street Loo is an outdoor stainless steel facility with a graffiti-proof coating, eco-friendly design, solar-powered LED lighting fixtures, and an exterior handwashing station. It was purchased from the City of Portland, Oregon for $90,000.

They're up against two entries from Toronto (one in an Earls on King Street and another from the nightclub This is London Club) and one from the Centre for Professional Training Vocational School in Repentigny, Quebec.

The contest was designed to recognize establishments that maintain the highest standards of both hygiene and style for their washrooms. Finalists were evaluated and chosen based on cleanliness, visual appeal, innovation, functionality, and unique design elements.

The public can vote for which one they think should win at the contest website until October 12.

The winner will be announced this fall in a national campaign.

Vancouver won the inaugural competition in 2010. The Byrne Road Cactus Club in Burnaby won, beating out Vancouver's Shangri-La Hotel and three Toronto venues.

The following year, Toronto's e11even led the pack. (That year, no British Columbian nominees made the cut.)

Here's a video by Cintas about the contest:

There's no word yet on whether or not there'll be a contest for Canada's worst restroom. But feel free to keep a list of contenders in case one comes up (we'll leave the research up to you).

You can follow Craig Takeuchi on Twitter at twitter.com/cinecraig.