Bombardier has delayed the delivery of Toronto’s new streetcars again, so we thought “How hard can it be to build our own?”
The artist-built “Bazaar Bizarre Streetcar” running down Gerrard St E. at the Festival of South Asia next weekend, August 15 and 16.
Inspired by Toronto’s obsession with all things transit, Andrew Horne and I designed a cartoon, three-quarter scale version of the familiar CLRV streetcar. We’ve spent the last week building the streetcar at Cuppa Coffee animation studios with the carpentry expertise of set designers Kevin and Tony.
The Bazaar Bizarre Streetcar improves on the TTC’s vehicles in some exciting ways:
- 100% green energy: The Bazaar Bizarre Streetcar will be pushed down the street three times a day by four people.
- Community building: The Bazaar Bizarre Streetcar has been designed the celebrate the Gerrard India Bazaar. The streetcar livery has been brightened up with a South Asia damask pattern. The cartoon passengers, who will be illuminated at night, include many traditional animals from the South Asia Region.
- Engaging passengers: On top of the streetcar, rising to a height of four meters, are giant cartoon versions of Toronto’s animals – raccoons, skunks, opossums, squirrels, and plenty of pigeons. The passenger windows are also crammed with dozens of fantastic people and creatures. The streetcar car drivers are an enormous cat and and helpful lady monster.
- Musical accompaniment: When the The Bazaar Bizarre Streetcar comes to live and roll along to a new location in the Bazaar, it will escorted by a fanciful South Asian style band, playing joyful music and adding to the excitement.
- Accurate signage: The streetcar, which will travel only a half dozen blocks during the Festival of South Asia, has helpful signs reading “Very Short Turn”.
