By Deneka Michaud
The rusty streetcar looks completely torn apart. No windows, no doors, no floor.
Despite its appearance, the OC Transpo project to restore and reintroduce the old-fashioned streetcar is running at full speed and ahead of schedule.
A group of volunteers initiated the project to put streetcar 626, built in 1917 and decommissioned in 1957, back onto Ottawa’s streets in 2000.
The trolley’s champions, who’ll restore the car over the next three years, hope to run it up and down Sparks Street as a tourism draw.
The project started four years ago,and it has taken off over the past few months due to increased sponsorship and volunteer support, says project manager Barry Thomas.
Over the last year, six new sponsors and about 25 new volunteers have joined the project.
“We’re moving faster than I had anticipated by quite a bit. With assistance that we have from the companies and the enthusiasm from volunteers, I would say that we have probably knocked-off a good six months (off the time expected to complete the project),” he said.
The new popularity of the project can be partly attributed to press coverage, says volunteer Steve Heidemann. The Ottawa Citizen ran an article at the end of November and since then interest has greatly increased.
“The more people we get, the more equipment we get, the more material we get, the quicker we’ll go,” says volunteer Bill Giguere.
The new sponsors will not only speed up the project, they will also cut the costs, says Thomas. Restoration costs were estimated at $250,000 but will likely be much less because of donated materials and labour.
Merchants on Sparks Street are also trying to work with those restoring the streetcar.
“It fits in beautifully with what we’re trying to accomplish here,” says Hollander Layte, owner of the Marvellous Mustard Shop on Sparks Street. “We want to return the street to a vibrant, commercial street, while emphasizing the Ottawa-Canadian historical aspects.”
Somerset Ward Coun. Diane Holmes thinks a streetcar on Sparks Street is a great idea.
“I think tourists would love riding it, as well as our residents of course,” she says. “And how nice that it’s one of our own streetcars.”
But a lot of planning will have to go into the project first, she says. Expansion of the O-Train is a big priority for the city, so the planning for the streetcar would have to co-ordinate with it. The city would also probably have to work with the NCC, especially since getting it running will cost a lot, she adds.
Thomas and his group are well aware that restoration is only the first step to getting it up and running, but they are committed to getting it past the first stage when the time comes.