For a second let’s forget that I somehow got the official streetcar Instagram to briefly accept my collaboration request on a reel that heavily criticized the project to talk about LEGACY!
Windsor’s beautifully restored 1918 “Streetcar No. 351” grand opening was this past weekend and while it is supposed to honour the history of Windsor’s transit – it somehow also perfectly captures the spirit of our current transit system which is standing still and leaving people behind.
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I want to be clear that I’m not even necessarily against the streetcar OR the cafe. This video isn’t just about that – it’s about priorities.
It took over $10 million to bring this piece of s..history back to life, while transit projects like the tunnel bus get bulldozed and affordable housing issues are intentionally hidden just a few steps away. It’s hard to celebrate a monument of the past when we’re failing the people of the present.
Yes, the riverfront does deserve love and attention and should be a place to gather, relax and enjoy the city. Parking lot hangouts shouldn’t be our only waterfront culture. Public spaces and heritage matters – but so does building a city where people can actually live.
Just a few steps away from the streetcar, a homeless encampment was conveniently fenced off and out of sight just in time for the ribbon cutting ceremony. You know what they say! Out of sight, out of mind… out of touch?
A few days prior to the Streetcar 351 grand opening
During the grand opening
During the grand opening ceremony, local transit advocacy group Activate Transit (https://activatetransitwindsoressex.ca/) hosted a “transit funeral”. Around 11 participants stood dressed in black, holding gravestone shaped signs, drawing attention to the death of the tunnel bus and the lack of new operational funding for Transit Windsor in the recently passed budget at the streetcar’s grand opening.
Activate transit reports that city staff attempted to remove participants of this non disruptive protest by citing that it was a private event, despite it being advertised to the public but they still deem the protest successful and had several productive conversations with members of the community who viewed the ceremony and the inside of the new facility.
Photo provided by @activatetransit
Following the grand opening, I posted a reel poking fun at the new Streetcar because that’s what I do.
A few days later, I noticed that the official Streetcar 351 Instagram account liked the video. So, half-jokingly, I sent a collaboration request to feature the video on their page and to my absolute shock, they accepted it. This technically made my post their very first – that’s my “legacy”.
My video was live on their official page for almost a full day! For a moment, I thought someone on the inside might actually be open to a little self-awareness but unfortunately, the collaboration was later removed. Womp womp!
Anyways the street car is already there so you might as well check it out – or don’t! You can find it at Michael D. Hurst Legacy Park – 780 Riverside Dr W, Windsor, ON N9C 3B8
The main takeaways from this blog are:
1. Always watch my videos until the end.. with sound on.
2. Hide the real issues you don’t want the media to capture!
3. Maybe we should be investing in being able to get from point A to B and not just marvel at how we used to 100 years ago?
