An art piece in the Kensington Neighbourhood since 2007, the Garden Street Car was started by an advocacy group, “Streets are for People”.
The group wanted to give a larger voice to garden spaces and public art over boring ole’ parking spaces.
These original members have since taken a backseat (get it?), so the “Car-dener” now responsible for keeping up the tradition is a Kensington local: Yvonne Bambrick.
Leading a team of artists, she refreshes the artistic flair of the car every year. Bambrick stores the car in the winter and ensures it makes it out every spring with a handful of community volunteers.
The car is not only an iconic art piece, but also doubles as a community garden. Roses, flowers, herbs and vegetables serve the local community and everyone is invited to feast off of its bounty.
The first two cars that provided homes for the famous Garden Car were junkers, but today you’ll see a 1992 Sunbird named Meryl Streep (donated by actor Hayden Finkelshtain).
So a big shout out to Yvonne Bambrick who keeps this artful project’s engine running.
If you want to grab a Sunbird selfie or a trunk tomato, the car is located on the corner of Augusta Avenue and Oxford Street.
