Canadian Urbanism Uncovered
Read more articles by Ian Malczewski
We’ve already seen subways, streetcars, and subway stations wrapped in advertising, but we can now add another part of our infrastructure to the list: the island ferries. I was headed to the islands yesterday and was unpleasantly surprised to see all three ferries completely wrapped in huge ads. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my camera with me, so you’ll just have to imagine the ferry pictured above covered with monkeys selling cell phones. Another battle for the Toronto Public Space Committee?
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7 comments
They’ve been like that for a while now, if I’m not mistaken.
There’s a picture of it on Flickr from Wakestock a few weeks ago. Not the best picture, but it gives at least a sense of what it looks like.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fisso416/214607081/
I hate to say it, but it’s not something new. I can recall the ferries being adorned with Kool-Aid ads as early as a decade ago. Now Magazine had a good picture of how it looked last year:
http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2005-04-07/news_insight.php
Not that the longstanding nature of the deal with whomever makes it okay, of course. But the fact that it’s been going on for ten years, probably with very few complaints to the City, makes it much harder to fight.
This isn’t a new issue. The article linked below by John Sewell from NOW is about the Sam McBride, decked out in Kool-Aid wrap in 1999.
http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/18/44/News/city.html
Sigh… It’s also, to be quite honest, far down on our list of priorities. If I were to name you every thing that the City is currently considering adorning with advertisements, you’d cry.
http://tinyurl.com/s9chh
Hmm. I guess I hadn’t noticed them on recent trips to the water. Still, funny how NOW also said, “Nothing’s Sacred!” Never hurts to be reminded…
I noticed it too on the August long weekend en route to the Island.
You can just see it in this shot,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/55976115@N00/208762957/
The other Centre Island Ferry with the Presidents Choice wrap is much worse looking.