Second life for subway cars

Photo: The Canadian Press

As Montreal's original subway cars are being gradually pulled out of service, at least a few of the 50-year-old cars will be getting second lives.

As part of an event celebrating the subway's 50 years, the city's transport agency recently announced seven projects it has tentatively approved after putting out a call for proposals this spring.

Etienne Morin-Bordeleau says he was thrilled to learn he and his brother Frederic will be the lucky new owners of eight of the two-ton, smurf-blue and white MR-63 cars.

Their $4 million project involves transforming the cars into a multi-level sculpture that will function as an art gallery, community space and cafe/bar featuring local products and vendors.

"These cars are the symbols of Montreal and we want to give them back to Montrealers," Morin-Bordeleau said of his venture, dubbed project MR-63.

The agency said it received about 30 submissions from members of the public wishing to purchase and repurpose the first-generation cars, which are being gradually replaced.

They offered to sell the cars for $750 or $1,000, which doesn't include the approximately $4,000 it takes to ship the car within the Montreal area.

To be approved, a project had to meet certain criteria including heritage value, sustainability and feasibility.

The seven projects that were green-lighted range from a car to use in firefighter training to an artist's request for 16 doors for an art piece.

An English-style public garden near Quebec's Gaspe region plans to put one of the cars "out to pasture" - literally - by using it to create a train-inspired landscape exhibit.