Just ask the scores of smiling people who’ve already taken a spin on the new Pride of Canada Carousel that’s destined to become the focal point and jewel of Downtown Markham.
A gift from the Remington Group—the company developing the 243-acre mixed-use site—the giant merry-go-round features 44 rideable sculptures ranging from mermaids, to moons to old skates, all of them made from reclaimed “odds and ends” found and assembled by Canadian-born artist Patrick Amiot.
It’s whimsical, colourful, surrounded by music and has been filling up with smiling kids, moms, dads, grandparents—everyone, really—since it opened July 1.
“It was just so much fun,” said Emily Saraga, six, with a huge grin as she skipped off the ride. “Not too fast, not too slow … and the music was beautiful.”
She shared the ride with her mom, Alyson Gampel, who says she can see the carousel becoming “very, very” popular.
“It’s something that families will want to see,” she said. “It could be a meeting place.”
Sisters Allie and Zoe Levesque, four and six respectively, enjoyed their ride in a “piggy” and a rooster and said they want to come back as soon as they can to try out the other characters.
“I loved it,” said Zoe. “I didn’t get dizzy.”
The girls’ grandmother, Linda Wightman, said the ride is a worth a trip just to see the quirky and eclectic figures.
“I can tell the artist worked hard at this,” she said. “I see shovels that are used for ears and there are a lot of old wonderful licence plates scattered on different pieces … I guess a lot of it’s just junk, but it works.”
It’s indeed totally different, and calling it “junk” does not offend the artist in the least.
Amiot says objects destined for the dump are the “essence” of his work and that nothing is too broken, too torn, or too rusted to be overlooked.
From items he already had and pieces he discovered on a cross-Canada road trip made specifically for the carousel, the ride includes—among a myriad of other items—a satellite dish, car fenders, the front end of a small Renault vehicle, gas tanks, lids, parts of a Volkswagen, and even pieces of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
