A convenience store is floating on Lake Ontario — but you can't shop there

Local kayakers won’t actually be able to walk through its doors and pick up the basics, though the makers of the art installation “Global Convenience” say the symbol of a local corner store is meant for something more: bringing a city together during the World Cup. The artists say the convenience store transcends language barriers because it is instantly recognized as a place for community across the globe, and they hope it brings unsuspecting onlookers joy while it bobs on the waters about 50 metres into the Harbour Square Basin until October.

“Convenience stores, local markets, rum shops, bodegas, these are familiar places no matter where you’re from. So when people are visiting Toronto for the World Cup, we want them to feel that familiarity,” Rashad Maharaj, the producer of the project, said. 

Maharaj and Spencer Cathcart make up Puncture, a local arts-focused production company, and teamed up with artists Trevor Wheatley and Cosmo Dean when they heard Waterfront Toronto was looking for projects. 

The store is meant to be seen from the shore, with enough details to enjoy the project from up close. Wheatley was interested in the idea of placing an urban symbol in a natural setting to see how it transforms and surprises viewers. 

“Rather than relocating a single word or sign, we saw an opportunity to transplant an entire urban typology into an unexpected environment,” Wheatley said. 

The group started working on the project in February, before being awarded the contract, and quickly had to meld their artistic vision with complex engineering challenges.

“The water throws you curveballs you just don’t expect,” Maharaj said. “Every decision had to account for weight, buoyancy, wind, and weather.”

They learned how to keep the lights on through the night using solar power so the store can serve as a beacon against the dark waters.

Even though nobody can go inside, the details were meticulously crafted. Lines of flags and international products, such as a potato chip brand from the Philippines and an instant noodle brand from South Korea, fill the shelves, which are designed to look aged and lived-in.

Wheatley hopes to first surprise people walking by when they see the store set adrift, before their shock eventually turns into curiosity.

“If people walk away thinking about the small spaces they pass every day, and the artifacts of globalization embedded within them, that would feel like a meaningful outcome,” Wheatley said, adding that the project aims to provoke discussion about how “context shapes understanding.”

Maharaj just hopes it sparks some smiles.

“There’s a lot going on in the world right now, and there’s something really special about watching people just light up and interact with it,” Maharaj said.