ORCAR
“What does it mean to transform the machine that warms the ocean into the creature that depends on it?”
The Vision
When you step inside the Orcar, standing in the belly of a whale, we want you to feel hope, inspiration and wonder.
We are writing a story in which we transform the machines of consumption into tools for regeneration, inspiring each other to return to our place as the custodial species of planet earth.
Based in Squamish, BC at the edge of the Atl’ka7tsem / Howe Sound, the Orcar carries a message from the endangered Southern Resident orcas in our waters onto the land.
20 ft
long
8 ft
wide
14 ft
tall
20
people inside
SOUTHERN RESIDENT RECOVERY
Three levers for orca recovery
The Salish Sea’s Southern Resident orcas face three threats — too little salmon, too much underwater noise, and too much pollution. Each one has something people can do, and something industry can do.
Salmon
Their primary food — wild Chinook — is at historic lows.
People
Choose Ocean Wise–rated seafood, and back salmon-habitat restoration, healthy watersheds, and dam-removal efforts that rebuild wild Chinook runs.
Industry
Manage Chinook fisheries to leave more fish for orcas, improve fish passage and spill at dams, restore spawning habitat, and curb water withdrawals.
Noise
Vessel noise masks the echolocation they hunt with.
People
Keep ~400 m from whales, slow down on the water, and pick whale-watch operators who follow the Be Whale Wise rules.
Industry
Slow ships in key foraging zones (the Salish Sea ECHO model), build and maintain quieter hulls and propellers, and reroute traffic to create acoustic refuge.
Pollution
Toxins build up in their blubber and pass to calves.
People
Cut household toxics and single-use plastics, dispose of chemicals and oils properly, and reduce lawn and driveway runoff into storm drains.
Industry
Upgrade wastewater treatment, control stormwater and agricultural runoff, and phase out persistent pollutants — PCBs, flame retardants, and forever chemicals.
Healthy orcas need healthy salmon and a quiet, clean ocean.
How It Was Made
Over three months, ~30 community members built it every Friday night at Create Makerspace in Squamish — spanning age, background, and skill level.
They learned MIG welding, electronics, laser cutting, sewing, and sound design — many for the first time — mentored side-by-side by experienced fabricators and artists. Steel armature rings, laser-cut fin panels, and LED wiring came together piece by piece into the finished whale.
Join the Pod
We’re looking for makers, artists, and community members to help bring the Orcar to life. No experience required — just curiosity and willingness to learn.
Skilled Contributors
- Welders (MIG welding, steel forming)
- Electricians / electronics (LED lighting, Arduino, sensors)
- Sound design (interior ambient soundscape)
- Surface finishing / painting
Volunteers & Supporters
- Festival setup / teardown crew
- Documentation (photo / video)
- Community outreach
- General support
Where to Find Us
Sea-to-Sky and beyond — the stops the Orcar is rolling out to.
July 8–10, 2026
Bass Coast
Merritt, BC
Bass Coast Festival
Aug 8, 2026
Squamish Arts Festival
The Big Weekend · Squamish, BC
Squamish Arts Council
Aug 30 – Sept 7, 2027
Burning Man
Black Rock City · Nevada, USA
2027 priority
FOR FESTIVALS & EVENT ORGANIZERS
Bring the Orcar to your event
A crowd-drawing, fully-insured, walk-through light installation that’s genuinely simple to host. Here’s everything you need to know.
$2M insurance — included
General liability, certificate on request
Installs in 1–3 hours
Drives in, or craned & set
~1 kW · runs unattended
A 2-hour charge powers 12 hours of night lights — no generator
Up to 20 inside · climbable
Interactive light & sound; 10+ can climb — restrictable per event
Mobile or grounded
Shuttles on its truck, or craned to the ground as a walk-through
Engineer-reviewed · all-weather
P.Eng structure, sealed 12V electronics
AT A GLANCE
| Dimensions | 20 ft long × 8 ft wide × 14 ft tall |
|---|---|
| Weight | ~2,000 lb |
| Sited footprint | ~24 × 14 ft incl. viewing perimeter |
| Power | ~1 kW · a 2-hour daytime charge powers 12 hrs of night lighting · battery at night, no generator |
| Capacity | Up to 20 inside at a time · 10+ can climb (restrictable per event) |
| Crew | 1 operator + 2 spotters when moving · unattended when parked |
| Transport | Self-drives (highway-legal) or craned / flat-decked |
| Sound | No amplified music needed |
| Customization | Lighting program, interior theming, and signage adapt per event · climbing enabled or restricted per site |
TWO WAYS TO PLACE IT
On the truckmobile · shuttle
Roams at walking pace with spotters — a slow, mythic creature moving through the crowd. Can shuttle standing riders around the site. Ideal for parades and roaming activations.
Groundedsculpture · walk-through
Craned off the chassis to sit on the ground for the event's run — visitors walk through it like a passage, in one side and out the other. Reads as a permanent installation.
SAFE & LOW-RISK
- $2M general liability insurance — certificate on request
- Structure designed & inspected by a Professional Engineer
- Full written safety plan — electrical, fire, wind, night-ops
- No open flame, propane, pyro, rigging, haze, or lasers
- Leave-no-trace teardown
PROVEN ON THE CIRCUIT
Featured in the Squamish Chief and selected for Bass Coast’s interactive-art program.
Supporters
The Orcar exists because of these organizations. Learn more or support their work directly.
HOME BASE
Create Makerspace Society
Squamish’s community fabrication space. Hosts the Create Public Art program where the Orcar is being built.
Visit createmakerspace.ca →CONSERVATION PARTNER
Ocean Wise
Protecting and restoring the world’s oceans — including the Southern Resident orcas the Orcar is built to celebrate.
Visit ocean.org →PRESENTING PARTNER
Squamish Arts Council
Champions arts and culture in Squamish, BC — host of The Big Weekend & Squamish Arts Festival.
Visit squamisharts.com →