A Toronto couple just got married in a ceremony aboard a decommissioned TTC streetcar

Transit has been a constant in Ben Kent and Joey Gillis’s relationship for more than a decade, so when it came time to tie the knot, the couple decided to hold an intimate ceremony on a decommissioned Toronto streetcar.

Kent grew up in Toronto. Gillis, in Pickering. When the two met in their late teens, they often used the transit systems in the Greater Toronto Area to meet up with one another, go on dates, or just “ride the streetcar forever,” Kent recalled in an interview with CTV News Toronto Tuesday.

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“I think a lot of people’s memories in Toronto involve the TTC,” he said, adding that he's always held a soft spot for a particular historical streetcar model, the Canadian Light Rail Vehicle – used by the TTC from the 70s to the 2010s.

“I always thought they were really cute and just make me nostalgic for a simpler time."

The interior of a Canadian Light Rail Vehicle, a type of streetcar used by the TTC from the 70s to the 2010s, can be seen above. (Handout by Kent)

When the couple got engaged, Kent reached out to the Halton County Radial Railway Museum in Milton, Ont., a volunteer-fun facility run by the Ontario Electric Railway Historical Association which preserves and operates a collection of historical streetcars, to ask if they could use the space to host a wedding.

“And they said yes,” Kent said.

The small ceremony, attended by only a few family members, took place on Sept. 8 on a Canadian Light Rail Vehicle model.

Ben Kent and Joey Gillis can be seen on their wedding day. Their ceremony took place inside a decommissioned TTC streetcar model. (Handout by Kent)

“We just sat at the back – Joey and I and our officiant – and had a little ceremony in the middle of the streetcar,” Kent said. “It was great.”

Ben Kent and Joey Gillis can be seen on their wedding day. Their ceremony took place inside a decommissioned TTC streetcar model. (Handout by Kent)

Kent and Gillis then got to ride on an even older model on the museum’s scenic forest track, where they captured photos of their big day.

Ben Kent and Joey Gillis stand with museum volunteers on their wedding day. (Handout by Kent)

The couple is asking anyone looking to congratulate them to consider making a donation to the LGBT YouthLine, a youth-led advocacy organization supporting queer youth across Ontario, where Kent is a volunteer.

“I know that it's rough out there for queer youth and I got my happily ever after, so I figured if folks want us to celebrate, they can donate to the YouthLine and help make sure others get their happily ever afters.”