Candice’s trash-collecting crab a hit with Toyota art contest judges

Leave it to a four-year-old Hamilton kid to plan a garbage-collecting trip on the ocean floor.

Candice Bie entered Toyota's Dream Car Art Contest with her Crabby Car" drawing and a plan for a big adventure.

She was one of the Canadian finalists whose creations are heading to an international competition the auto manufacturer started to help foster innovation and creativity.

Young artists are asked to create a dream car" - a vehicle to help make the world a better place," Toyota Canada said in a media release announcing the finalists.

The four-year-old dreamed up a crab-like vehicle that can traverse land and sea to collect trash that pollutes our lakes and oceans.

Though half the trip is an environmental mission, it wouldn't be much fun without some guests: a rabbit, a pig and a panda, too, along for the ride.

Her eight-legged, two-armed submersible features exterior lights and interior chambers for trash sorting and also enjoying the adventure.

The annual international design contest for kids and teens 15 and under asks participants to see opportunities in the world's challenges.

A five-judge panel, including Spectator columnist and automotive journalist Lorraine Sommerfeld, chose nine Canadian finalists in three age groups.

The international competition, which first ran in 2004, now boasts as many as 6.2 million participants in 100 countries and regions.

Winners of the international competition will be notified in June and an announcement of the winners is set for August.

Jeremy Kemeny is a Hamilton-based web editor at The Spectator. Reach him via email: jkemeny@thespec.com