Belting it out on the bus: Karaoke Bus rolls into Calgary
Belting it out on the bus: Karaoke Bus rolls into Calgary
Calgary Transit officials say a pilot project to let riders sing on a modified city bus is more than just a one hit wonder.
The first Karaoke Bus rolled into Brentwood station in the northwest on Wednesday morning and Calgarians quickly lined up to take turns on the microphone.
With the project hitting the right note with riders, there are already plans to send the stage on bus routes throughout the city.
"We're really excited to now take this on the road. Next week, we will be putting it in service," said Stephen Tauro with Calgary Transit.
"It will be on a random route, people won't know. They will have the option to take a normal bus if they want, but they can jump on this one for free and enjoy some music and perform while on their journey."
The first Karaoke Bus rolled into Brentwood Station in the northwest on Wednesday morning and Calgarians quickly lined up to take turns on the microphone.
Among the first singers to belt out a tune on transit was Tonica Clements. She's a regular transit rider, but had never seen a karaoke bus before.
"I think it's absolutely amazing," said Clements, who sang a pair of songs on the bus.
"Especially after the pandemic and everything going on and being dislocated from people, this is nice to be able to just let loose and to meet others."
Tauro admits organizers weren't sure how the idea of a stage on wheels would go over with transit users, but he said people were lined up to hop on the bus well before it opened for the first time.
"This idea really stems from our challenge to improve the customer experience. We were challenged with the pandemic -- it's been a hard two years -- so we were really looking at ways to activate transit spaces and bring back the joy to taking transit," Tauro said.
#CTRiders, stop by Brentwood Stn on July 6 between 11 am & 1 pm and join us for our Karaoke Bus! We know what you’re thinking: Finally! A chance for me to provide some musical entertainment for my fellow commuters! And you’re right, it’s about time!,e can’t wait to see you there! pic.twitter.com/VmN2X7oG16
Jessica Maryka is another transit rider who took a turn singing karaoke. She chose to sing 'Fancy' by Reba McEntire because she was "feeling saucy," she said.
"I've never heard of anything like that before. You hear of maybe turning a bus into a house or whatever, but never a karaoke bus," Maryka said.
Salman Rushdie, the author whose writing led to death threats from Iran in the 1980s, was attacked and apparently stabbed in the neck Friday by a man who rushed the stage as he was about to give a lecture in western New York.
While problem gambling affects a minority of the Canadian population, more than 300,000 are at “severe” or “moderate risk” for gambling-related problems, according to a Statistics Canada study of gambling behaviour.
The night before the federal government invoked the Emergencies Act in response to the 'Freedom Convoy' protests, the prime minister’s national security adviser told him there was 'a potential for a breakthrough' in Ottawa, court documents show.
A Quebec Superior Court judge has temporarily suspended two articles of the province's new language law, saying they could prevent some English-speaking organizations from accessing justice through the courts.
The City of Toronto is investigating a power outage that left a large swath of the downtown core including office buildings, a major mall and a university campus without electricity yesterday.
Rising over beaches, buildings and statues, the last supermoon of the year created ample viewing and photo opportunities around the world Thursday night.
A federal judge was to decide as soon as Friday whether to grant the Department of Justice's request to unseal the warrant that authorized the FBI to search former U.S. President Donald Trump's Florida estate. Attorney General Merrick Garland declared there was 'substantial public interest in this matter,' and Trump backed the warrant's 'immediate' release.
Salman Rushdie, the author whose writing led to death threats from Iran in the 1980s, was attacked and apparently stabbed in the neck Friday by a man who rushed the stage as he was about to give a lecture in western New York.
Three community organizations will receive a combined total of $550,000 from the federal government to raise awareness and reduce stigma about monkeypox.
A plaque commemorating Viola Desmond was revealed Friday by the federal agency at the former Roseland Theatre in New Glasgow, N.S., where she was forcibly arrested while watching a movie on Nov. 8, 1946.
Environmental compliance officers have fined a Victoria exterior washing company $11,000 for releasing a roof de-mossing agent into a creek in Sidney, B.C., killing hundreds of fish.
Investigators have released the name of a 26-year-old Barrie man shot to death Thursday afternoon while attending a funeral for another man shot dead in Toronto earlier in the week.
A Quebec Superior Court judge has temporarily suspended two articles of the province's new language law, saying they could prevent some English-speaking organizations from accessing justice through the courts.
The former chairperson of the STM board of directors will lead the independent investigation into the abrupt cancellation of the Montreal Pride parade last Sunday.
All eastbound and westbound lanes of Hwy. 417 are closed between Metcalfe Street and Carling/Kirkwood Avenues for the replacement of the Booth Street Bridge. The closure will continue until Monday at 6 a.m.
Salman Rushdie, the author whose writing led to death threats from Iran in the 1980s, was attacked and apparently stabbed in the neck Friday by a man who rushed the stage as he was about to give a lecture in western New York.
Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph public health says one person was bit and another was exposed after a rabid bat was found in the Melancthon area just north of Shelburne.
The suspect at the centre of Saskatchewan's recent Amber Alert was arrested in South Dakota for a possible illegal border crossing and kidnapping, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed by Premier Scott Moe on Friday that will see more humanitarian flights with displaced Ukrainians land in Saskatchewan.
In the age of doorstep deliveries, porch pirates who steal items from front doors have become common, but one North Bay mom says she was scared by a recent encounter with one.
A wellness check on a person living on Churchill Avenue in Wawa last month led to the discovery that the victim was being forcibly confined in their home by three people.
There has been another crash on Highway 69/400 north of Parry Sound that has closed the road Friday morning following a fatal collision earlier this week.
What started as a simple mistake of addresses has led to a nearly year-long fight for an 88-year-old Manitoba man over a medical suspension of his driver's licence – one he fears may have more to do with his age than his health.
Salman Rushdie, the author whose writing led to death threats from Iran in the 1980s, was attacked and apparently stabbed in the neck Friday by a man who rushed the stage as he was about to give a lecture in western New York.
The suspect at the centre of Saskatchewan's recent Amber Alert was arrested in South Dakota for a possible illegal border crossing and kidnapping, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed by Premier Scott Moe on Friday that will see more humanitarian flights with displaced Ukrainians land in Saskatchewan.
The first Karaoke Bus rolled into Brentwood Station in the northwest on Wednesday morning and Calgarians quickly lined up to take turns on the microphone.
