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.
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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.