Halifax is open to celebrity transit announcements, so CBC held some auditions
4 beloved personalities with connections to Halifax audition their transit announcement skills
Halifax Transit has yet to jump on the bandwagon when it comes to hiring celebrities to voice public service announcements, but a spokesperson said it's not entirely out of the question, which is why CBC Nova Scotia jumped the gun and auditioned some potential candidates.
This comes on the heels of a decision by authorities in Vancouver to drop actor American Morgan Freeman as the "guest voice" for the transit system following sexual misconduct allegations, in favour of Vancouver-born actor Seth Rogen.
Less than a week later, Toronto announced Rogen would also be doing the transit announcements in that city. He recorded messages on things like holding train doors open, wearing backpacks, evading fares and talking on cellphones.
City spokesperson Erin DiCarlo said Halifax Transit currently uses an automated voice for routine announcements. This "allows us to quickly and cost-effectively create new announcements as our transit system changes," she said.
However, she said it might be possible to use a celebrity voice for more consistent messages, such as welcome announcements or safety reminders.
Her statement wasn't exactly a green light for the idea, but the CBC's Information Morning went ahead and auditioned a few potential candidates anyway.
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With files from the CBC's Information Morning