Should Star Trek captain be the new voice of Edmonton transit? Iveson thinks so

If Mayor Don Iveson had his way, Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise would be the voice of Edmonton's transit system.

Iveson voiced his desire to have English actor Patrick Stewart call out the stops on city trains after Wednesday's council meeting.

The galactic proposal comes after word got out that Morgan Freeman's smooth baritone would be used for calling out transit announcements in Vancouver.

The transit authority, TransLink, has since "paused" its plans to use the famous actor, citing reports that several women are accusing him of harassment.Freeman has released a statement apologizing"to anyone who felt uncomfortable or disrespected. That was never my intent."

'Make it so'

While there are no concrete plans to bring in a celebrity voice in Edmonton, Iveson suggested that the Star Trek commander's dulcet tones would be perfect for helping commuters navigate the transit system.

"I think it's a neat move that TransLink is doing in B.C.," Iveson said. "If we were to look at doing something like that for here, my office asked the question last night, who would you pick or who would you ask for?

"And my wife, Sarah, said 'Patrick Stewart, clearly' and I was all in for that."

Iveson even tried an impersonation of the famous space captain's favourite catchphrase.

"Make it so," said Iveson, while pointing his finger at reporters.

• TransLink pulls Morgan Freeman-voiced ads after harassment allegations surface
• Morgan Freeman apologizes amid sexual misconduct allegations

ETS employee Janis Noble has been the voiceof the local transit system for the past 24 years,lending her golden tonesto recording messages for BusLink, the LRT andsmart buses.

She gets a big kick out of her job.

"I have a lot of fun with it," Noble said. "When people find out, I can whisper in their ear, 'Stop requested.' "

Despite all the fanfare around celebrity voices, Noblesuspects that she will hold onto her gig.

"I think a homegrown voice is better," she said with a chuckle. "You know, shop local."

Who do you think should be the voice of Edmonton Transit? Share your suggestions in the comment section below.