“Millennium Line to. . . .” How does that go? “. . . Commerical Drive,” right?

Until recently, that’s true, but ever since the January 6 opening of the new SkyTrain station (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VCC-Clark_Station) at 6th Avenue and Keith Dr (one block west of Clark), the soothing female voice now announces “Millennium Line to VCC Clark.”

It’s been a month now, and I still can’t get used to the change. This morning, after having taken a few days off from work at the end of last week, and thus a few days off from the SkyTrain as well, it jarred me so badly I nearly jumped off the train thinking I’d boarded the wrong one.

It occurred to me, as the “Next stop, Stadium” announcement played, that the voice was still the same, and I can’t help wondering what kind of contract Translink has with the owner of the official SkyTrain voice. Does she have exclusive recording rights for all future SkyTrain stops? What if something happens to her — will they re-record all the previous announcements? Or just phase in the new person over time?

Presumably it’s a real woman, and likely, given Translink’s BC-first policies, someone who lives in the Vancouver area, so it’s also not inconceivable that one day I’ll be on the escalator at Pacific Centre and hear, from amongst a group of weekend shoppers, an unmistakable voice saying, “Next stop, Holt Renfrew!”