Former Calgary DJ Does Edmonton LRT Announcements

[jon]

Voice actor steers commuters through Edmonton’s LRT system
By Andrea Ross
Metro - Edmonton
July 5, 2015

Whether your next stop is Corona or University station, it’s Paul Boucher’s voice that reminds you where you are within Edmonton’s LRT system — but you probably didn’t know his name until just now.

Boucher was hired through a voice over company by the City of Edmonton to record the automated LRT stops as part of the city’s move to integrate the Metro line into the current system.

But the city wasn’t even sure whose voice they ended up with, City of Edmonton spokeswoman Jennifer Laraway said.

Originally from Ontario, has been recording his voice in his garage at his home in Calgary full-time since 1999, after being a broadcaster for more than 20 years.

“They say some people have a face for radio,” he said, laughing.

“It’s a little bit different every day. On a typical day, I’ll do something like the transit announcements for Edmonton, and the next project will be a DVD release trailer for SpongeBob for Quebec.”

Boucher has recorded himself voicing Acura radio commercials for western Canada, a flu vaccination campaign, movie trailers and narrated video training. He once had to sound like a toughened biker for a Harley-Davidson and Buell motorcycles advertisement.

“I had a cold that day, so it was perfect,” he said. “But you do all sorts of weird things to your voice.”

There are anywhere from 10 to 20 voice actors in Alberta working full-time, he said. With two adolescent children, Boucher said working from home gives him more time with his kids than he would have with any other job.

And knowing he might prevent some commuters from sleeping through their LRT stop doesn’t hurt, either.

“It’s kind of nice to think you’re the accompaniment to some people, part of the routine,” he said. “That’s kind of a neat thing, to think you’re helping somebody get where they’re going.”

[albertaboy4life]

Paul had very good shows on Music 96 (CHFM), XL Radio (CKXL) and as well KIK/Power 107 when he worked in radio.

Pretty sure he worked on-air in Montreal as well, between his time at XL and KIK.

He, like Marc Denis, does professional voice-work in French and English.