TransLink unveils limited-edition 'Captain Canuck' Compass Cards
One version of the card uses Richard Comely’s vintage artwork and pairs the hero with a Mark I-inspired SkyTrain car, nodding to the early days of the region’s rapid transit system, with these original cars from the 1980s set to be fully retired over the next few years. The other card, illustrated by Vancouver artist John Gallagher, presents a modern, dynamic Captain Canuck alongside the brand new generation Mark V SkyTrain.
Captain Canuck-themed Compass Cards. (TransLink)
Captain Canuck-themed Compass Cards. (TransLink)
In-person sales will begin at Fan Expo Vancouver, which will run from Saturday, Feb. 14, to Family Day on Monday, Feb. 16, at the Vancouver Convention Centre, with bundles available at the Lev Gleason booth (No. 1131). For fans who cannot attend the convention, TransLink states the sets will also be sold through the TransLink Store online while supplies last.
“We’re thrilled to bring a piece of historic Canadian pop culture onto our transit system,” said TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn in a statement today.
“These cool collectibles add a distinctly Canadian moment to every tap, whether you’re a lifelong fan or discovering Captain Canuck for the first time.”
Each bundle is priced at $39.99 and includes an adult-fare Compass Card encoded with a $6 refundable deposit. Purchases will be capped at four bundles per customer, a limit intended to give more fans a chance to grab one before they sell out.
Captain Canuck-themed Compass Cards. (TransLink)
For Comely, the project is both personal and timely.
“My parents moved to beautiful B.C. in 1975, the year I first published Captain Canuck,” he said.
“My wife and I moved to B.C. in late 2024, in time to commemorate the character’s 50th anniversary. As new British Columbians, we are honoured that a world-renowned public service like TransLink has made Captain Canuck available to Metro Vancouverites in such a novel way.”
Captain Canuck was created in 1975 by Comely and Ron Leishman and became a milestone in Canadian publishing, arriving after decades when the country’s comic book industry struggled to regain its footing following the Second World War. He was an alternative to the propagation of mainstream American comic superheroes at the time, particularly the characters of DC and Marvel.
Captain Canuck-themed Compass Cards. (TransLink)
For TransLink, the Captain Canuck release continues an initiative over the years of creating themed Compass Cards and other collectibles, following the success of previous limited runs tied to popular intellectual properties such as DC superheroes and the Christmas-themed movie Elf. The public transit authority also previously created wearable versions of the Compass card, including Compass wristbands and keychains shaped after buses and trains.
Just in time for the 2025 holiday season, TransLink also partnered with Heritage Bricks to create building block kits — made of real Lego bricks — of the various generations of SkyTrain cars used on the Expo and Millennium lines. All 700 kits sold out in about a day.
This spring will also mark the 10th anniversary of TransLink’s full transition to the Compass Card fare payment system. The fare gates at SkyTrain stations and SeaBus became fully operational in April 2016.
TransLink is currently planning a major technological and infrastructure overhaul of the entire Compass fare payment system.
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