Online commentators have stirred up debate about one of the seven 2026 Calgary Transit Art Buses.The bus, titled "Wrestle Bus", was designed by Calgary-based artist Jillian Fleck and is meant to pay homage to Calgary's rich history of professional wrestling and the impact the city has had on the development of the sport."Through this bus, I wanted to celebrate the history and legacy of professional wrestling in Calgary," said Fleck in a video put out by Calgary Arts Development about the Art Bus initiative."There's a huge history of Calgary being a professional wrestling territory through the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s."However, despite the buses' seemingly innocuous design, some online commentators have taken issue, as well as some unfortunately angled photos, of the bus, calling the design inappropriate."Alberta needs to get out of this ideology!" wrote Igor Ryltsev on Twitter, "Public transit is used by families and children every day. Highly sexualized or erotic advertising — regardless of who is depicted — does not belong on buses or other taxpayer-supported public spaces."Ryltsev included two photos of the bus, one showing two wrestlers jostling, wearing tight-fitting shorts, and another depicting the wrestler Bad News Allen..Ryltsev's post sparked massive online debate between those calling for the art to be removed and those praising the art and calling Ryltsev misinformed."Everyone involved needs to be fired," wrote one respondent. "Okay, I know the traitors aren't that smart, but this is an homage to Stampede Wrestling. Real Albertans have respect for the Hart family," wrote another.A respondent to another poster who posted an image of the entire bus seemed to sum up the situation when they wrote, "makes quite a difference when you see the entire bus versus the selected cropped snapshots that made it look like a Turkish bath."The online debate even received a comment from former Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, who praised the art, commenting, "This is real Calgary heritage! More of this, please!".In a statement provided to the Western Standard, Calgary Transit mentioned the importance of the bus to the family of Bad News Allen, adding a link to an Instagram post showcasing his grandchildren posing with the bus. .Calgary Transit also stated that Jillian Fleck "designed the Wrestle Bus as a tribute to the legacy of professional wrestling in Calgary."When asked if they had received any complaints about the bus, Calgary Transit said they hadn't.
