Ahead of sentencing in Calgary bus driver assault, victim’s supports hold rally

Advocates are rallying to push for more supports to keep transit drivers safe on the job. Mason DePatie reports.

Calgary transit workers will rally outside Municipal Plaza Friday, then attend a sentencing hearing for a violent assault on a bus driver.

The rally, organized by members of ATU Local 583, is set for noon. Participants will then proceed to the Calgary Court Centre for the 1:30 p.m. hearing.

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The case stems from an attack that occurred in May 2025 at a bus stop near Falconridge and Castleridge Boulevard in the northeast.

Police said the driver was attacked after he refused to change his scheduled route. He suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Two men were charged following the attack.

In January, Curtis Baker Spence, 20, pleaded guilty to robbery and breaching a release condition in relation to the May 2025 attack.

Darryl Flett, 22, also pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and breaching his release conditions.

The transit union says Friday’s hearing is important because it wants the court to consider Section 269.01 of the Criminal Code when deciding the sentence.

The provision requires judges to treat assaults against public transportation workers as an aggravating factor during sentencing.

• 2 men plead guilty to some charges for brutal Calgary bus driver attack
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ATU Local 583 President Mike Mahar said the case has become a test of whether those protections are being applied as intended.

The union says violence against transit workers remains a concern across Canada. It argues that operators are particularly at risk, often working alone, at night, and on predictable routes.