TransLink revives 99 B-Line's vintage bee branding for 30th anniversary craft soda
Metro Vancouver’s most recognizable bus route is getting a very unconventional 30th birthday tribute — its own craft soda.
TransLink has partnered with Vancouver-made Callister Craft Soda to create 99 B-Line Blueberry & Honey, a limited-edition sparkling soda inspired by Metro Vancouver’s busiest bus route.
And the commemorative can goes deep into 99 B-Line’s 1990s-era nostalgia.
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The can’s purple-and-yellow design revives the bus route’s original B-Line branding from the 1990s, including the cartoon bee mascot that turned the B-Line name into a literal visual pun. The bee appears above a large “99 B-Line” emblem on the front of the can, surrounded by a pattern of yellow dots reminiscent of transit graphics.
The flavour follows the vintage branding’s bee theme as well: blueberry and honey.
Original 99 B-Line branding from 20+ years ago. A little nostalgic.
“B-Line” > “RapidBus” #TransLink pic.twitter.com/4ujccWDPnQ
— Kenneth Chan (@iamkennethchan) January 20, 2024
Callister specializes in small-batch sodas made with local, natural ingredients.
The company describes this 99 B-Line-inspired drink as having a deep purple colour, with blueberry and floral honey flavours. It uses natural honey for sweetness and is intentionally drier than the company’s typical sodas, making it suitable either on its own or as a mixer with alcohol.
99 B-Line vintage themed craft soda. (Callister Craft Soda/TransLink)
TransLink 99 B-Line articulated bus. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
The collaboration arrives just weeks before the 30th anniversary of the 99 B-Line, which began operating on Sept. 3, 1996.
The 99 B-Line service actually predates TransLink itself. It was launched by BC Transit, which was previously the public transit authority for Metro Vancouver. TransLink was created in 1998, taking over BC Transit’s Metro Vancouver equipment, facilities, fleets, infrastructure, and workforce, as well as all planning and governance responsibilities.
This was originally a quick, limited-stop bus route running between Lougheed Mall in Burnaby and the University of British Columbia (UBC) campus, with the route largely travelling along Broadway in Vancouver and Lougheed Highway in Burnaby.
After SkyTrain’s Millennium Line opened in 2002, the 99 B-Line was significantly truncated, with the route shortened to run between Commercial-Broadway Station and UBC.
In late 2027, the 99 B-Line will be truncated once again. When the Millennium Line’s Broadway extension opens, this bus service will run between the new Arbutus Station and UBC; the route east of Arbutus Street will be discontinued.
According to TransLink statistics, the 99 B-Line saw 10.655 million annual boardings in 2025, with averages of 34,700 per weekday, 20,700 per Saturday, and 15,100 per Sunday/holiday.
The 99 B-Line proved to be a transformative service for the region, helping build the strong public transit ridership Metro Vancouver enjoys by North American standards. Its impact was amplified by the introduction of the U-Pass for UBC students beginning in 2003, giving a large population of young riders inexpensive, unlimited access to public transit and helping establish public transit as a routine part of daily life for generations of residents.
The success of the 99 B-Line also paved the way for additional fast, limited-stop B-Line routes across the region in the years that followed, before the brand was replaced by RapidBus in 2020, with only the 99 B-Line retaining its name.
B-Line/RapidBus services have also informally served as precursors to SkyTrain projects (e.g. 99 B-Line’s previous eastern segments led to the Millennium Line; 98 B-Line led to the Canada Line; and 97 B-Line led to the Millennium Line’s Evergreen extension), helping build ridership along major public transit corridors before they are upgraded to higher-capacity rapid transit.
99 B-Line vintage themed craft soda. (Callister Craft Soda/TransLink)
The 99 B-Line’s anniversary soda will officially make its debut on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026, when Callister will offer the first tastes at the Downtown Farmers Market from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., with cans also available to take home.
The Downtown Farmers Market is located at the West Georgia Street plaza of the Vancouver Art Gallery in Downtown Vancouver.
Separately, earlier this month, TransLink also released limited-edition coffee and tea products in partnership with Vancouver-based Trees Organic Coffee & Cheesecake.
Both caffeinated products feature public transit-themed packaging, and can now be found at all 17 Trees cafe locations across Metro Vancouver.
Limited-edition TransLink tea and coffee products from Trees Organic Coffee & Cheesecake. (TransLink)
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- TransLink puts its brand on limited-edition, transit-themed Trees coffee and tea
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- First look inside Broadway-City Hall Station's future Canada Line-Millennium Line interchange