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A new streaming bill is close to becoming law in Canada. Here’s how it works
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A bill that will update Canada’s laws around broadcasting for the first time in the internet age is one step away from becoming law and impacting popular streaming platforms.
Bill C-11, also known as the Online Streaming Act, creates a framework to regulate digital streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+ and Spotify, and would require them to contribute to the creation and promotion of Canadian content. The bill passed its third reading in the Senate last month with 26 amendments. It will be up to the House of Commons to decide which of those changes to keep before passing the bill into law.
Canadian creative unions, including the Writers Guild of Canada and Canadian Media Producers Association, are generally supportive of the bill, but have some concerns that its language could create a two-tiered system that would mean Canadian broadcasters are being held to higher standards than foreign streamers. Meanwhile, Canadian content creators on sites like YouTube and TikTok are concerned about how the bill will impact them.
With Bill C-11 so close to the finish line, here’s how it will work.
What is the point of Bill C-11?
Since 1968, the Broadcasting Act has set a series of goals for Canada’s broadcasting system, including that it should strengthen Canada’s cultural fabric, and that it should make use of Canadian talent.
To do this, the country has rules that define what counts as Canadian programming and how much of it Canadian TV and radio broadcasters have to play. They must also contribute financially to the development and promotion of Canadian content.
Right now, those rules don’t apply to online broadcasters like Netflix, Disney+ and Spotify, which are earning money in Canada without being required to reinvest in Canadian content.
Bill C-11 wants to give new power to the country’s broadcasting regulator and extend the current broadcasting policy to the digital realm.
According to Vass Bednar, executive director of McMaster University’s Public Policy in Digital Society program, Canada is doing its best to extend its cultural values and expectations to digital platforms.
“And instead of building a whole new vehicle to do that, we’re trying to use the one that we have already, which is the CRTC,” she said.
Who defines Canadian content?
Bill C-11 doesn’t define what counts as Canadian content on the internet, or say how much Canadian content a foreign streaming service needs to have.
That task would fall to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), an independent organization that regulates and supervises Canada’s broadcasting system.
It’s the CRTC’s job to make and enforce rules that achieve the goals of The Broadcasting Act. Bill C-11 updates what those goals are, and gives the CRTC new powers to achieve them.
For example the CRTC defines Canadian content for different types of media. There are different rules for television productions than there are for songs.
What changes is C-11 trying to make?
The Broadcasting Act was last updated in 1991, before the internet and streaming changed how we consume much of our entertainment.
Bill C-11 brings the CRTC into the internet age, giving the regulator the authority to impose conditions on how online streamers support Canadian content and contribute to production funds, as well as ensuring Canadian programs and films show up in search results.
It also includes a clause that would require foreign online streamers to make use of Canadian creative talent. It would be up to the CRTC to define exactly what that looks like.
Alex Levine, the president of the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC), says when foreign streaming platforms became available in Canada, it meant less money for traditional broadcasters here, which means less investment in creating Canadian programming.
“We have 25 per cent of the actual work for Canadian screenwriters that we had in 2014 in terms of number of episodes created,” he said.
According to Levine, the concerns are even more pronounced for writers than they may be for other Canadians working in film and television production.
“We only work on Canadian content. We don’t work when, for example, Netflix or HBO decides to shoot a show here.”
Without the bill, Levine says market forces mean Canadians “will see a world reflected back to them that is determined by studio executives in Los Angeles and not by Canadian artists.”
C-11 and foreign broadcasters
While supportive of the bill overall, the WGC is concerned about a clause that would make foreign broadcasters subject to different rules than their Canadian equivalents.
The current Broadcasting Act has language that requires Canadian broadcasters to make “in no case less than predominant use” of Canadians in making and presenting content.
Bill C-11, would keep that language, but also require foreign online broadcasters to make the “greatest practicable use” of Canadians and contribute to the production of Canadian programming.
The clause concerns Reynolds Mastin, the CEO of the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), who noted in a statement that as the bill currently stands, Canadian companies are being held to a higher standard than foreign streamers.
“This stands in direct opposition to the government’s stated objective to level the playing field and support Canadian creators and companies,” he said.
“Allowing foreign companies to use fewer Canadian creators will negatively impact Canada’s cultural industry.”
Senator Paula Simons says Canada’s trade obligations may prevent the government from being able to make foreign streamers follow the same rules as Canadian broadcasters.
“What C-11 has tried to do, and what we’ve tried to do with various amendments is to strike a balance,” she said. “I think for each streamer there will be a different deal struck and there will be a different way that they can contribute.”
How does it impact online creators?
There has been a lot of discussion surrounding how Bill C-11 might impact user-generated content from creators on sites like TikTok or YouTube.
The bill would allow the CRTC to create discoverability rules to ensure Canadians are able to see Canadian content online.
Some creators are worried that if those rules extend to social media sites, it may mean that their videos are shown to people who wouldn’t be interested in them, which they argue could hamper their success, since many user generated sites reward creators based on positive engagement.
“I’m looking at it saying, ‘Well, am I going to be able to realize my dream or my vision for my content?'” says Hamilton-based TikToker Nathan Kennedy, who has more than half a million followers on the platform and visited Ottawa last year to express concerns about the bill.
Some Senate amendments were tweaks to language about user generated content.
“Some of our anxieties were realized and passed with the Senate,” Kennedy said. “And so that was validating in a sense, to say that we’re not just like making this up.”
In November then-CRTC Chair Ian Scott told a senate committee studying the bill that it wouldn’t allow the regulator to manipulate algorithms to achieve its goals, and that it wasn’t interested in doing so anyway.
“The CRTC’s objective is to ensure that Canadians are made aware of Canadian content and that they can find it,” he said.
“I wish to assure you and Canadians more broadly that the CRTC has no intention of regulating individual TikTokers, YouTubers or other digital content creators.”
After a day of meetings on Parliament Hill, U.S President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced updates on various cross-border issues. These include plans to bolster Norad and expand the Safe Third Country Agreement.
CTVNews.ca breaks down Biden’s first presidential visit to Canada, as it happened. Scroll down for our reporters’ real-time coverage of the second day of Biden’s trip to Canada as it unfolded.
Canadians can also access the latest stories on Biden’s trip via CTV News’ social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter.
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Canada extends support for those fleeing Russia's illegal and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine – Canada.ca
March 22, 2023—Ottawa—As Russia continues its illegal and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine, Canada will remain steadfast in its support for those who have been forced to flee. This includes helping people find a temporary safe haven in Canada and providing them with the support they need.
Today, the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced that the Government of Canada will extend the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET). This means that:
- Ukrainians and their family members will have until July 15, 2023, to apply overseas for a CUAET visa free of charge;
- Anyone holding a CUAET visa will have until March 31, 2024, to travel to Canada under the special measures; and
- CUAET holders who are already here in Canada will have until March 31, 2024, to extend or adjust their temporary status through these measures, free of charge.
Settlement services will remain available to Ukrainians and their family members after they arrive so that they can fully participate in Canadian communities while they are here. Ukrainians and their family members will also continue to benefit from the one-time transitional financial support, as well as from access to emergency accommodations for up to 2 weeks, if needed after they arrive in Canada.
The Government of Canada continues to work closely with provincial, territorial and municipal partners, as well as settlement service providers and the Ukrainian-Canadian community, to welcome Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s illegal war.
These measures build on the Government of Canada’s previous actions to support Ukraine’s security and resilience and to hold Russia accountable for its atrocities and crimes. We are closely monitoring the ongoing needs of Ukrainians and will adapt our response as needed.
News
Calling for closer Canada-U.S. ties, Biden says 'our destinies are intertwined and they're inseparable' – CBC.ca
U.S. President Joe Biden delivered an impassioned speech in the House of Commons Friday, saying the Canada-U.S. relationship has never been stronger while calling for even closer ties to take on the challenges of our times.
Standing in front of the Speaker’s chair as hundreds of MPs, senators and dignitaries looked on, Biden said Canadians and Americans are “two people” that “share one heart” — bound together not only by geography and history but shared democratic values.
In his nearly 40-minute speech, Biden said that, together, the two countries are an unstoppable force that can tackle climate change, a changing economy and an increasingly dangerous world, where authoritarian countries like Russia are bent on defying international norms.
The partnership, he said, extends to space — three Americans and a Canadian will soon be headed for the moon as part of the NASA Artemis program.
“Our destinies are intertwined and they’re inseparable,” Biden said.
“I mean this from the bottom of my heart. There is no more reliable ally, no more steady friend. And today I say to you, you will always be able to count on the United States of America.”
WATCH: We will find ‘no more steady friend’ than Canada: Biden
During his address to Parliament, U.S. President Joe Biden says Canadians ‘can always count on the United States of America.’
Together, Biden said, Canada and the U.S. will confront the “scourge” of opioid overdoses.
He vowed to partner with Mexico to tackle the illicit trade in fentanyl, which has wreaked havoc on vulnerable communities throughout North America.
Trudeau, Biden reach agreements during two-day visit
- Canada and the U.S. will expand the Safe Third Country Agreement to the entire land border — a move designed to halt illegal border crossing by migrants. Canada will instead accept up to 15,000 migrants from the Western Hemisphere through legal channels.
- Canada will invest $420 million to protect the Great Lakes as part of a binational effort to defend one of the world’s largest sources of freshwater.
- Canada made a $7.3 billion commitment to air defence to support the continued functioning of NORAD.
- Canada agreed to provide $100 million to support the Haitian police.
- The U.S. will commit roughly $250 million to Canadian and U.S. companies that mine and process critical minerals for electric vehicles and stationary storage batteries.
- Canada and New York-based IBM signed a deal to expand domestic research and development and advanced packaging of semiconductors.
- Biden expressed support for Canada joining the U.S.-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework
Referencing a deal on migrants, Biden said Canada and the U.S. will safely resettle asylum seekers through a new, more organized process that discourages illegal immigration.
“We believe to our core that every single person deserves to live in dignity, safety and rise as high as their dreams can carry them,” Biden said.
On semiconductors, critical minerals, advanced manufacturing and a pivot to a cleaner, greener economy, Biden said Canada and the U.S. are up to the challenge — ready to work in concert to challenge the dominance of countries like China in these areas.
“After two years of COVID, people began to even wonder, ‘Can we still do big things?’ I say we sure in hell can,” Biden said to thunderous applause from the assembled crowd.
While there are irritants in any relationship, Biden said, Canada and the U.S. are determined to “solve our differences in friendship and with good will, because we both understand our interests are fundamentally aligned.”
WATCH: ‘I like your teams, except the Leafs’: Biden addresses Parliament
In his speech in Parliament during his first official visit as U.S.president to Canada, Joe Biden spoke of the friendly nature of the relationship between the two countries.
Biden joked about the Toronto Maple Leafs (“I like your teams, except the Leafs,” he said to laughter and scattered boos from the crowd) and razzed some MPs who failed to stand and applaud after he praised Canada and the U.S. for having gender equal cabinets.
“Even if you don’t agree guys, I’d stand up,” he said.
He also raised a recent Gallup poll that found Americans have an overwhelmingly positive view of Canadians.
The poll found 88 per cent of U.S. respondents think highly of their neighbours to the north — up from 87 per cent last year. “I take credit for that one point,” Biden said.
In his introductory speech, Trudeau hit many of the same points. He called on Canadians and Americans to come together as storm clouds gather in other parts of the world.
“It has never been clearer that everything is interwoven,” he said. “Economic policy is climate policy is security policy. People need us to think strategically and act with urgency, and that is exactly what brings us together today.”
WATCH: U.S.-Canada border is a ‘meeting place rather than dividing line’: Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada and the U.S. will continue to foster their long-standing relationship and work together for a better future.
As conflict rages in Europe and inflation bears down on working people, Trudeau said the two countries have faced all of this before.
Citing a 1987 address by former U.S. president Ronald Reagan, who called the Canada-U.S. border a “meeting place rather than a dividing line,” Trudeau said the border is “not just a place where we meet each other. It’s a place where we will meet the moment.”
Touting recent investments in a Michelin tire plant in Nova Scotia, and plans to retool the Defasco steel factory in Hamilton, Ont., Trudeau said Canada is ready to work with the U.S. to take on economic competition from “an increasingly assertive China.”
“We must continue to show resilience, perseverance and strength,” Trudeau said, citing the example of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, the two Canadians who suffered arbitrary detention in China for more than 1,000 days.
Kovrig and Spavor were on hand in the Commons for Friday’s events. Trudeau thanked Biden for his help in securing their release.
With two of its citizens in captivity, Trudeau said, Canada did “not capitulate, we did not abandon our values — we doubled down. We rallied our allies. The rule of law prevailed and the Michaels came home.”
“God bless ya,” Biden said as he recognized Spavor and Kovrig in the gallery above.
Earlier today, Biden was escorted by Trudeau into the West Block where he briefly greeted dignitaries, including Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, other party leaders, senators, the House of Commons Speaker and parliamentary clerks.
Poilievre introduced himself as the leader of his “His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition,” which prompted Biden to quip, “Loyal, huh?”
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May then handed a bemused Biden a chocolate bar made by a Syrian refugee before he was whisked away for a one-on-one meeting with Trudeau.
The busy day followed an intimate gathering last night at Trudeau’s Ottawa home, Rideau Cottage. Trudeau, with his wife Sophie and their three kids, hosted the president and his wife, Jill.
This is the first non-summit overnight visit by a U.S. president in nearly two decades.
It was billed as a chance for Biden and Trudeau to continue their efforts to renew the bilateral relationship, which was marked by some tension in recent years.
The Trump years were a trying time for Canadian officials.
But Biden’s decision to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline, promote protectionist policies like Buy American and withhold some vaccine supplies were also irritants in the early days of his presidency.
Since then, there’s been meaningful progress on key files: a deal to protect the NEXUS trusted traveller program and a plan to include Canadian-made vehicles in a U.S. electric vehicle tax credit program.
WATCH: U.S. and Canada reach deal on closing Roxham Road border crossing:
Joe Biden arrived in Ottawa on Thursday for his first official visit to Canada as U.S. president, and already, sources say the two countries have reached an agreement to allow for the Roxham Road border crossing to close.
And now there is a deal in hand that will allow Canada to close the Roxham Road site, where tens of thousands of refugee claimants have crossed the border irregularly in recent years — a political headache for Trudeau.
The U.S. has been eager to see Canada take a leadership role in efforts to restore order in Haiti, which has descended into chaos in recent months as gangs have tightened their grip on some parts of the Caribbean country.
So far, Canada has resisted pressure to deploy troops.
But after meeting with Biden, Trudeau commited roughly $100 million to the Haitian police.
The funding comes after the UN expressed grave concern for Haiti, saying “extreme violence continues to spiral out of control.”
Biden and Trudeau also had the economy on their minds during the visit.
Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) — which was really a climate-change bill, despite its name — includes major tax breaks for companies that pursue green-friendly projects.
Canada is racing to compete — and there may be a role for Canadian businesses to play as the U.S. retools its economy to make it cleaner and greener.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference following his address, Biden said the IRA shouldn’t be seen as a threat to Canada.
He said the U.S. plan to spend billions through the IRA and CHIPS Act, which offers tax breaks to semiconductor companies that manufacture in the U.S., will have spillover effects for Canada.
“We each have what the other needs,” Biden said. “I’m a little confused on why this is a disadvantage for Canada.”
He said U.S. businesses need to tap Canada’s abundance of critical minerals — an industry that currently is dominated by China, an increasingly unreliable business partner.
“We don’t have the minerals to mine, you can mine them. You don’t want to produce, I mean, turn them into product,” Biden said.
WATCH: Biden, Trudeau speak to media in Ottawa
During his first official visit to Canada since his election, U.S President Joe Biden held a press conference with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in which they discussed the long-standing relationship between the two countries.
Canada would dispute Biden’s characterization of the critical minerals file.
The federal government has raced to sign multi-billion dollar contracts with major car companies like Stellantis and Volkswagen, which will use Canadian natural resources to manufacture components for electric vehicles.
The economist Harold Innis once described Canadians as “hewers of wood and drawers of water,” a reference to Canada’s long economic dependence on resources.
Trudeau said Friday Canada doesn’t just extract minerals and ship them off.
“The world is understanding they can no longer rely on places like China or Russia,” he said. “They can rely on Canada to not just be a purveyor of ores, but of finished materials.”
WATCH: When U.S. presidents came to Parliament
From U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower to Barack Obama, take a journey back through the archives: Dwight D. Eisenhower in July 8-9 1958; John F. Kennedy, May 16, 1961; Richard Nixon, April 14, 1972; Ronald Reagan, April 6, 1987; George H.W. Bush, February 10, 1989; Bill Clinton, February 23, 1995; George W. Bush, November 11, 2004; and Barack Obama, February 19, 2009.
The Biden trip comes just after Chinese President Xi Jinping visited with another authoritarian leader in Moscow — Russian President Vladimir Putin.
While China cozies up to Russia, Biden framed his trip as a way to bolster relations with a close ally and friend, a democratic Canada.
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