As Harrison Houde sees it, his Hollywood dream isn’t over, far from it.
But with casting calls cancelled and studios shuttered, his hopes of stardom are now on hold, as he makes a strategic retreat in the face of insurmountable odds.
“No part-time job, no auditions, there’s nothing,” Houde said. “I didn’t think it was gonna get to the level that it is now.”
A 24-year-old actor from Vancouver Island, Houde has starred in shows for kids and teens like Finding Stuff Out and Some Assembly Required. Two years ago he moved to Los Angeles, hoping for his big break.
Houde admits it’s been difficult — like many who are trying to find their feet in Hollywood, he was counting on a part-time job to make ends meet. But then the coronavirus hit. Days before his first shift at a neighbourhood restaurant, California’s governor issued a stay-at-home order.
“I texted my new boss and he’s like, ‘Yeah, we’re closed.’ So I’m like, yikes, this is not good. I need to figure something out,” Houde said.
WATCH | Harrison Houde’s YouTube compilation of what he did in 2019
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Since California issued the order on March 17, thousands of Canadian entertainers who live in the Los Angeles area find themselves in the same boat — one that has now run aground.
Those who can’t rely on royalties or residuals from past work to tide them over during the shutdown are struggling without many of the safety nets that protect other Canadian workers.
With few prospects and no income, Houde says he can no longer afford his rent in Los Angeles. So this week he gathered dozens of study boxes and a roll of tape.
“I’m making the move back to Vancouver because … there’s no work,” Houde says. “I might as well move back and try to save some money if I can.”
‘I’m a Canadian in America’
Many Canadian entertainers in the U.S. are now caught betwixt and between: ineligible for many U.S. unemployment benefits because they’re not American citizens, but also ineligible for many Canadian benefits because they’re living abroad.
Singer Sarah Daye worries that the loss of gigs might mean more than the loss of revenue – namely, that her working visa in the U.S. might be in jeopardy, too. (Sarah Daye)
The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), for instance, is only available for citizens who reside in Canada. And the government says it offers no income support program for Canadians who reside abroad.
“I’m not American. I’m a Canadian in America,” says R&B singer Sarah Daye. “I don’t have a green card and I’m on a visa, so I’m not eligible.”
The Toronto native has been nominated for a Grammy, fronted the Kevin Eubanks Band (formerly the house band on The Tonight Show) and opened for Lenny Kravitz. But now, her shows are cancelled and she’s forced to chase people down for cheques she’s owed.
“So I’m kind of at the point where I’m having to be very creative about how am I going to make money,” Daye says.
That includes trying to find platforms “where they actually pay you” for performing, and even reaching out to fans for donations.
“You’ve got to kind of humble yourself and put yourself out there and ask for the support.”
‘Hoping and praying’
As if worrying about food and rent weren’t enough, many Canadians working stateside in the entertainment industry share another pressing concern: their immigration status.
Many, like Daye, are allowed to work in the U.S. thanks to an O-1 non-immigrant visa, which is reserved for those who have demonstrated an “extraordinary ability or achievement” in the arts.
However, to maintain their visa status, they have to prove they’re working continuously. In February, the Trump administration tightened immigration rules to further restrict entry to those deemed likely of needing social assistance.
Daye says she’s already on a visa extension and is scared she might not be able to renew it.
“I’m just really keeping the faith that it’s all going to work out,” Daye says. “And I’m hoping and praying that there is some support, you know?”
According to one Canadian immigration lawyer in Los Angeles, Canadian artists in the U.S. may be eligible for more support than they realize.
Zoe Kevork, managing attorney at Kevork Law and president of Canadians Abroad in Southern California, says there’s a lot of confusion about how the shutdown will affect the visa status of Canadians working in the U.S. (Zoe Kevork)
Zoe Kevork, managing attorney at Kevork Law and president of Canadians Abroad in Southern California, says she is being bombarded with questions from Canadian clients worried about how they can renew or extend their visas if the projects they’re working on are shut down.
The answer isn’t simple. “There are varying opinions on at what point are you considered to be out of status or that your visa is no longer valid,” Kevork says, especially for workers who have been furloughed.
“Is that a material change to your status where now you need to plan for another visa? There is no guidance. It’s unclear.”
Few supports for artists in U.S.
Kevork says Canadian artists on an O-1 visa for extraordinary ability are allowed a 60-day grace period without work. But if they believe they’ll be out of work for longer, “definitely people should be consulting with their immigration lawyers.”
But there is some good news. Kevork says Canadian artists in the U.S. need not fear that applying for unemployment insurance will impact their immigration status. And those $1,200 stimulus cheques from the Trump administration for coronavirus relief?
“If you’ve paid your taxes, then you are eligible for it,” she says.
There are few Canadian-based programs for artists living south of the border.
Rodney Murphy, who manages all of SOCAN’s U.S. activities, believes those who ‘have the talent to succeed will find a way to rise above this.’ (Jeff Knights/SOCAN)
The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN), for example, says it’s helping its 800 or so members who live in the L.A. area.
“I’ve been in contact with quite a few of them,” says Rodney Murphy, who manages SOCAN’s U.S. activities. “There definitely is a loss of revenue there.”
To help offset those losses, SOCAN created a $2-million Cdn royalty advance program for its members. “So if someone applies for an advance today [the money] is in their bank within a week,” Murphy says.
David Hope, the executive director of the Actors Fund Canada, says the focus of their programs is helping Canadians in Canada, and that the U.S.-based Actors Fund might be in a better position to help Canadians stateside. (When asked for comment, the Actors Fund did not reply.)
The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) isn’t offering any specific relief for U.S.-based members. In an email, the organization says it’s “been sharing information with our 27,000-plus members,” and points to its website, which catalogues a list of financial benefits like CERB, most of which are only available to Canadian residents.
Comic Renée Percy, seen performing in Las Vegas in November 2019, insists that if you can’t find ways to laugh during the current shutdown, then ‘you’re just going to cry all the time.’ (Tina Compise/Quickstyle Photography)
“There’s no union for us,” says comedian Renée Percy. “It’s a solo thing from beginning to end, for better or for worse.”
Adapting to the situation
Percy, who is from Toronto, settled in Los Angeles 10 years ago. She says before the current shutdown, she was doing six to eight shows a week. Now, she says, life is like a day off — but it’s the same day, over and over again.
“Normally, I’m on stage every night and now I’m on my couch every night,” Percy says. “I was supposed to be doing a tour of Europe next month and being in Barcelona and Luxembourg and all these amazing places. And now I’m just doing a tour of my house: from the bathroom to the kitchen to the bedroom and back.”
Some Canadian entertainers are able to eke out a living during the shutdown by adapting and improvising, something that comes naturally to Percy. She continues to teach improv, but now her class is online instead of in person.
“People don’t have to worry about traffic or parking … or pants even, because they’re mostly sitting down,” Percy says. “It doesn’t even have to be people in L.A. Now I have somebody in South Africa who might be joining my class.”
Percy says she tries not to think about how dire her situation is or she’ll “freak out,” concentrating instead on finding material amid the madness.
Renée Percy, top right, takes a picture of the improv class she has begun teaching online. (Renee Percy)
“If you can’t laugh, then yeah, you’re just going to cry all the time,” Percy says. “There is humour and comedy out there and there always will be. And I think the darker the situation, the more we need it.”
Getting creative ‘to rise above this’
Despite the challenges facing the Canadian artists he represents, Murphy believes those who “have the talent to succeed will find a way to rise above this.”
“This experience will help them create great work and great art, and re-wire the creative brain to do new and better things,” Murphy says.
Even though he’s in the middle of packing for his move to Vancouver next week, Harrison Houde still finds time to collaborate online with his writing partner Dakota Daulby on their first film.
If there is any good news hidden amid the chaos in Houde’s Los Angeles apartment, it’s that his writing, he says, has never been better.
“It’s been kind of therapeutic to some degree,” Houde says. “Maybe our writing has improved because we’ve been locked inside and we just have a lot of time to just think.”
Houde is hoping the worst of the pandemic is over by the end of the summer. Then, he says, he’d like to come back, get another apartment in L.A. and pick up where he left off.
He’s versatile, open to anything. But there’s one project he says he wants no part of.
“I’m certain there’s gonna be like 10 Hollywood films next year called ‘Quarantine’ that all take place in one room, and I’m dreading that.”
TORONTO – Will Taylor Swift bring chaos or do we all need to calm down?
It’s a question many Torontonians are asking this week as the city braces for the arrival of Swifties, the massive fan base of one of the world’s biggest pop stars.
Hundreds of thousands are expected to descend on the downtown core for the singer’s six concerts which kick off Thursday at the Rogers Centre and run until Nov. 23.
And while their arrival will be a boon to tourism dollars — the city estimates more than $282 million in economic impact — some worry it could worsen Toronto’s gridlock by clogging streets that already come to a standstill during rush hour.
Swift’s shows are set to collide with sports events at the nearby Scotiabank Arena, including a Raptors game on Friday and a Leafs game on Saturday.
Some residents and local businesses have already adjusted their plans to avoid the area and its planned road closures.
Aahil Dayani says he and some friends intended to throw a birthday bash for one of their pals until they realized it would overlap with the concerts.
“Something as simple as getting together and having dinner is now thrown out the window,” he said.
Dayani says the group rescheduled the gathering for after Swift leaves town. In the meantime, he plans to hunker down at his Toronto residence.
“Her coming into town has kind of changed up my social life,” he added.
“We’re pretty much just not doing anything.”
Max Sinclair, chief executive and founder of A.I. technology firm Ecomtent, suggested his employees avoid the company’s downtown offices on concert days, saying he doesn’t see the point in forcing people to endure potential traffic jams.
“It’s going to be less productive for us, and it’s going to be just a pain for everyone, so it’s easier to avoid it,” Sinclair said.
“We’re a hybrid company, so we can be flexible. It just makes sense.”
Swift’s concerts are the latest pop culture moment to draw attention to Toronto’s notoriously disastrous daily commute.
In June, One Direction singer Niall Horan uploaded a social media video of himself walking through traffic to reach the venue for his concert.
“Traffic’s too bad in Toronto, so we’re walking to the venue,” he wrote in the post.
Toronto Transit Commission spokesperson Stuart Green says the public agency has been working for more than a year on plans to ease the pressure of so many Swifties in one confined area.
“We are preparing for something that would be akin to maybe the Beatles coming in the ‘60s,” he said.
Dozens of buses and streetcars have been added to transit routes around the stadium, and the TTC has consulted the city on potential emergency scenarios.
Green will be part of a command centre operated by the City of Toronto and staffed by Toronto police leaders, emergency services and others who have handled massive gatherings including the Raptors’ NBA championship parade in 2019.
“There may be some who will say we’re over-preparing, and that’s fair,” Green said.
“But we know based on what’s happened in other places, better to be over-prepared than under-prepared.”
Metrolinx, the agency for Ontario’s GO Transit system, has also added extra trips and extended hours in some regions to accommodate fans looking to travel home.
A day before Swift’s first performance, the city began clearing out tents belonging to homeless people near the venue. The city said two people were offered space in a shelter.
“As the area around Rogers Centre is expected to receive a high volume of foot traffic in the coming days, this area has been prioritized for outreach work to ensure the safety of individuals in encampments, other residents, businesses and visitors — as is standard for large-scale events,” city spokesperson Russell Baker said in a statement.
Homeless advocate Diana Chan McNally questioned whether money and optics were behind the measure.
“People (in the area) are already in close proximity to concerts, sports games, and other events that generate massive amounts of traffic — that’s nothing new,” she said in a statement.
“If people were offered and willingly accepted a shelter space, free of coercion, I support that fully — that’s how it should happen.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
TORONTO – Hundreds of Taylor Swift fans lined up outside the gates of Toronto’s Rogers Centre Wednesday, with hopes of snagging some of the pop star’s merchandise on the eve of the first of her six sold-out shows in the city.
Swift is slated to perform at the venue from Thursday to Saturday, and the following week from Nov. 21 to Nov. 23, with concert merchandise available for sale on some non-show days.
Swifties were all smiles as they left the merch shop, their arms full of sweaters and posters bearing pictures of the star and her Eras Tour logo.
Among them was Zoe Haronitis, 22, who said she waited in line for about two hours to get $300 worth of merchandise, including some apparel for her friends.
Haronitis endured the autumn cold and the hefty price tag even though she hasn’t secured a concert ticket. She said she’s hunting down a resale ticket and plans to spend up to $600.
“I haven’t really budgeted anything,” Haronitis said. “I don’t care how much money I spent. That was kind of my mindset.”
The megastar’s merchandise costs up to $115 for a sweater, and $30 for tote bags and other accessories.
Rachel Renwick, 28, also waited a couple of hours in line for merchandise, but only spent about $70 after learning that a coveted blue sweater and a crewneck had been snatched up by other eager fans before she got to the shop. She had been prepared to spend much more, she said.
“The two prized items sold out. I think a lot more damage would have been done,” Renwick said, adding she’s still determined to buy a sweater at a later date.
Renwick estimated she’s spent about $500 in total on “all-things Eras Tour,” including her concert outfit and merchandise.
The long queue for Swift merch is just a snapshot of what the city will see in the coming days. It’s estimated that up to 500,000 visitors from outside Toronto will be in town during the concert period.
Tens of thousands more are also expected to attend Taylgate’24, an unofficial Swiftie fan event scheduled to be held at the nearby Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
Meanwhile, Destination Toronto has said it anticipates the economic impact of the Eras Tour could grow to $282 million as the money continues to circulate.
But for fans like Haronitis, the experience in Toronto comes down to the Swiftie community. Knowing that Swift is going to be in the city for six shows and seeing hundreds gather just for merchandise is “awesome,” she said.
Even though Haronitis hasn’t officially bought her ticket yet, she said she’s excited to see the megastar.
“It’s literally incredible.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
OTTAWA – Via Rail is asking for a judicial review on the reasons why Canadian National Railway Co. has imposed speed restrictions on its new passenger trains.
The Crown corporation says it is seeking the review from the Federal Court after many attempts at dialogue with the company did not yield valid reasoning for the change.
It says the restrictions imposed last month are causing daily delays on Via Rail’s Québec City-Windsor corridor, affecting thousands of passengers and damaging Via Rail’s reputation with travellers.
CN says in a statement that it imposed the restrictions at rail crossings given the industry’s experience and known risks associated with similar trains.
The company says Via has asked the courts to weigh in even though Via has agreed to buy the equipment needed to permanently fix the issues.
Via said in October that no incidents at level crossings have been reported in the two years since it put 16 Siemens Venture trains into operation.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
