From Kate Taylor of The Globe and Mail:
Link: New system for funding Canadian content would rely on tax credits
Canada desperately needs an update to its cultural policies but, like many Liberal initiatives, the review announced last spring by Minister of Canadian Heritage Mélanie Joly feels pretty mushy. To date, the consultations about nurturing Canadian-content creation seem mainly to have produced pieties about the digital age but few concrete suggestions. Continue reading.Â
From a media release:
The iconic CORNER GAS set will be dismantled beginning at 9 am MT today, the producers of the series confirmed today. The announcement was made as producers and the Town of Rouleau finalize plans on a Dog River Walking Tour in Summer 2017. The producers also confirmed discussions continue with Saskatchewan’s Western Development Museum (WDM) about a possible donation of iconic pieces from the CORNER GAS set.
The Gas Station and The Ruby are the epicentre of the fictional town of Dog River featured in the wildly popular franchise that includes Corner Gas: The Movie and six seasons of the CTV televised series CORNER GAS. Located at the junction of Highway 39, Weckman Drive and 1st Avenue, approximately 65 km southwest of Regina, the set has become a popular tourist destination.
The set was built as temporary structures in the summer of 2003 to shoot 13 episodes of the TV series over the course of a summer. When the show became an overnight sensation, the set’s life was extended to accommodate six seasons and a movie. But time and the elements have taken their toll. Built on a bog, the structures have been sinking over the years and the foundation is beyond repair. The set is no longer safe for public use and will therefore be dismantled on November 4, when the lease on the property expires.
About the Dog River Walking Tour & Commemorative Sign in Rouleau:
Next summer, the producers, in association with the Town of Rouleau, have plans to erect a CORNER GAS commemorative sign and detailed map of the Dog River Walking Tour. Fans can visit Rouleau and take a one-hour self-guided tour, which includes: the original site of the gas station, downtown Dog River, Oscar & Emma’s house, grain elevator, water tower and CORNER GAS character cutouts for photo opportunities. Postcard-sized maps will be available at the town hall and for download at cornergas.com.
From James Bradshaw of The Globe and Mail:
Link: Bell wins right to appeal new Super Bowl ad policy
Three months before the fifty-first Super Bowl kicks off in Houston, Bell Media has won the right to appeal a new policy that would allow U.S. commercials to air on Canadian televisions.The Federal Court of Appeal granted Bell, a division of BCE Inc., leave to appeal a new regulatory policy that bans broadcasters from swapping their own signals – as well as lucrative advertising – into U.S. channels airing the National Football League’s championship game. Continue reading.Â
From CBC News:
Link: Dave Broadfoot, Royal Canadian Air Farce comedian, dead at 90
Canadian comedian and former Royal Canadian Air Farce actor Dave Broadfoot has died at age 90, his family confirmed to CBC News.
Born in Vancouver on Dec. 5, 1925, Broadfoot was an early member of the long-running comedy show on CBC. Starting in 1973, he appeared on radio and television versions of the show for 15 years. Continue reading.Â
From John Doyle of The Globe and Mail:
Link: Whither Canadian culture: Where’s the quality?
What’s exceptionally frustrating, especially in the matter of television in Canadian culture, is the lack of emphasis on quality. Said it before and saying it again: We make an awful lot of TV in this country and we are, frankly, accepting of a great deal of mediocrity. Money is thrown at all manner of drivel. Continue reading.
