Toronto, ON (June 4, 2026) – ACTRA Toronto is alarmed the Government of Canada has backpedalled on its promise to have multi-national streamers pay their fair share into Canada’s production ecosystem by making Canadian taxpayers foot the bill through the government’s new $600 million fund per year, for Canada’s broadcasting and cultural sector.

ACTRA Toronto has long argued that the global streaming platforms that profit from Canadian audiences must also invest in Canadian culture, Canadian workers, and Canadian stories. It’s quite simple:  if you take money out of the system, you should have to put money back in.

“The creative cultural workers who attended the CMPA’s Prime Time conference in Ottawa this past January were thrilled to hear the impassioned speeches made by government officials in support of protecting and strengthening our screen-based production industry,” said ACTRA Toronto President Kate Ziegler.

Added Ziegler: “Instead of following through on their promise of ‘protecting a nation that welcomes storytellers, listens to their stories and celebrates our differences,’ we are seeing the government placate to streaming giants and the U.S. Administration in advance of CUSMA (Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement) negotiations.”

“ACTRA Toronto looks forward to participating in the government’s upcoming consultations to develop new policy directions about the Online Streaming Act’s implementation. At the forefront will be how policy changes directly impact Canadian performer participation and support sustainable domestic production. As I’ve stated before, Canadian content commitments must result in real Canadian productions and real Canadian casting opportunities for ACTRA members. Anything less is a policy failure,” said ACTRA Toronto Executive Director Rob Halpin.

ACTRA Toronto will be relentless in its pursuit of measurable and improved cultural and economic benefit for our members and on behalf of the entire Canadian creative sector.

##

ACTRA Toronto is the largest organization within ACTRA, representing over 15,000 of Canada’s 30,000 professional performers working in recorded media in Canada. An advocate for Canadian culture since 1943, ACTRA is a member-driven union that continues to secure rights and respect for the work of professional performers.

Media Contact: Jennifer McGibbon, Public Relations Officer, 416-642-6710, jmcgibbon@actratoronto.com