VANCOUVER — In its second year supporting small businesses during the pandemic through its national #StandWithOwners initiative, Telus announced today it is doubling its commitment by investing $1 million to promote Canadian small businesses in 2021.
“Small business owners have demonstrated incredible strength and ingenuity as they pivoted and innovated throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, and Telus is proudly supporting them with funding, localized advertising, and mentorship as they move forward,” reads Telus’s press release.
“We continue to be inspired by the courage and determination of Canadian small business owners as they navigate long periods of lockdown and evolving restrictions to keep…
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TORONTO — Canadian telecom services provider Wesbell Technologies and Wesbell Investment Recovery today announced the successful closing of an undisclosed amount of equity investment in the company led by FirePower Equity, with Crédit Mutuel Equity and Trilogy Capital also investing.
The Wesbell Group of Companies provides cell tower engineering, site acquisition, steel fabrication, installation and investment recovery services to a variety of carrier, broadcast and corporate clients. Currently, the company has operations across Canada and the eastern and midwestern United States, with more than 300 employees and a client base that includes most of the major providers.
Calling the equity investment…
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TORONTO – Today, Hollywood Suite announced a partnership with Women in Film & Television Toronto, launching the WIFT Indigenous Writers Program.
The program is meant for Indigenous writers who are in the mid-stage of their careers, and will provide them with networking, industry insight training and mentorship opportunities.
“We are proud to support Indigenous storytellers and help them bring their unique perspectives to the screen,” said Julie Kumaria, SVP marketing and content distribution at Hollywood Suite, in the announcement
“Over the past number of months, we have been listening and learning in dialogue with our Indigenous colleagues and collaborators to identify ways…
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Want faster, cheaper piracy measures
By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – The country’s largest broadcasters and telecoms want new copyright legislation to include provisions that give the courts the ability to order website-blocking, prevent the CRTC from overruling blocking orders, and to expand authority over other intermediaries to choke off infringers.
Bell, Rogers, Telus, Shaw, Cogeco, Quebecor, SaskTel, Eastlink, and the Canadian Communications System Alliance also want the legislation to reflect the courts’ ability to unilaterally order search engines to de-index infringing websites, social media platforms and to force hosts, like Cloudflare, to take down infringing services and not direct users to it,…
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If it doesn’t pass and there’s no election, it will continue in the fall
By Bill Roberts
AT MOMENTS HE LOOKED a bit like that deer in the proverbial headlights.
Minister Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage, was in virtual conversation with Prem Gill, CEO of Creative B.C. on Thursday at the virtual Banff World Media Fest.
It was also somewhat of a hot seat.
“Look, I’ve been minister for 20 months and 18 of those were under Covid… it’s been a steep learning curve,” shared Guilbeault as he acknowledged his baptism by flamethrower at the Ministry.
And with Bill C-10, “we’ve had 120 amendments…
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TORONTO — In a virtual presentation hosted by Canadian comedian and YouTube personality Jasmeet Raina, the Banff World Media Festival today announced the winners of the 2021 Rockie Awards International Program Competition.
Celebrating excellence in television and digital media content from around the world, the Rockie Awards program is juried by an esteemed panel of 150 international industry professionals and covers all major genres.
This year’s competition featured 142 nominations from 37 countries, including the UK, U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Australia and Netherlands.
Countries taking home top Rockies honours include:
* UK: 11 awards
* U.S.: 10 awards
* Canada: 5 awards
* Australia and France:…
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TORONTO — Iristel today announced its new Mobifi portability service, available for $6 per month, which allows Canadian phone numbers to be used with U.S. telecom services when travelling south of the border.
The company says its new phone number portability service is ideal for entrepreneurs and snowbirds who spend extended periods of time in the U.S. and Mexico, and who typically suspend their Canadian wireless service and use U.S. SIM cards in their phones, which means they temporarily lose both their Canadian number and contacts in the phone. Those who choose instead to pay for roaming service while south…
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TORONTO — ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists) announced today Eleanor Noble (above) has been elected by ACTRA’s national council to a two-year term as national president.
The election took place this past weekend during ACTRA’s national council meeting. Noble is replacing David Sparrow, who stepped down as ACTRA’s national president after serving in this role for four years. Sparrow will remain on ACTRA’s national council as past president.
An ACTRA Montreal councillor since 2006, Noble is currently vice-president of ACTRA Montreal and the chair of the ACTRA National Women’s Committee.
“Eleanor is actively committed to creating safe sets…
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For multilingual Canadians, it’s disappointment from the starting whistle
By Aldo Di Felice
FOR MILLIONS OF CANADIANS, Euro 2020 is already a disappointment, and it all has to do with what happens when the powers-that-be allow “squatting”. No, I am not talking about a new soccer tactic.
One year delayed, the 2020 UEFA European Championship kicked off on June 11, in Rome, Italy. The month-long tournament will see 36 matches played between 24 national teams in stadiums spread across 11 European cities. Like the Olympics, it’s a sporting competition with global significance, attracting a multinational, multilingual following. It will draw a projected…
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By Etan Vlessing
TORONTO – So much for the “business as usual” 2021 upfront.
Bell Media, pitching its upcoming fall season linear and digital schedules to media agencies and their marketing clients for long term ad commitments, has had to make sense of digesting and executing on a vastly changed Canadian media landscape now that pandemic lockdowns are lifting.
The razzle-dazzle of Bell Media’s upfront showcase of new and returning U.S. series like The Masked Singer, Grey’s Anatomy and Young Sheldon didn’t obscure an increased focus by marketers on committing dollars to connected TV and digital video advertising channels as Canadians watch…
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