To support its cultural industries in the face of American dominance, Canada has for many decades depended on regulating television and radio broadcasters to share and finance Canadian stories and songs. Yet the barely regulated internet, a product of Silicon Valley’s maverick free-market mindset, now allows users to make and hoover up the content of their choosing. For people seeking stories and songs around the world, borders now barely exist.
The federal government has been trying since 2020 to wrangle together legislation that would force streaming services such as Netflix and Spotify to promote and finance the country’s cultural content just like old-guard broadcasters must. It finally received royal assent on April 27, but it wasn’t easy. What unfolded in the past few years far more resembled an agonizing battle than a nation-building exercise.
