New fees threaten bands planning to tour Canada

Canadian music venues booking non-Canadian artists will be hit with a hefty fee, which will threaten both Canadian promoters, agents and venue owners, and severely limit touring options for mid-level bands.

The new fees, implemented by the Minister of Employment, Social Development & Multiculturalism, will require any venue where music isn’t the primary source of income (say, those that serve alcohol…) to pay an application fee of $275 (Canadian dollars) for each band member, and person travelling with the band – including any road crew, managers, boyfriends, and Rodney who holds the weed. In addition, each member of the touring party must also pay a $150 fee to obtain a work permit.

Spencer Brown, booker for popular mid-level venue The Palomino, told the Calgary Herald how detrimental this will be, stating, “If I have a one four-member American band at the Palomino, I’m looking at $1,700 Canadian just to get them on the bill — and that’s on top of paying out a sound tech, paying for posters, gear rental, paying the other bands, staffing.

“Concert promotion at this level is, in itself, a high-risk occupation. So this has just put it through the roof. There’s no way to start already $1,700 in the hole and break even. It’s impossible.”

Even worse, should the application be rejected, the money is non-refundable. Of course, the Employment and Social Development Canada, and Citizenship and Immigration Canada claim that exemptions allow musicians travelling to Canada to perform a festival to dodge the fee – provided they don’t play any club or pub shows. Australia, do not follow suit!