Author: news22

CALGARY, September 9, 2026

In an increasingly digital world, Canadians should be able to embrace new technologies with confidence, knowing that they are protected and their personal information is safe online. That is why we are taking action to better address online harms, especially for children, while putting greater responsibility on the platforms and companies that provide these services.

Today, the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages, announced $376,540 in funding for Children’s Healthcare Canada’s Mind Over Media project. The initiative will examine how digital environments can affect the mental health and well-being of young people, helping us better understand these challenges in an increasingly connected world. The minister made the announcement while visiting the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary.

Through this project, Children’s Healthcare Canada will identify the impacts, potential harms and costs associated with digital engagement and disinformation on youth mental health. It will also help equip health experts with practical resources to better understand and respond to these challenges. These findings will help inform policymaking and future priorities for online safety.

This investment is part of the Government of Canada’s broader efforts to make the online environment safer for children and all Canadians. As online harms are intensifying, the proposed Safe Social Media Act will make social media platforms and artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots safer by design by establishing new responsibilities for regulated services under three core pillars:

• Duty to Protect Children, by requiring age-appropriate protections and safeguards for younger users;
• Duty to Act Responsibly, by requiring regulated online services to mitigate the risks of exposure to harmful content;
• Duty to Make Certain Content Inaccessible, by requiring social media platforms to rapidly remove content that sexually victimizes a child or revictimizes a survivor, as well as intimate content communicated without consent, including deepfake sexual images; and
• Duty to be Transparent, by requiring regulated online services to submit publicly disclosed digital safety plans.

Regulated services will be required to be transparent in how they meet their obligations under the Act by publishing digital safety plans and complying with the new independent Digital Safety Commission.

Canadians should not have to choose between embracing new technologies and protecting themselves online. By ensuring our laws keep pace with technology, we are establishing clear rules and stronger responsibilities for the companies behind online services so Canadians, especially children and young people, can participate in the digital world safely and with confidence.

TORONTO, September 9, 2026

Cultural organizations are pillars of our communities and give people an opportunity to come together, learn and be inspired. They strengthen Canada’s creative economy while giving Canadians the opportunity to see their stories and identities reflected, celebrated and shared through art.

Today, Karim Bardeesy, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry and Member of Parliament (Taiaiako’n–Parkdale–High Park), announced $583,200 in funding for four performing arts and festival organizations in Toronto. He made the announcement on behalf of the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages.

The Canada Arts Presentation Fund investments will support Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, the CanAsian Dance Festival, Native Earth Performing Arts, and Young People’s Theatre.

Buddies in Bad Times Theatre will receive $102,000 for its 2026 and 2027 Queer Voices Canada seasons, which support vibrant and diverse programming that amplifies the voices of by trans and gender non-conforming artists, 2Spirit artists, and QTBIPOC artists. The theatre will also hold community and education events to create dialogue around queer content and increase critical engagement with the work, artists, and topics presented.

The CanAsian Dance Festival will receive $109,800 for its 2026, 2027 and 2028 CanAsian Dance Series seasons, creating more opportunities for Asian diasporic dance artists to showcase their work and connect with communities. The activities will be staged at various locations in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.

As for Native Earth Performing Arts, it will receive $176,400 for its 2026, 2027 and 2028 Weesageechak Begins to Dance seasons, along with two other dance works by Indigenous artists, helping bring Indigenous stories, perspectives and artistic expression to audiences. It will also feature dance and theatre performances by Indigenous artists from Ontario and across Canada, as well as artists from Australia.

The final project being funded, Young People’s Theatre, will receive $195,000 for its 2026, 2027 and 2028 seasons, which celebrate Canada’s rich cultural landscape through diverse programming, bringing Indigenous and Francophone works to audiences alongside dance, puppetry, musical theatre and new media.

These organizations strengthen communities by bringing people together through vibrant, diverse cultural experiences for all ages.

When we celebrate our diversity through the arts, we strengthen our shared identity and build stronger, more united communities.

SAINT-PAUL-DE-VENCE, France, September 9, 2026

The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages, made the following statement:

“As the world is changing rapidly, we are focused on what we can control.

We believe that the strength of our audiovisual sector does not mean turning inward. It means building more bridges and partnerships as well as being more ambitious. As we build a stronger, more resilient audiovisual sector at home, we are diversifying our partnerships abroad.

Canada showed up in force at the Lumière Summit with a delegation that included representatives of Telefilm, the Canada Media Fund (CMF) and the Toronto International Film Festival. We commend the initiative of the French Republic and the Republic of Korea in launching this important dialogue at a pivotal moment for Canada and the international community. With emerging technologies, shifting geopolitics and growing economic pressures, how we enjoy, discover and experience our culture is changing dramatically.

By bringing together governments, the film, audiovisual and video game industries, creative professionals and cultural organizations from around the world, the Lumière Summit was an opportunity to ensure cinema continues to be a force for innovation and cooperation in the future; one that keeps reflecting our world in all its diversity.

Canada is proud to sign the Lumière Summit Joint Declaration and to adhere to its principles, while respecting the jurisdictions and responsibilities of provincial and territorial governments. Those principles underscore the integral role of the audiovisual and interactive media sectors as a cornerstone of our cultural sovereignty.

We are also proud that Telefilm and CMF joined the Alliance Lumière, the world’s first network bringing together public institutions responsible for film and audiovisual affairs to strengthen collaboration, advance joint initiatives and share expertise.

We will not compromise on our culture, our languages and the discoverability of our works. By pooling our talent, our resources and our creativity, we can support our filmmakers at home, help them reach new markets abroad, and ensure that Canadian stories continue to be told and heard on our own terms.”