Timeline

AUGUST 2022

CASC participated at a round table with Mass Culture to discuss how artists can come together to make for better pays, places to play and how the government can help.

NOVEMBER 2021
CASC with the help of any comedians put together a document with the variables a comedians should take into account when getting paid. https://canadianstandup.ca/stand-up-comedy-pricing-guidelines/

NOVEMBER 2021
CASC ads $5 dollar memberships in order to help comedians join.

NOVEMBER 2021
CASC holds a virtual town hall to explain UNIFOR benefits and update community on goals

JULY 2021
Sketch comedian Tom Hill joins CASC as the Secretary.

JULY 2021
After much thought, Darryl Purvis steps down as 2nd VP for CASC

DECEMBER 2020
After much thought, Sandra Battaglini steps down as the President of CASC. Monty Scott becomes the new President.

AUGUST 2020
The Emergency Relief Fund for Canadian Comedians helped over 50 comedians with a $500 each.

JULY 2020
The Emergency Relief Fund for Canadian Comedians passes the $30,000 mark with the help of the community.

MAY 2020
The Emergency Relief Fund for Canadian Comedians passes the $10,000 mark with the help of the community.

APRIL 2020
CASC creates a COVID-19 Emergency Relief Task Force to help comedians during the pandemic.

MARCH 2020

COVID-19 shuts down all live events and shows.

FEBRUARY 2020
CASC returned to the hill to talk about SiriusXM and JFL Canada, about mobility and international policy.

DECEMBER 2019
With the help of Scott Faulconbridge, CASC is now able to provide its members with benefits from The Arts and Entertainment Plan.

OCTOBER 2019
In October 2019 CASC and The Foundation for Canadian Comedy (CANCOM)* submitted an application to Ontario Creates’ Business Intelligence Program to fund a study: Profile and Value Chain Analysis of Ontario’s Comedy Content Creators. If approved, the consulting firm Nordicity will work with CASC and CANCOM to deliver this first-ever analysis of the importance of Ontario comedians in the screen sector; the challenges faced by Canadian comedians; and how to keep Ontarians living and working in the comedy industry in Canada. The lens is on Ontario, but this project will provide valuable insights for the comedy industry across the country. The first two industry stakeholders to provide support to CASC and CANCOM for the study were ACTRA Toronto and Just for Laughs. Since then, Project 10 and Frantic Films have also come on board with support.

OCTOBER 2019
In October 2019, CASC posted a Federal Election Platform Statement encouraging members to give attention to candidates and parties who were campaigning to improve arts funding, improve export activities for artists, strengthen the creation of original Canadian content, and promote the talents of Canadian artists. READ: https://canadianstandup.ca/the-canadian-association-of-stand-up-comedians-casc-federal-election-platform-2019/

SEPTEMBER 2019
In September 2019, CASC submitted a comment as an intervenor on a broadcasting license renewal for Super Channel. The CRTC asked for interveners to comment as Super Channel was being examined for being non-compliant with their condition of license. CASC expressed opposition to Super Channel’s request to reduce their Canadian programming expenditure requirements, the elimination of their requirement for Canadian script and concept development, and supported the CRTC’s response and concerns about Super Channel’s future payment of shortfalls in the funding requirements they had previously failed to satisfy.

AUGUST 2019
In August 2019 CASC was invited to participate in a nationwide Working Group teleconference lead by the Canada Media Fund (CMF), with screen sector stakeholders across the country. It was designed to discuss the CMF’s first-ever Early Stage Development Program. Adam Growe joined the call, and shared the feedback shared by CASC members about their experience applying for the fund.

CASC submitted recommendations to the Department of Finance, Standing Committee on Finance (FINA), for pre-budget consultations in advance of the federal government’s 2020 Budget. We highlighted our support for: continued funding to The Canada Arts Presentation Fund (CAPF); federal tax credit incentives, funding for CBC/Radio-Canada, and Canada Media Fund (CMF) contributions; and Canada’s Creative Export Strategy.

AUGUST 2019
In August 2019 Sandra Battaglini and Adam Growe had a teleconference with The office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage (to discuss funding for comedy, the CMF, Canada Arts Presentation Fund, and CANCOM*)

JULY 2019
Adam Growe was invited to participate on an industry panel at Just for Laughs in Montreal. Representing CASC and CANCOM, Adam appeared with Dave Merheje, Michelle Daly (CBC), Sarah Fowlie (Bell Media), and Andrew Barnsley (Project 10) to discuss “Comedy in Canada: What’s the Deal?”

JUNE 2019

As a result of our Ottawa meetings, CASC was given an opportunity to provide witness testimony at the Parliament Hill meeting of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage with regards to The Canada Council for the Arts. Adam Growe expressed CASC’s support for budget allocations to the Council, and reiterated the importance for the Council to recognize comedy as art. LISTEN: https://soundcloud.com/canadianstandup/casc-testimony

We are strongly urging CASC members to apply for Council funding, as well as apply to become Peer Assessors at the Council, and share their experiences with CASC for our files.

MARCH 2019
CASC will continue our efforts to collaborate with other stakeholders in the comedy industry. We are expanding our Membership to become the first-ever platform for a unified voice to advocate for ALL comedians to make Canada a comedy nation. While our name, for now, will remain the same, Membership will no longer be restricted to just those who identify as stand-up comics.

FEBRUARY 2019

In February 2019, there was a bold and brisk response from individuals and groups across the country to plans by Just for Laughs and SiriusXM Canada to revamp and rebrand “Canada Laughs 168” to “Just For Laughs Radio”.

The response included massive social media activism from countless stand-up comics, an unprecedented boycott by Edmonton stand-up comics of a JFL showcase, and a CASC Town Hall meeting on February 26th, 2019. The next day JFL informed CASC, and then the public, that they decided to make their revamped and rebranded “Just For Laughs Canada” on SiriusXM 100% content from independently produced Canadian comedians. Private industry stakeholders demonstrated that they were prepared to listen to the stand-up comedy community. CASC again demonstrated the value of a unified, informed voice to its Members.

SEPTEMBER 2019
An e-petition to the Canadian Government to recognize comedy as an art form was signed by thousands of comedians and sponsored by Liberal MP, Julie Dabrusin. On September 24th, 2018, when she tabled the petition on Parliament Hill on behalf of CASC, it was received by a standing ovation from MPs in The House of Commons. The efforts continue in getting the government to respond.

SPRING/SUMMER 2019

CASC Members and supporters met with government officials and staff, including Global Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Canada Council for the Arts, and Heritage Canada in the Spring, Summer and Fall of 2018, when NAFTA was being renegotiated and eventually became the proposed USMCA.

The Canadian government, much to our disappointment, eventually abandoned the issue of Labour Mobility for cultural workers. But, for the first time in Canadian history, stand-up comedians were at the table and had a voice inside government offices.

FEBRUARY 2018
A small group of stand-up comedians rallied around Sandra, met with industry stakeholders, and took action on advice to form an Association. An ad hoc Executive Committee approved a Constitution and ByLaws in February 2018, and began working on the two initiatives: recognition as an art form, and labour mobility