While Canadians and most businesses will feel like their lives are returning to normal this summer and fall, our sector reflects a very different picture. The punishing impact of closures on the hardest hit sectors, like live music, remains critical: capacity restrictions and social distancing requirements have forced many venues to remain shuttered to prevent even greater financial loss; decisions to cancel concerts, tours and festivals had to be made earlier this year; and regular business travel will be slow to return as Canadians and corporations cautiously resume face-to-face business activity perhaps starting this fall or in early 2022.

The Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA) expresses its sincere thanks to the Government of Canada and Minister of Canadian Heritage Steven Guilbeault for today’s announcement regarding the rollout of $50M in new COVID-19-related funding to support the live music sector. FACTOR and Musicaction will be launching this new support for the live music sector in the coming days.

More recently, Ontario launched its 3-step Roadmap to Reopening and, in early June 2021, our coalition united to seek clarity and regulatory fairness.

While we were gladdened to have Step 2 modifications that enabled our businesses to prepare for reopening, as other sectors have been afforded for months, we write today to draw your attention to three areas that require urgent attention in the short- and long-term and, most urgently, request a clear and consistent response from the Province of Ontario.

Today, the Coalition of Hardest Hit Businesses (CHHB) is calling on the federal government to protect travel and tourism businesses and their employees in Canada, as the crucial Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) and Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) programs wind down.

As part of the Coalition of Hardest Hit Businesses, we urgently need new member data to keep the pressure on Government to provide continued and tailored support for Canada's hardest hit sectors.

Without continued and enhanced access to government relief programs, the major investment-to-date government has made to help save jobs could be entirely lost. The CLMA, along with the Hardest Hit Coalition, urgently calls upon the Canadian government to continue to provide relief for those - like Canada’s live music industry - who need it most.

As more Canadians across the country receive their first vaccine doses, a portion of the population remains hesitant. The Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA) has been leading the charge for the music industry alongside leadership organizations across many sectors to promote COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and help accelerate a recovery from this pandemic.

#FairnessForArtsON is a plea for regulatory fairness and action to support our artists, performers, and arts workers that connect Ontario and Canada with extraordinary music and performing arts experiences. There are 3 key recommendations.

Ontario’s musicians and performing artists have spent almost all of 2021 locked out of venues large and small—bars, clubs, theatres, concert halls, and stadiums—unable even to stream or record for a digital audience. They are excited to get back to work, and bring joy to their audiences and fans through live streaming, drive-in concerts, and eventually, in-person shows.

On Wednesday June 2nd,the 1-year anniversary of #BlackOutTuesday - the viral global action to protest anti-Black racism - BDRB (Breaking Down Racial Barriers) with partners CIMA (Canadian Independent Music Association) and ADVANCE, Canada's Black Music Business Collective will be hosting a virtual declaration signing event for music industry leaders to make public their commitment to anti-Black racism.

Read the spring newsletter here.

Jägermeister Canada is partnering with the Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA) to provide a $100,000 relief fund to help independent music venues survive COVID-19 restrictions.

Since March 2020, the Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA) has been asking the Federal government to ensure our production community colleagues are eligible for emergency support.

The Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA) expresses its sincere thanks to the Government of Canada, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and Minister of Canadian Heritage Steven Guilbeault for today’s federal budget announcement, which acknowledges our hardest hit sector by announcing $70M to the Canada Music Fund, with $50M earmarked specifically for live music and live music venues.

The following letter was sent today, April 8, 2021, on behalf of the undersigned to the following in response to the changes to livestreaming restrictions in Ontario:

Dear Minister Freeland,

Thank you for your efforts on behalf of all Canadians during this difficult time. The Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA) represents hundreds of businesses, organizations, and thousands of employees and contract workers across Canada who bring incredible live music experiences to Canadians and visitors from coast to coast to coast.

March 24th, 2021 (OTTAWA) – A March 2021 survey released today on Parliament Hill reveals that 60% of Canada’s hardest hit businesses will not survive if the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) as well as the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) are not extended beyond the June 5th deadline to the end of the year. The survey with over 1,700 respondents from across Canada was conducted by the Coalition of Hardest Hit Businesses.

The Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA) has partnered with NVision Insight Group to offer The Path: Your Journey through Indigenous Canada, an Indigenous cultural awareness training program, for the live music industry. Designed by NVision, this certificate course meets various Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action for Canadians to receive cultural competency training by teaching about “the history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal– Crown relations.” This training is for anyone committed to creating a stronger Canada, a more compassionate Canada, and a Canada of empowered Indigenous communities.

The people behind Canadian live music have launched an awareness campaign to bring attention to the damage COVID-19 shutdowns have caused Canada’s live music industry - the artists, festivals, venues, promoters, clubs, concert halls, arenas, talent agencies, unions, crew and many others working in the supply chain that connect Canadians with extraordinary live music experiences.