Canada

Canada 🇨🇦 is a North American country.

It is a Dominion with freedom of speech protected by the Canadian Constitution. Because Canada is a free country, modern censorship is rare.

General censorship

Very little is formally censored in Canada, aside from "obscenity" (as defined in the landmark criminal case of R v Butler) which is generally limited to pornography and child pornography depicting and/or advocating non-consensual sex, sexual violence, degradation, or dehumanization, in particular that which causes harm (as in R v Labaye). Most films are simply subject to classification by the British Columbia Film Classification Office under the non-profit Crown corporation by the name of Consumer Protection BC, whose classifications are officially used by the provinces of British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Manitoba.

While similar to the United States, Canadian censors sometimes go further. Some notable context and differences include:

• Canadian federal law considers material depicting any sexual activity by any character under 18 as child pornography, whether drawn, live-action, or written. Although there is a clause excluding material with an "artistic purpose", the line isn't very clearly defined. Furthermore, the age of consent in Canada is 16, meaning that it is entirely possible for material to be banned because it depicts an otherwise legal sexual act involving a character between 16 and 18 years old.
• In the past, Canada's national customs authority used court rulings about material depicting "violence against women" as somehow encompassing male gay erotica.
• Strangely, the influence of lobby groups causes a frequent circumvention of the censorship trends, as Canadian private broadcasters self-regulate through the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council; this entity can easily bow to pressure to refuse to air certain content. The state broadcaster, the CBC, does not participate in this scheme, and they can thus get away with more than the private networks can. (It and other public broadcasters are directly regulated by the CRTC.)
• In Canada, radio and television broadcasters have to present a minimum amount of Canadian content (Cancon, see below). While there has been some griping about it, these rules worked wonders for Canadian popular music over the years. Once, before these regulations, Canadian artists were so ignored that radio broadcasters literally broke records in front of some musicians pleading for some airtime; now the Canadian music scene has flourished to the point where all Canadian music stations exist with big international stars who wouldn't think of leaving Canada. Due to this law, for a non-Canadian, it is a surreal experience to listen an oldies radio station, as 35-40% of the songs have to be by Canadian artists, a couple of familiar hits can be heard, with Canadian artists who became internationally successful being overrepresented, such as Anne Murray, The Guess Who, Bachman-Turner Overdrive and Gordon Lightfoot. The same rules occasionally have spillover effects: for instance, in the 1990s, at least one of the major alternative-rock stations in the Detroit radio market was actually based in Windsor, across the Canadian border; the effect were
  • Songs by Barenaked Ladies were abundantly played on that station, to the point that people got sick of it
  • A substantial number of people Michigan have not only heard of The Tragically Hip, but actually like them (unlike most of the United States).
    • On the other hand, as to Barenaked Ladies really are pretty popular in Metro Detroit, partly because of the aforementioned station; there's a reason that one of their live albums is a recording of a concert at DTE Theatre in Clarkston, Michigan.) The same is true of other genres — for instance, by listening a Canadian country station, mainstream country music blended in with names like Tim Hicks, Dean Brody, Lindsay Ell, and Dallas Smith, none of whom have made much noise in the States if at all, can be heard.
    • The same laws forced game shows taped in Canada for American TV (such as Super Pay Cards) to have Canadian personalities on-camera in additional segments and the like. This posed a problem for the USA Network's revival of Chain Reaction, which taped in Montreal. When original Canadian-born host Blake Emmons left after the first few weeks, Geoff Edwards was brought in to replace him. But this meant they were breaking CanCon laws in the process, as Edwards was an American. The solution was to have announcer Rod Charlebois appear on-screen every episode, playing a minigame of sorts with Geoff.
  • In Quebec, any material (as well any business) must be only in French language, due to the Law 101, which states that French is the only official language of the state, as well due to the prescriptions of the Office Québecois de la Langue Française (OQFL, Quebec Office of the French Language), originally created to protect the French language from the influence of English. The OQLF is criticised by many English-speaking Quebecers, and some French-speaking Québecois, as they deem said institution a language police, such as when said organisation requires that only French words must be used (even if these are not English words), such as when an Italian restaurant was fined for using Italian language words (such as "pasta") for its menu.

Book censorship

Crime comics were banned from 1949 to 2018.

• Droll Stories - this collection of short stories by Balzac was banned for obscenity in 1914.
• By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept - this autobiographical prose poetry by Elizabeth Smart was banned in Canada from 1945 to 1975 under the influence of Smart's family's political power due to its sexual documentation of Smart's affair with a married man.
• The Naked and the Dead - this novel by Norman Mailer was banned in Canada in 1949 for "obscenity".
• Lolita - this novel written by Vladimir Nabokov was banned in Canada in 1958, though the ban was later lifted.
• Peyton Place - this novel by Grace Metalious was banned in Canada between 1956 and 1958.
• Nègres blancs d'Amérique (White N***ers of America) - this political work by Pierre Vaillères, which deals with Quebec politics and society; written while the author was incarcerated. An edition published in France was not allowed into Canada; an edition was published in the US in 1971.
• The Hoax of the Twentieth Century - this non-fiction book by Arthur Butz was classified as "hate literature" in Canada (due to Holocaust denial content) with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police destroying copies as recently as 1995.
• American Psycho - this novel was banned during its first release.
• Lethal Marriage - this true crime work written by Nick Pron, a newspaper reporter, about the Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka case, allegedly contains inaccuracies, additionally, complaints were received by the St. Catharines library board from the mother of a victim that led to the book being removed from all public library branches in the city. As recently as 1999 this book was still unavailable to public library patrons in St. Catherines.
• Noir Canada - this documentary book by Alain Deneault was banned from sale in Canada following two defamation lawsuit from Barrick Gold and Banro and an out-of-court settlement.
• Crime comics were banned until 2018.

Internet censorship

* In April 2023, it was noticed that guns.com was blocked on Canadian servers. However, by September of that year, it became unblocked.

Movie censorship

Ratings

The first Canadian censor board was formed in Ontario in 1911; each province followed suit shortly afterwards, but Ontario became the "main" censor where films would go first for approval and cuts before being handed down to other provinces for their own approval and cuts. While most of features were deemed unacceptable closely mirrored those of the Hays Code, a few were peculiar to Canada, such as any depiction of American flags and patriotism (to avoid hurting Canadian nationalism and pro-British sentiments). As censorship standards became more relaxed in the 1950s, provinces began turning to classification, with Manitoba the first to fully abandon censorship for classification in the 1960s.

Film ratings in Canada are a provincial responsibility, and each province has its own legislation, rules and regulations regarding rating, exhibition and admission. Ratings are required for theatrical exhibition, but not all provinces require classification for home video. In the past there was a wide range of rating categories and practices in the various provinces; however, the seven rating systems—with the exception of Quebec—now all use categories and logos derived from the Canadian Home Video Rating System (CHVRS).

English-language ratings

The categories are mostly identical to the CHVRS with a few minor variations. In the provinces that require classification of video formats, supply of 14A and 18A films is restricted to customers above those ages. In the case of theatre exhibition, children are admitted to 14A if accompanied by an adult. In British Columbia, Saskatchewan (administered by the British Columbia Film Classification Office), Alberta and Ontario children are also admitted to 18A films if accompanied. Children over the age of 14 are admitted to 18A films in the Manitoba and Maritime provinces if accompanied by an adult. The Maritimes and British Columbia (along with Saskatchewan) also provide an "A" classification for adult content. Some provinces, such as Nova Scotia, reserve the right to prohibit films altogether.

Icon (Cinema)	Icon (Home Video)	Rating	Description
		G	Suitable for viewing by all ages. It contains occasional violence, no swearing and coarse language, and the most innocent of no sexually suggestive scenes and nudity. Equivalent to the United States G.
		PG	Parental guidance advised. Theme or content may not be suitable for all children though there is no age restriction. May contain less subtle sexually suggestive scenes and nudity and a more realistic portrayal of violence than in the General category; coarse language may occur more often than in the General category. Equivalent to the United States PG.
		14A	Suitable for people 14 years of age or older. Those under 14 should view with an adult. No rental or purchase by those under 14. Parents cautioned. Formerly "Adult Accompaniment (14)" in the Maritimes (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island). Viewers under 14 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. May contain violence (may be graphic in some cases), coarse language or sexually suggestive scenes, or any combination of them. Equivalent to the United States PG-13.
		18A	Suitable for people 18 years of age or older. Those under 18 should view with an adult. Additionally, in certain provinces there is a mandatory age restriction of 14 years. No rental or purchase by those under 18. Parents strongly cautioned. Will contain horror, explicit violence, frequent coarse language or scenes that are more sexually suggestive than in the 14A category, or any combination of them. In the Maritimes and Manitoba, persons under 14 will not be admitted (in a cinema). Equivalent to the United States R.
		R	Restricted to 18 years and over. No rental or purchase by those under 18. Content not suitable for minors. This category is not to be confused with the American R rating, which has a different definition (restricted to people 17 and over, but underaged people accompanied by a parent is allowed). May contain explicit sex scenes, violence, or content that is deemed to be suitable only for an adult audience. The director assigns this category to motion pictures if the director considers that the theme, subject matter or plot of the adult motion picture is artistic, historical, political, educational or scientific. Equivalent to the United States NC-17.
		A	Adult. Film is not suitable for viewers under 18 years of age. Persons under 18 years of age are not permitted to attend under any circumstances. May contain explicit sex scenes or scenes of brutality or torture to persons or animals, or any combination of them, which are portrayed in a realistic and explicit manner; however, the scenes would, in the director's opinion, be tolerable to the community. Formerly "Explicit Material (XXX)" in the Maritimes (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island). No equivalent United States rating exists.
n/a		E	Exempt

Québec ratings

In Quebec, the provincial Ministry of Culture and Communications rates all films and videos; its purview devolves from the Cinema Act (chapter C-18.1). In some cases the Ministry may refuse to provide a classification, effectively banning the film. Educational and sports films are exempt from classification. Until 2017 the Régie du cinéma fulfilled this role.

Icon	Icon with content descriptor	Rating	Description
		G: Visa général (General Rating)	May be viewed, rented or purchased by persons of all ages. If a film carrying a "G" rating might offend the sensibilities of a child under 8 years of age, "Not suitable for young children" is appended to the classification.
		13 ans et plus (13 years and over)	May be viewed, rented or purchased only by persons 13 years of age or over. Children under 13 may be admitted only if accompanied by an adult.
		16 ans et plus (16 years and over)	May be viewed, rented or purchased only by persons 16 years of age or over.
		18 ans et plus (18 years and over)	May be viewed, rented or purchased only by persons 18 years of age or over. If a film contains real and explicit sexual activity "Explicit sexuality" is appended to the classification, and in the retail video industry storeowners are required to place the film in a room reserved for adults.
	n/a	En attente de classement (Rating Pending)	Movies that have not yet been rated feature the indication En attente de classement (Rating Pending). This is common on print advertising before the release of a movie. The movie must have been rated by the Régie by the time it is released.

While not a classification per se, educational or pedagogical movies, sport and physical exercise programs, and promotional materials are exempt from classification.

The Régie does not cut sequences from movies; they are rated in the format provided by the production company. Nonetheless, the Régie has the authority to deny classification, in which case the movie cannot be distributed in any format in the province of Québec. Such movies usually feature inhumane sexual exploitation.

Instances of movie censorship

• Damaged Goods - this film about a young couple contracting syphilis was banned in Ontario.
• Little Caesar - this crime film was banned in Alberta, British Columbia and Nova Scotia.
• The Life of Emile Zola - this biographic film was banned in Quebec. However, since 1997, the movie was unbanned and was rated "G".
• Scarlet Street - this noir film about criminals taking advantage of a middle-aged painter to steal his artwork was banned in New Brunswick.
• Wicked Lady - this film about a nobleman's wife who becomes a highwayman for the excitement was banned in New Brunswick.
• The Wild One - this film banned in Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec. The bans were eventually overturned, at least in Quebec where the film was rated 14+ in 1968 and re-rated G in 2013.
• Forever Amber - this film was banned in Quebec, but in 1994 the ban was overturned and the film got rated as "G".
• Tom Jones (1963) - this film was banned in Alberta. Two years later, the state reversed its decision and the film is allowed to be shown since then.
• Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? - this film was censored by Nova Scotia, describing it as "obscene and blasphemous". After an appeal from the distributor and media coverage, the decision was later reversed and the film was rated "Restricted".
• Warrendale - this film was banned in Manitoba due to the language. However, the decision was reversed due to public outcry.
• Romeo and Juliet (1968) - this film was banned in Ontario.
• Cotton Mill, Treadmill (On est au coton) - this 1970 documentary about the conditions of the textile workers in Quebec had its release blocked by the National Film Board of Canada for its politically sensitive nature (the NFB was alarmed by the appareance of two Quebec Liberation Front (FLQ) members who issued a call for armed revolution in the film), as the film was completed at the height of the October Crisis. In 1976, an edited version of the film was released, but its unedited version was released in 2004.
• Women in Love - this film was banned in Alberta by the provincial censors due to nudity.
• A Clockwork Orange - this film was banned in Alberta and Nova Scotia, where both bans were eventually overturned and classified the film R.
• Pink Flamingos - this film was edited in several provinces and outright banned in Nova Scotia until 1997.
• Heavy Traffic - this film was banned in Alberta.
• Pretty Baby - this film was banned in Ontario by the Ontario Censor Board. However, the ban was repealed in 1995.
• Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens - this sexploitation film was banned in Nova Scotia.
• Caligula - this film was banned on its initial release (except in Quebec, where it was rated 18+) for its sexually explicit content.
• The Tin Drum - this film was banned in Ontario as the Provincial film board deemed it as child pornography.
• Not a Love Story: A Film About Pornography - this feminist documentary critique of the pornography industry was banned in Ontario for its pornographic content, although that decision was ultimately overturned.
• Beau Pere - this French film about a man having sex with a minor was banned in Ontario.
• I Spit on Your Grave - this horror film was banned in Nova Scotia until 1998.
• Day of the Dead - this horror film was banned in Ontario and the Maritimes, with a cut, 97 minute version passed in Ontario. The original version (which lasted 101 minutes) was resubmitted to the Ontario Film Review Board in 2008 and given a R rating. The 101-minute version was granted an R rating in the Maritimes.
• Blue Velvet - this film was banned in New Brunswick. However, its ban became moot when the province started to use the ratings provided by the Maritime Film Classification Board, which gave it an R rating.
• Death Scenes - this video series is banned in Nova Scotia.
• Exit to Eden - this film was temporarily banned in Saskatchewan. Nonetheless, the backlash against the ban proved so fierce that the Saskatchewan Film and Video Classification Board quit classifying movies on its own and made an agreement with the British Columbia Film Classification Office in 1997 to use their ratings.
• Bumfights - this series of shot-on-tape reality productions, is banned in seven of the thirteen provinces and territories; the remaining give it an R rating. As of 2016, the films are still banned in Quebec.

Television censorship

• Broadcasting and telecommunications in Canada are regulated by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), a public organization created in 1976, that regulates telecommunication carriers and enforces rules it creates to carry out the policies assigned to it; the best-known of these is probably the Canadian content rules. The CRTC reports to the Parliament of Canada through the Minister of Canadian Heritage, which is responsible for the Broadcasting Act, and has an informal relationship with Industry Canada, which is responsible for the Telecommunications Act.

Provisions in these two acts, along with less-formal instructions issued by the federal cabinet known as orders-in-council, represent the bulk of the CRTC's jurisdiction. It was formerly known as Canadian Radio and Television Commission, established in 1968 to replace the Board of Broadcast Governors. In many cases, such as the cabinet-directed prohibition on foreign ownership for broadcasters and the legislated principle of the predominance of Canadian content, these acts and orders often leave the CRTC less room to change policy than it is sometimes suggested by the critics, resulting into the commission often being the lightning rod for policy criticism that could directed at the government itself.

Complaints against broadcasters, such as concerns around offensive programming, are dealt with by the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC), an independent broadcast industry association, rather than by the CRTC, although CBSC decisions can be appealed to the CRTC if necessary.

Canadian content (Cancon)

• In Canada, broadcasters have to present a certain minimum amount of Canadian content, which forced game shows taped in Canada for American TV (such as Super Pay Cards) to have Canadian personalities on-camera in additional segments and the like. This posed a problem for the USA Network's revival of Chain Reaction, which taped in Montreal. When original Canadian-born host Blake Emmons left after the first few weeks, Geoff Edwards was brought in to replace him. But this meant they were breaking Canadian Content laws in the process, as Edwards was an American. The solution was to have announcer Rod Charlebois appear on-screen every episode, playing a minigame of sorts with Geoff. Said quota also bedeviled MuchMusic when that network launched an American feed in 1994. People complained about the network's Canadian origins and focusing on Canadian artists nobody south of the border really cared about. This led to the network splitting off as MMUSA in 2001 and a full rebrand as Fuse in 2003.

Television ratings

The Canadian TV Classification System was introduced in 1997 to cover English-language Canadian TV shows (French-language TV has its own system) to use, which lined up with those of the American v-chip, both matching that system and allowing television manufacturers to use the same backbone firmware for both systems. The upper-right corner of symbols are shaped like the corner of a maple leaf, as is used in the national flag, and are rendered in black and white. The icons are intended to be shown once an hour lasting 15 seconds, although in the case of longer programs that do not start on the hour, some broadcasters show the rating at the start and at the top of each subsequent clock hour, while others show the rating at the start and again precisely one hour later. However, there are some networks like Global that only display the television rating at the beginning of the show. The icons are displayed in the upper-left corner and the size is mandated to be a minimum of 52 scan lines or pixels tall, and must also fully cover an American ratings icon if burned-in or broadcast live by an American broadcaster.

The age ratings are intended to parallel those of movies, but the TV ratings tend to be stricter than their film counterparts. The TV ratings lack the A rating and add C and C8 ratings for young children. The full rules can be found here and here.

Additionally, should a program contain content potentially unsuitable for some viewers, such as violence, coarse language, or nudity, members of the self-regulating Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (which does not include the CBC, although it still uses such warnings) are required to air a disclaimer at the beginning of the program and at the end of each commercial break, advising viewer discretion (such disclaimers are only required for the first hour if airing after 9:00 p.m.). This disclaimer is technically required even if the final commercial break comes immediately before the closing credits, and some (but not all) channels in fact observe this.

Notably, the television rating given may depend on the level of cable and satellite, or if the program is broadcast over-the-air. Also, television ratings are generally considered more restrictive than movie ratings.

The CBSC enforces these content ratings on television networks, and is able to take action if a complaint is made claiming an incorrect rating for a television broadcast. Some examples of this include two episodes of the program MTV Live which were rated "PG" and revolved around sexual topics and were both aired during the daytime, in which the CBSC forced MTV to change the rating to "14+" for future broadcasts and air it after 9:00 p.m.

English-speaking classification

The Canadian rating system for English-language broadcasters (as well as third-language broadcasters, which broadcast in a language other than English or French) is as follows:

Icon	Rating	Description
n/a	Exempt	Programming that is exempt from ratings (such as news and sports programming) will not display an on-screen rating at all.
	C	Programming is intended for younger children under the age of 8 years. No offensive language or sexual content of any level allowed. Might contain occasional comedic, unrealistic depictions of violence.
	C8	Intended for children ages 8+. Infrequent/mild violence and fantasy horror is allowed. No profanity is allowed, but occasional "socially offensive and discriminatory" language is allowed if in the context of the story. No sexual content of any level allowed.
	G	Intended for general audiences. Programming suitable for the entire family with minimal and infrequent violence. No profanity is allowed, but offensive slang is permitted. No sexual content.
	PG	Intended for general audiences, but may not be suitable for children under the age of 8. Moderate violence and infrequent/mild profanity is allowed. May contain brief nudity and sexual references if important to the context of the story. Some content may not be suitable for children under the age of 8 and parental supervision is recommended for children aged 8–13.
	14+	Programming intended for viewers ages 14 and older. May contain intense violence and strong/frequent profanity. Might contain nudity and depictions of sexual activity as long as they are within the context of a story. Parents are strongly cautioned to exercise discretion in permitting viewing by pre-teens and early teens without parent/guardian supervision.
	18+	Programming intended for viewers ages 18 and older. May contain explicit violence, graphic language, and explicit portrayals of sexual activity. Programming with this rating cannot air before the watershed (9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.).

French-speaking classification

French-language broadcasters use a rating system that is virtually identical to Quebec's Régie du cinéma's film rating system, with one additional category (8+):

Icon	Rating	Description
	G: Général (general)	Appropriate for all ages and must contain little or no violence and little to no sexual content.
	8+ ans	Appropriate for children 8 and up and may contain little violence, language, and little to no sexual situations.
	13+ ans	Suitable for children 13 and up and may contain moderate violence, language, and some sexual situations.
	16+ ans	Recommended for children over the age of 16 and may contain strong violence, strong language, and strong sexual content.
	18+ ans	Recommended to be viewed by adults and may contain extreme violence and graphic sexual content. It is mostly used for 18+ movies and pornography.

An E rating (no rating will appear on screen) is given to exempt programming, in the same classes used for English-Canadian programming above.

Instances of Television censorship

• Doctor Who - the episode "The Talons of Weng-Chiang" was refused airing by Ontario TV in the 1980s after Chinese-Canadian groups who were given precautionary test screenings were angered by its Yellow Peril content, its stereotypical Chinese villains, as well as a white actor wearing yellowface getting most screentime and dialogue. YTV later picked it up in the 1990s.

• The Swamp Fox - this Disney show which aired circa 1968 on "Walt Disney Presents", was banned as the Canadian government didn't like the portrayal of the Tory/Loyalist characters as complete villains. Ironically, the series' star, Leslie Nielsen, hails from Canada.

• Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - its tenth episode, "Jungle Cruise", was skipped by YTV due to its graphic content on the show's first rotation. In this case, it shows a serial killer who skins his victims alive and plugs his eyes into them so they can watch themselves being killed. However, due to outcry from the fans, it was later played in a marathon of episodes, and on the show's second run, albeit with a special content warning that the level of violence was above the usual level for something allowed on YTV.

• Looney Tunes:
  • 1939 cartoon "Thugs With Dirty Mugs" was banned back in Winnipeg, Manitoba, at that time due to a joke near the end of the cartoon where a criminal declares himself to be "a naughty little boy". The censors deemed that this ending was "not sincere and just an excuse to show criminal activity."
  • The 1954 Bugs Bunny short "Bewitched Bunny", which ends with Bugs transforming Witch Hazel into a lady bunny with a more feminine voice but retaining Hazel's evil laugh, was banned by the National Film Board because of Bugs' fourth wall-breaking line "Ah sure, I know. But aren't they all witches inside?", being perceived as misogynistic. Three days later, however, ban was lifted, but the line was edited out of later broadcasts in the 1980s, being replaced with "Sure uh, I know. But after all, who wants to be alone on Halloween?" The edited version has since ceased airing in favour of the original version.
• Kevin Spencer - "The New Mr. Franklin", the eight episode of the first season was banned after a viewer wrote an angry letter to the CRTC over the episode's content, which included Kevin and his father robbing a church and hurling snowballs at the congregation.

• The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council declared that Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was too violent for children's programming, subsequently, they later declared that Power Rangers Wild Force was not too violent, unlike the first series.

• The Powerpuff Girls - the episode "The Rowdyruff Boys" did not air on the original YTV broadcast, but was later shown as part of reruns.

Video game censorship

• Soldier of Fortune, Manhunt and Manhunt 2 were labeled as "adult motion pictures" by the British Columbia Film Classification Office, prohibiting sale to persons younger than 18 in the province.

Other censorship

• In 2022, Huawei and ZTE devices were deemed security risks and banned by the Canadian government. Telecom companies in Canada were also ordered to divest themselves of all such equipment by June 2024.

External links

• Censorship in Canada at Wikipedia