ACT NOW - Message from SaskMusic

$16 million of annual federal funding that enables FACTOR and Musicaction to invest in Canadian artists and Canadian-owned music companies is about to expire. If this money is not renewed, then 50% of the investment in Canadian music through these channels could be cut. 

We need to act now to send an urgent message to our government decision-makers that this fund is vital to the growth and success of Canadian artists and Canadian-owned companies here at home and on the world stage.

And when I say now, I mean NOW, today. Just click on this link to send a message to the Prime Minister Mark Carney, the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, Stephen Guilbeault, the Minister of Finance, François-Philippe Champagne, and your local MP.

This moment couldn’t be more critical for the Canadian music sector. Here is why we need to act so fast:

Last week, the federal government announced that it will no longer be tabling budgets in the spring and that the budget for fiscal year 2026 will be tabled on November 4!

While the federal investment in music hangs in the balance, contributions from private radio broadcasting into FACTOR have plummeted from a high in the early 2020s of $16 million down to approximately $2 million this year.

Funds that the government was hoping would flow from the digital streaming platforms due to Bill C-11 have ground to a halt after Spotify, Amazon, Apple, and other tech giants took the government to court, arguing that they shouldn’t have to adhere to Canadian regulations.

In addition to funding artists and companies directly, FACTOR and Musicaction fund foundational programming for SaskMusic, including our professional development and export initiatives and events, Indigenous music development projects, and more.

CIMA and its many partner associations across the country, including SaskMusic, have been gearing up for a campaign to ensure that the upcoming Spring 2026 federal budget would contain measures to make this money a permanent part of the Canada Music Fund. It was initially announced as a temporary top up to the Canada Music Fund in the 2024 budget, and set to expire on March 31, 2026.

Whether you are a large Canadian company, a new music start-up, an established artist, or fledgling musician, everyone in our sector benefits from the investments made by FACTOR and Musicaction.

Let’s make sure our government gets this urgent message that the most innovative and successful platform for investing in independent music in the world is right here in Canada! Now more than ever before, we need to be strengthening the fabric of Canadian-made and Canadian-owned culture.

That means investing in FACTOR and Musicaction today! Show your support TODAY!

Send a Message!

USASK New Music Project

This spring, USASK asked composers with both jazz and classical compositional abilities to create music to help the listener regulate their nervous system during these trying times, with the idea that music affects us in individual and unique ways. Enjoy two sets of new music conducted by Jennifer McAllister and performed in 2025 as part of the Spring 2025 Strata Music Festival of New Music!

View the Performance!

The University of Regina Presents:

 

Glenn Visiting Artists in Music
Featuring Gordon Wolfe and Karen Donelly

The UofR are excited to have Karen Donnelly and Gordon Wolfe as their Glenn Visiting Artists for 2025. This two day event includes a noon talk, masterclasses, and concert. It is open to UofR students and interested community members.

When: November 3-4
Where: University of Regina, Regina
Cost: FREE

Saskatoon Concert Band Presents:

Hocus Pocus, Clarinet Focus
Featuring Gilles Turcotte

Join the Saskatoon Concert Band for an evening of lively and imaginative music featuring clarinet soloist Gilles Turcotte. Enjoy works by Elizabeth Raum, Shostakovich, Saint-Saëns, and more, including Dance Suite for Clarinet and Band and Danse Macabre. Come and experience the magic of live music with the Saskatoon Concert Band!

When: Saturday, November 1st at 7:30pm (Doors at 6:30)
Where: Broadway Theatre, Saskatoon
Cost: $25 for adults, $15 for students and seniors, and free for children under 8.

More Information!

Saskatoon Community Bands Presents:

Chiaroscuro
From Dark to Light

Saskatoon Community Bands present Chiaroscuro, featuring the Wind Ensemble under the direction of Nick Fanner, and the Jazz Band under the direction of Doug Gilmour. Chiaroscuro, term borrowed from the world of art, literally means from “dark to light”. From the dark of "The Lord of the Rings” to the uplifting almost angelic writing of Eric Whitacre’s “Lux Aurumque,” this contrast of the dark and the light has never been more apparent.

When: Wednesday, November 5th and 7:30pm
Where: Broadway Theatre, Saskatoon
Cost: $15

More Information!