Canadians hoping to see non-Canadian acts at coffeehouses, bars and other venues will be seeing a reduction in the choice of artists or a dramatic spike in ticket prices. This will be due to new legislation that dramatically increases the application fees for all non-Canadian acts, raising costs to $275 per musician and crew member, with an additional $150 for each approved musician and crew member’s work permit. This is a significantly higher rate than previous rules set for non-Canadian artists, which was $150 per work permit to a maximum per act of $450.

Seemingly the impetus for this change was for provide some incentive for larger venues to book Canadian acts (the 400+% increase in fees for a band that pulls in 20,000 fans is comparatively negligible for such a large venue/budget), but the effect will be that smaller venues booking niche music performers – like folk artists – will bear the brunt of this legislation. Many simply see the price increase as an impenetrable barrier that will close the border for many visiting folk artists.

So, what does this mean for folk music presenters and fans to the north? And for folk artists looking to tour in Canada? Sound off below!