Motion picture ratings inCanada are mostly a provincial responsibility, and each province has its own legislation regarding exhibition and admission. For home video purposes, a singleCanadian Home Video Rating System rating consisting of an average of the participating provincial ratings is displayed on retail packages, although various provinces may have rules on display and sale, especially for the R and A categories.
There are currently four film classification offices rating commercially released movies in Canada, each an agency of a provincial government:
The province ofSaskatchewan retains its own classification board,Saskatchewan Film Classification, but it has used ratings provided by British Columbia since 1997 for almost all commercially distributed films.[2] Similarly, theManitoba Film Classification Board was dissolved in 2018 and now uses the ratings assigned by British Columbia.[3][4] Film distributors pay additional fees to Consumer Protection BC for certification in other provinces; they can also pay for certification in one or more provinces if they do not plan on distributing their film in British Columbia, although films to be shown only in Saskatchewan are still rated by that province's film classification office.[5] TheOntario Film Review Board was abolished in 2019, and as of 2020, Ontario no longer requires films to be rated; instead, film exhibitors must provide information related to the film's content and viewer discretion.[6][7]
By law, the film ratings in Alberta are also applied in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.[8]
There is no compulsory film ratings system inNewfoundland and Labrador, but Maritime Film Classification Board ratings are voluntarily used by some theatres.[9]
Yukon also does not have a compulsory rating system; the twoLandmark Cinemas commercial theatres inWhitehorse "assign the average of film classification for Canada."[10]
In the past there was a wide range of rating categories and practices in the various provinces. However, the five rating systems outside Quebec now all use categories and logos derived from theCanadian Home Video Rating System.[11][12][13][14][15] In general, the categories are:
This system was adopted byAlberta andBritish Columbia in 1997,Manitoba in 2003 and theMaritimes in 2005.
There is also a common stock of Information Pieces ("Frightening Scenes", "Coarse Language", etc.),[16] although different boards may have additional qualifiers.
Each board is responsible for assigning a rating to films, and while most movies will likely obtain the same rating, there can be differences. For instance, the 2006 filmThe Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning was rated 18A in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario, while Manitoba and the Maritimes gave the film an R, and Quebec gave the film a 16+. Also, 2016'sDeadpool was rated 14A in Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan, yet rated 18A in Ontario and Manitoba; 2018'sDeadpool 2 was rated 18A in Ontario and British Columbia, yet 14A in Alberta and Manitoba. All of these films were R in the USA.[citation needed]
Canada also receives a great deal of American advertising that featuresMPA film ratings. These ratings do not have any legal effect; however, they are typically similar to those applied by Canadian classification bodies.[17]
InQuebec, theRégie du cinéma rates all films and videos. The Régie is a governmental agency overseen by theQuebec Ministry of Culture and Communications. Its purview devolves from theCinema Act (CQLR c. C-18.1). The same classifications are used for television broadcasts.
The ratings and their optional complementary indications are as follows:[18]
While not a classificationper se, educational or pedagogical movies, sport and physical exercise programs, and promotional materials are exempt from classification.[19]
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 Quebec.[19]
In certain provinces in Canada, the rating system has come under criticism as being too lenient. For example, in British Columbia, the filmScary Movie was given an 18A rating, but was re-rated on appeal by the Motion Picture and Liquor Appeal Board to a 14A. This resulted in a record number of complaints to the British Columbia Film Classification Office from parents who felt the film should have been rated 18A. Many parents wrote letters to their local newspaper warning others that the film may be inappropriate for their fourteen-year-olds. Theatre owners complained about the inappropriate rating as well.[20]