Last summer I was introduced to the Canadian writers’ community through a little networking drinks thing called Ink Drinks at the Paddock on Bathurst. It was then organized by Canadian writer/showrunner Denis McGrath who has worked on such shows as The Border, Stargate, and Blood Ties. Last Friday was his last day at a Toronto Ink Drinks as he is now on his way to L.A. to write for a show, which is ironically taped in Canada.

Denis also closes the door on a blog he wrote about the Canadian television industry called Dead Things On Sticks.  So it would seem that this move is permanent.  The interesting thing is that Denis has always been able to work in the States, but chose to work in Canada.  He, among others, believed that there is a need for talented writers to stay in this country.  Despite the turning tide, Denis has given up the fight.

I wonder whether we’re fighting a losing battle.  Canadian television is definitely improving, but we still need MONEY.  Production quality, show concepts, writing and acting have all improved.  It’s nice to finally see some fresh faces on TV, but I’m starting to think that maybe it’s because the old faces are just getting too…well, old.  Because now, these ‘fresh’ faces are all we see.

Canadian film too is improving.  Most recently, there was a lot of buzz surrounding The Trotsky at the Toronto Film Festival.  The film was released on only a fraction of the screens it was promised and its promotion fell far short of any American production and failed to capitalize on its hype at TIFF.  The reviews were positive and the film even won for Best Screenplay at the Writer’s Guild of Canada Awards.  You can’t get much better than that, but still, the box office shows it’s no Juno.  Why are we so reluctant to support our own?

People are surprised when they hear Being Erica, Flashpoint, The Border, The Bridge, Rookie Blue and Republic of Doyle are all Canadian because they’re a lot better than what is expected from a typical ‘Canadian’ show.  That’s too bad.  There’s still a stigma attached to anything homegrown aside from music.  We finally have massive pride in our own music industry, thanks to bands like Arcade Fire.  So why can’t we get behind Canadian film and TV in the same way?

Not supporting our own is a huge problem that still prevails.  And my writer/producer friend insists that it’s partly due to the fact that while in the States, private investments in film and TV are tax write-offs, here they are not so there’s no incentive for private investors to get involved.  We need it to be a write-off because, honestly, it’s tough for any film or TV show to make money.  BUT it’s even more difficult for any Canadian film or TV show to make money when it doesn’t have significant funds to produce a quality project.

In my opinion, these are some things that have to change before Canadian talent stays at home:

• Make private investments tax-deductible
• Hire Canadian talent
• Pay Canadian talent on par with US
• Make more cross-border production partnerships
• Increase budget restrictions for government funding on independent productions
• Ensure a minimum number of screens for domestic films
• Allow significant budget or even funding for adequate promotion
• Lift “Canadian content” restrictions on government funding regulations (on film subject matter only, not cast and crew)
• Make the most of our budding Canadian star system

I’m sure I’ve missed a lot of other opportunities, but you get the idea.

So, we bid adieu to our talented writer friend Denis McGrath who will make a lot more money in Hollywood and finally get the appreciation that all Canadian writers in Canada feel they deserve and aren’t getting.  Hard to believe that the Brain Drain is still going on despite the improvements in Canadian production, but until we change the system, this is going to keep happening.