Canadian Crossing

August 31 marks digital transition for Canadian TV signals

Today is the transition day for digital TV signals in Canada. At midnight, stations in top markets will shut down their analog transmitters and make the switch to a digital signal.

But unlike the U.S. transition, we have a lot of asterisks.

Many signals in major cities have already made the transition. CBC stations in certain markets will keep their analog signals for another year. Stations aren't receiving help to switch or publicize the switch.

The CRTC (Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission) says these markets will make the transition:

• national, provincial and territorial capital cities
• areas with a population over 300,000
• other areas with more than one local television station broadcasting over-the-air signals

In the U.S., we were convinced that people would have a rough transition, but the reality didn't reflect this. In Canada, panic hasn't been a factor, and hopefully the transition will be smooth.

The CRTC says about 850,000 Canadian households don't have either cable or satellite. And some of those people live in markets that aren't effected by the August 31 deadline.

In the latter stages in the transition in the United States, American TV viewers were able to test the digital signal and figure out whether they needed additional resources to pick up the digital signal that weren't needed for the analog signal.

CBC viewers on both sides of the border will have that shot in the interim year (or longer). The digital signals will go up but the analog signals will stay behind.

Having both analog/digital signals will allow CBC stations an easier time to make adjustments in case issues come up over station interference and signal problems.

After the transition in the U.S., some stations lost viewers when it broadcast from a UHF signal after having been a VHF signal.

[Geek timeout: VHF is the 2-13 band. UHF is 14-69. The smaller the number, the more powerful the signal. Even if the TV says 9-1, the station might actually be broadcasting on 34-1. Also, antennas have to be aimed in different directions depending on whether a station broadcast in UHF vs. VHF.]

In Windsor, for example, CBET will broadcast in digital at 9-1.

Those in Detroit and Windsor should still pick up the new CBET digital signal. But Ann Arbor viewers will need a lot of help.

Outdoor antennas help, as does aiming the antenna at the proper direction. While the signal comes in clearer, the signal goes darker instead of being fuzzy. This is why cable is popular, even if the cable companies aren't popular.

The United States made the transition in February, postponing sweeps to March. Canada is making this move at the end of August, but the start of the new TV season is around the corner. And hockey starts for real in about a month.

To Canadians, we suggest patience, and lots of it. Bonne chance and good luck!

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Resources

• Digital television in Canada — Wikipedia (Take Wikipedia for what it's worth)
• American and Canadian CBC viewers get 1-year reprieve on losing analog TV signals (CanadianCrossing.com)
• Some Canadians and Americans will lose CBC-TV over the air after August 31 (CanadianCrossing.com)

Jack Layton's legacy could help American progressives

Trying to sum up Jack Layton after his death last week proved to be more difficult. Newspapers have obituaries ready for major celebrities so certain details aren't left out.

And even this column I wrote for DemocracySoup doesn't paint a full picture of the departed NDP leader and leader of the opposition party in Canada's parliament. But it does give an idea why Americans could learn a lot from him in terms of how he stood up for what he believed, and fought for those who needed a fighter.

Closer to when Parliament starts, we may take a look at Nycole Trumel and the uphill battle she will have as the interim opposition leader and trying to fulfill Layton's legacy.

Canada has right to go topless while U.S. is still fighting for that right

When asked for the most unusual difference between Canada and the United States, I can point out that men and women can go topless in Canada nationwide, while outside of a few laws and rulings in the United States, only males in America can go without a shirt.

We get reminded of this nuance as the organization GoTopless.org celebrates its 4th year of protests, extolling the right for women to go topless, or in lieu of this, requiring men to cover their nipples.

This Sunday, the organization will have protests in Toronto and Vancouver. Unlike the protests in most of the American cities, the protest north of the border is more about reminding Canadians that they have this right, while most Americans are fighting to have this right.

For professional reasons, I did take in the protest in Chicago. The protest was in the middle of the Air & Water Show, so they didn't get noticed much. The protest wasn't huge, but the folks were enthusiastic.

Seeing men in bikini tops was pretty hilarious, a visual reminder of the silliness of what women have to go through in American society, but not always Canadian society.

U.S. citizens in Canada have until August 31 to come forward in tax amnesty

As regular readers know, I have strongly hinted that I would love to live in Canada. And I realize that being a citizen of one country and living in another country can produce some amazing headaches.

But U.S. citizens have one extra headache that no other country requires. If you are a U.S. citizen, you have to file a tax return regardless of where you live and whether you made any money in the United States.

The tax amnesty, or as the IRS calls it — Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Initiative, expires on August 31. The penalties, as harsh as they are, will be less severe if taxpayers meet the deadline. The tax returns involved are from 2003-2010.

Since February, U.S. citizens living in Canada and elsewhere in the world have been shocked and surprised to realize that they needed to file U.S. tax returns, even without income in the U.S. And some of those people qualify in obscure fashions, like being born in the United States even if they never lived in the U.S.

Now I'm not a tax attorney by any means, but generally, U.S. citizens in Canada pay little to no tax since taxpayers would get a foreign tax credit on money made outside the U.S., similar to working in more than on state in the U.S. and getting a tax credit for money made in another state. The penalty comes in not filing the paperwork. (Perhaps the fine folks at the American Bar Association can explain this better than I can.)

The exceptions, according to this Montreal Gazette article, are a little alarming:

Filing these past tax returns can be quite burdensome especially if you own a Tax Free Savings Account or Registered Education Savings Plan. These vehicles are not recognized as tax deferred vehicles in the U.S. which views them as foreign grantor trusts requiring separate filings (IRS Form 3520/3520As). The IRS itself estimates that it would take six hours and 40 minutes to complete Form 3520.

In addition, if you have more than $10,000 in foreign (i.e. "non-U.S.") accounts, including Canadian bank, investment, RRSP and RRIF accounts, you must file a "Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts" (FBAR) return listing details of each account. Note that this is under the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act and is not a tax filing.

In another case of U.S. dominant overreach, the U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) — as of 2014 — requires Canadian banks to give off financial information about U.S. citizens to the United States.

Every other country outside the United States adopts a tax philosophy along these lines: "What you make in [insert name of country where you live] is their business. What you make in our country is our business." Unless a significant reason to change that thought process exists, this should be the norm. Unfortunately for U.S. citizens, the norm doesn't apply to them.

If I ever get the chance to live in Canada, I will remember to file my tax return. I might even have to send some money to Uncle Sam. But I will be living in a country where my taxes will go toward universal health care, something that isn't true where I live now.

More: 2011 Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Initiative Frequently Asked Questions and Answers (irs.gov)

NFL Network to air more live CFL games in September

Thanks to alert reader Tim, who spotted the update to the CFL schedule for the NFL Network, we see where the NFL Network is taking its CFL coverage once the NFL season starts.

The bad news is if a CFL game is on Sunday, it won't be on the U.S. cable channel. But games on Thursday and Friday have a very good chance of being aired and aired live.

September offers only 2 tape-delayed games, though one of those games is the second half of the traditional CFL Labo(u)r Day doubleheader. The NFL Network will carry the first game live.

The NFL Network will have the last BC Lions game at Empire Field on September 10 and the debut of the new BC Place on September 30.

The only CFL team missing from this upcoming stretch is Winnipeg, which plays on the first 3 Sundays in September. Another missing game will be the Touchdown Atlantic game in Moncton, NB on September 25 when Calgary plays Hamilton, but again, that game is on a Sunday.

The NFL Network is working on keeping the 2 games/week momentum going, and are looking forward to more live games in October as well as September.

Upcoming CFL games on the NFL Network
Day	Time	Matchup
September 5	1 pm	Montréal @ Hamilton
September 6	3 am	Edmonton @ Calgary*
September 9	9 pm	Calgary @ Edmonton
September 10	4 pm	Toronto @ British Columbia
September 17	3 am	Edmonton @ Hamilton*
September 17	4 pm	Toronto @ Saskatchewan
September 23	9 pm	Montréal @ Edmonton
September 24	4 pm	British Columbia @ Saskatchewan
September 30	10:30 pm	Edmonton @ British Columbia
October 1	4 pm	Saskatchewan @ Calgary
* tape delayed game from previous day

NDP leader Jack Layton, champion of progressive positive politics, dead at 61

"Love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear."

Jack Layton, who led the New Democratic Party to its first opposition status in Parliament in the May 2 election, died from cancer Monday. Layton was 61.

The fight, the passion that were trademarks of Layton shined through in the last campaign, fighting hard for those who needed help the most. The phrase above were Layton's last words.

Layton left an extraordinary letter two days before his death.

Layton, who ran in the campaign after a hip operation and fighting prostate cancer, took a leave of absence to fight an unannounced cancer earlier this summer.

Across the political spectrum, Layton was liked and respected. For a politician, you can't ask for much more than that in life.

The obvious tragedy, beyond the obvious, is we will never know what Layton would have done as Canada's opposition leader. And progressives, north and south of the border, have lost a valuable leader.

As much as I, and other Americans, can observe of the political process in Canada, you can't truly understand unless you live in Canada. So while we invite everyone to comment on Layton's life and legacy in the comments section below, I would particularly like to hear from my Canadian readers, regardless of political stripe.

Questions are being raised about the future of the NDP in its opposition status, who will lead the party, and the future political landscape in Canada. And those questions will be answered in due time. But for right now, we should reflect on the life of a fighter.

Previous coverage:

Cancer forces Jack Layton to temporarily step down as NDP leader

Canadian election notebook: It's all about the leadership

picture credit 1/picture credit 2: Richard Lautens/Toronto Star

Celebrating poutine in Milwaukee's Miller Park

When I went to see Expos games in Montréal in 2002, I saw poutine on the menu, but didn't get it. This may seem sacrilege now, but at the time, I wasn't that familiar with poutine. But I do remember that fans could buy poutine at the ballpark.

So when I learned that Milwaukee's Miller Park had poutine on its menu, I would not pass up the opportunity.

I can say with absolute certainty that the Milwaukee version is different than the Olympic Stadium version, though the menu board at Miller Park identified it as "Montreal."

LINK: Temptation of the Week: Poutine at the ballpark

Ironically, the Montréal Expos played at Miller Park from 1998-2004 after the Brewers switched to the National League and before the Expos moved away from La Belle Province. Traveling Expos fans would have felt more welcome with a plate of poutine.

For the difference between the two versions, and how the Wisconsin version tasted, see the story on our sister blog, BalanceofFood.com.

President Obama tour bus comes from Canada

Canadian companies weren't happy when the Obama Administration went with the "Made in America" campaign. So when Obama bought a tour bus, Canadians took some pride in knowing that part of the bus came from Prevost, a Quebec-based motor coach manufacturer.

Contrary to popular perception, only the outer shell was made by Prevost, and this was in part because Prevost was one of the few companies that did that type of work.

When you hear about train cars being built, you tend to hear the name Bombardier, another Quebec outfit.

NAFTA was supposed to promote trade between countries, but sometimes you get a sense of patriotism, or jingoism, depending on your vantage point.

Even then, Americans want the best for the president of the United States, and in this case, the best comes from Canada.

Canadian-based teams on U.S. television for the 2011-2012 NHL schedule

While you are likely sweltering where you are, the TV people are already thinking about the 2011-2012 NHL TV schedule. And therefore, so are we.

NBC comes in with 0 games featuring Canadian-based teams once again. Yawn! Versus (the NBC Sports Network as of January 2) has about the same number of games featuring Canadian-based teams with the same numbers for each team.

Vancouver, which almost won the Stanley Cup in 2011, goes from 1 appearance to 2. Wow! One of those appearances is Opening Night, which might (hopefully) be a CBC simulcast. The other is January 2, a 5 pm local start, which will air after the Winter Classic in Philadelphia. If the weather screws up like Pittsburgh did last year, this game telecast may be in jeopardy.

Toronto gets 2 games again. One early season game hosting Colorado and a March road trip to Pittsburgh, the latter likely to be a TSN simulcast. And Winnipeg gets a game on March 5, hosting Buffalo. Ed Olczyk should call that game for the NBC Sports Network, given his ties to Winnipeg.

Les Habs, the Montréal Canadiens, have 6 appearances, more than all the other Canadian teams combined. Three of them will be carried by an American crew to be sure, the early season games. The last three are almost certain to be TSN or CBC simulcasts. All 6 games take place at the Bell Centre.

Edmonton, Calgary, and Ottawa are shut out from U.S. basic cable. The Flames had the one appearance last year during the Heritage Classic.

No surprises from the Versus/NBC/NBC Sports Network except … that the Canucks deserve more national prominence. Winning the Western Conference title should merit more than 2 lousy games.

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As for the NHL Network, the games below reflect live telecasts, which means no late Hockey Night in Canada telecasts are on the list. Those should be tape-delayed once again as will numerous TSN telecasts throughout the season.

Highlights:

The return of the Jets will be live on October 9 in what should be a CBC simulcast.

The channel does appear to be skipping HNIC during the free Center Ice previews. So once again, the first 3 weeks aren't on as is the last week of the season. Fine by us.

The NHL Network will skip additional Saturday nights at this point: November 12, December 17, December 31, February 4 (though that could be a free preview week), February 18, and March 17.

February 11 is Hockey Day in Canada, and the NHL Network will carry one of the afternoon games and the prime time game live. The afternoon slot has two simultaneous games because of having a seventh Canadian team.

The channel is carrying a few Saturday matinees, some of which will be CBC simulcasts.

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Overall, nothing has significantly changed. The NHL Network refuses to carry the second HNIC game live. We can only hope that they can get rid of the stupid bar that shows you the score of the game you are watching.

Canadian teams on Versus/NBC Sports Network
Day	Date	Teams	Time (Eastern)
Thursday	10/6	Pittsburgh @ Vancouver*	10 pm
Monday	10/17	Colorado @ Toronto	7 pm
Monday	11/14	Buffalo @ Montréal	7 pm
Monday	11/21	Boston @ Montréal	7:30 pm
Monday	1/2	San Jose @ Vancouver	8 pm
Sunday	1/15	N.Y. Rangers @ Montréal	7 pm
Wednesday	1/25	Detroit @ Montréal+	7:30 pm
Wednesday	2/15	Boston @ Montréal+	7:30 pm
Sunday	2/19	New Jersey @ Montréal*	6 pm
Monday	3/5	Buffalo @ Winnipeg	8 pm
Wednesday	3/7	Toronto @ Pittsburgh+	7:30 pm
* games available on CBC + games available on TSN

Here are the NHL Network live scheduled telecasts (all times Eastern):

October
09     Montréal @ Winnipeg 5 pm*
22     Minnesota @ Vancouver 4 pm
27     Montréal @ Boston 7 pm    
29     Ottawa @ N.Y. Rangers 3 pm*; Boston @ Montréal 7 pm*
November
05     Montréal @ N.Y. Rangers 7 pm*
19     N.Y. Rangers @ Montréal 7 pm*
26     Pittsburgh @ Montréal 7 pm*    
December
03     Montréal @ Los Angeles  3:30 pm*; Toronto @ Boston 7 pm*    
10     Montréal @ New Jersey 3 pm*
15     Philadelphia @ Montréal 7:30 pm+
January
01     Calgary @ Nashville 6 pm
07     Vancouver @ Boston 1 pm; Detroit @ Toronto 7 pm*
12     Montréal @ Boston 7 pm+
14     N.Y. Rangers @ Toronto 7 pm*
20     Montréal @ Pittsburgh 7 pm    
21     San Jose @ Vancouver 4 pm; Montréal @ Toronto 7 pm*
February
09     Toronto @ Philadelphia 7 pm+
11     Winnipeg @ Pittsburgh 2 pm*; Montréal @ Toronto 7 pm*
23     Vancouver @ Detroit 7:30 pm
25     Washington @ Toronto 7 pm*
March
03     Toronto @ Montréal 7 pm*
10     Philadelphia @ Toronto 7 pm*
24     Montréal @ Philadelphia 7 pm*
30     Montréal @ N.Y. Rangers 7:30 pm+
31     Montréal @ Washington 7 pm*

* games available on CBC/+ games available on TSN
 
CBC 2011-2012 schedule
October 6
7 pm Montréal @ Toronto/10 pm Pittsburgh @ Vancouver
October 8
7 pm Ottawa @ Toronto/10 pm Pittsburgh @ Calgary
October 9
5 pm Montréal @ Winnipeg
October 15
7 pm Calgary @ Toronto, Colorado @ Montréal, Ottawa @ Washington, Winnipeg @ Phoenix
10 pm Vancouver @ Edmonton
October 22
7 pm Toronto @ Montréal, Columbus @ Ottawa, Carolina @ Winnipeg
10 pm N.Y. Rangers @ Edmonton
October 29
3 pm Ottawa @ N.Y. Rangers
7 pm Pittsburgh @ Toronto, Boston @ Montréal, Winnipeg @ Tampa Bay
10 pm Washington @ Vancouver
November 5
7 pm Boston @ Toronto, Buffalo @ Ottawa, Winnipeg @ New Jersey, Montréal @ N.Y. Rangers
10 pm Edmonton @ Phoenix
November 12
7 pm Ottawa @ Toronto, Winnipeg @ Columbus, Montréal @ Nashville
10 pm Calgary @ Colorado
November 19
3 pm Philadelphia @ Winnipeg
7 pm Washington @ Toronto, N.Y. Rangers @ Montréal
10 pm Chicago @ Edmonton
November 26
7 pm Edmonton @ Colorado, Winnipeg @ Boston, Pittsburgh @ Montréal
10 pm Vancouver @ San Jose
December 3
3:30 pm Montréal @ Los Angeles
7 pm Toronto @ Boston, Ottawa @ Washington, New Jersey @ Winnipeg
10 pm Calgary @ Edmonton
December 10
1 pm Montréal @ New Jersey
7 pm Vancouver @ Ottawa, Winnipeg @ Detroit/10 pm Edmonton @ Calgary
December 17
7 pm Vancouver @ Toronto, New Jersey @ Montréal, Anaheim @ Winnipeg
10 pm Edmonton @ San Jose
December 31
7 pm Montréal @ Florida, Ottawa @ Buffalo, Toronto @ Winnipeg
10 pm Vancouver @ Los Angeles
January 7
7 pm Winnipeg @ Buffalo, Detroit @ Toronto, Tampa Bay @ Montréal
10 pm Minnesota @ Calgary
January 14
3 pm New Jersey @ Winnipeg
7 pm N.Y. Rangers @ Toronto, Ottawa @ Montréal/10 pm Los Angeles @ Calgary
January 21
7 pm Montréal @ Toronto, Florida @ Winnipeg/10 pm Calgary @ Edmonton
February 4
2 pm Washington @ Montréal/7 pm Toronto @ Ottawa/10 pm Detroit @ Edmonton
February 5
2 pm Winnipeg @ Montréal
February 11
2 pm Winnipeg @ Pittsburgh, Edmonton @ Ottawa/7 pm Montréal @ Toronto
10 pm Vancouver @ Calgary
February 18
7 pm Toronto @ Vancouver/10 pm Calgary @ Los Angeles
February 19
6 pm New Jersey @ Montréal
February 25
2 pm St. Louis @ Winnipeg/7 pm Washington @ Toronto, Boston @ Ottawa
10 pm Philadelphia @ Calgary
March 1
7 pm Minnesota @ Montréal
March 3
7 pm Toronto @ Montréal/10 pm Buffalo @ Vancouver
March 10
7 pm Philadelphia @ Toronto, Buffalo @ Ottawa/10 pm Montréal @ Vancouver
March 16
7 pm Montréal @ Ottawa
March 17
7 pm N.Y. Islanders @ Montréal, Toronto @ Ottawa/10 pm Columbus @ Vancouver
March 24
7 pm N.Y. Rangers @ Toronto, Pittsburgh @ Ottawa, Montréal @ Philadelphia, Winnipeg @ Nashville/10 pm Vancouver @ Colorado
March 31
1 pm Ottawa @ Philadelphia
7 pm Buffalo @ Toronto, Montréal @ Washington, Winnipeg @ Tampa Bay
10 pm Calgary @ Vancouver
April 7
3 pm Ottawa @ New Jersey/7 pm Toronto @ Montréal, Tampa Bay @ Winnipeg
10 pm Edmonton @ Vancouver

American and Canadian CBC viewers get 1-year reprieve on losing analog TV signals

We warned you last month that on August 31, some Canadians and Americans were going to lose their analog CBC access and not get a digital CBC replacement. The good news is that the CBC has received a 1-year reprieve. The bad news is no one seems to know what will happen on August 31, 2012.

The other Canadian TV stations (CTV, Global, etc.) will still move ahead on August 31 of this year to make the transition from analog to digital. So some American viewers near the border could lose access to those channels if they live too far away to get a digital signal. Canadian viewers would have an option to get those channels via cable, not always an option for the Americans. But this was going to happen anyway.

Past coverage: Some Canadians and Americans will lose CBC-TV over the air after August 31

The CBC issue is more complex because many English and French viewers were going to lose CBC completely over-the-air since analog would shut down and the CBC couldn't afford to build a digital equivalent.

Given the time frame and the current Canadian budget, a 1-year extension means one more year of CBC in analog. But then what?

Either the CBC somehow comes up with the money, or the network will be in analog forever.

To be fair to the CRTC (Canadian Radio-TV Commission), the ruling body does plan to review the situation at a license renewal hearing — for June 2012, 2 months before the new deadline.

One advantage for CBC viewers is that the August 31 deadline should mean a digital signal to go along with the analog signal. Canada has progressed at a much slower pace than the United States at providing digital signals to its viewers.

We will be monitoring the situation (though unfortunately not first-hand) to see how the transition goes. For our Canadian readers, if the majesty is anything like it was in the United States, you should definitely stay up to midnight to see the analog signal go off the air. Many U.S. stations added fanfare to the transition, having special notices for the end to the analog signal. Hopefully, Canadian TV stations will celebrate in the same spirit.