That might be the case, Larry for some. I can only speak for myself. I have played in places that are pubs in Canada, but it was a space used by a separate folk club for concerts. But I only play concert venues and the gigs have to be vetted by the Canadian Federation of Musicians (CFM) before I am issued a Cultural Exchange Letter.

My understanding of these changes is that these are the FEES for work permits/visas. The venues wouldn't be paying these, the artists would which has always been the case.

Either way, I wonder if this is a "well if the USA can charge exhorbitant visa fees, why shouldn't we?"

Again the taxation issue as Anahata mentioned above is a totally different animal.

Deb