Canadian large corps' stuggles

[dbc03]

FYI, Kiwanis has been a Canadian corps in name only for several years I believe. I remember talking to some people from there in 2002 and they were 90% Floridian and from other deep south states (they have their camps in Florida I think), and had maybe 3 people from Canada. Someone with a bit more connection might be able to confirm or deny this, and provide more accurate numbers.

[WindsorGman]

One major problem is population. This years Census Canada will show approximately 33million people, thats the population of New York City, spread accross the entire country. Couple that with the fact that Canada is the second largest country based on land mass, this creates a thin population density. Then, in Canada, unlike the U.S., The the deductable portion of a charitable donation is approx. 10% of the donation. If a U.S. corps recieves a charitable, the contributor can deduct 100% of the donation as a write off, whereas in Canada it is just not worth doing (as a contributor) because of the penalty of being charitable. If I could get credit for all I donate it would create a better atmosphere about donating, but if the penalty is 90%tax per 10% donation...., well you get the picture. Add this to whats already been said about minimal music programs for schools and you can see why drum corps in Canada is weak and failing. Yes, in Toronto we had several corps operating at one time, but this is our equivalent to N.Y.C., the largest city in Canada. N.Y.C. also has a large number of small corps who get no fame either.

[drumcat]

The point about donation is salient, however many corps in the US come from smaller population centers.

[Liam]

Then, in Canada, unlike the U.S., The the deductable portion of a charitable donation is approx. 10% of the donation. If a U.S. corps recieves a charitable, the contributor can deduct 100% of the donation as a write off, whereas in Canada it is just not worth doing (as a contributor) because of the penalty of being charitable.

ummm .... point taken, I guess ..... but the contribution is "worth doing" on its own merits, not simply because of its tax effects. You're not "penalized" any more than you're "penalized" for spending cash at the movie theater or ball game or for that new massage chair (ahhhhhh!). If fact, you're "rewarded" by 10% for giving to chartiy rather than buying that new flat screen. I get your point though -- relative to the U.S., where the tax "reward" is 100%, there is less encouragement to give.

[Liam]

I think the lack of shows in Canada is a major factor, particularly since there isn't the exposure to marching through high schools and colleges and such to the level of the US. Were fewer shows scheduled in Canada because the corps membership decreased, or the other way around? Or did both happen concurrently(and snowball the decrease of both)? I guess my question is -- what is the history of Canadian show decline versus the reduction in corps themselves?

[Geoff]

One of the biggest reasons drum corps does not thrive in Canada is due to the lack of marching programs in our schools, both at the high school and the college level. We just don't have them. So, it is extremely difficult to attract members to an activity that they hardly know anything about. Couple this with the fact that DCI very rarely comes to Canada anymore, and the opportunity to see quality drum corps is lacking, and you can put together why it may be difficult to recruit.

Money is also tough. There are a lot of restrictions on how corps can fundraise, and it makes it hard to compete. In Ontario, for example, non-profits are alllowed to run one bingo session a week. The corps I used to march with ran a bingo on Thursday nights for three hours, and this was our main source of income. It made touring very difficult.

What really is a shame is that Canada is full of some of the most talented musicians and performers you will ever meet. It's unfortunate that most of us will never see them particpate in our activity.

[Tony L.]

I actually sold my extra finals week tickets in 2004 to a director of a high school jazz band from Alberta who was in Denver to witness DCI live. He was ultimately hoping to use his jazz band (along with others in the area) to start something. But the point is, if you never actually get to see the activity live, it is next to impossible to spark the interest required to grow the activity. This problem is more substantial when the lack of contests and exposure is coupled with a lack of marching arts activities at the high school level. Alas, without substantial changes in the system in Canada, I don't think we'll ever see a Canadian corps in D1.

And as for the Quebecois corps, I always thought that they should have played the foreign language card as a recruiting tool, i.e. have U.S. HS and college students join the corps as a sort of French (to the extent that Quebecois is actually French) immersion program. Maybe it would be easier to get 20 or so kids willing to join up for the French educational experience along with the musical or guard training and experience. L'Academie Musicale had the perfect name for this sort of thing because it sounds like a school already. Oh well, I guess Les Stetnors might try this marketing technique.

[drumcat]

Ignorant question... I've watched the CFL. Do the high schools play that there? Is there a "Friday Night Football" feel at all there?

[Michelle]

I can't offer in depth insight because I only lived in Canada during my elementary school years, but high school football teams are a rarity judging from conversations with my relatives that still live up there. When I visited friends and family in 2004 in Kitchener my old friends didn't understand what marching band was. One friend's brother played football, but the games were not well attended. As for hockey, that's totally different story.

[Walter]

Ignorant question... I've watched the CFL. Do the high schools play that there? Is there a "Friday Night Football" feel at all there?

Most of the high school football games are played during the day !!!

With no real major music programs in Ontario high schools that I know of anyway, the games are played in front of parents and a few high school students, no school bands to get the players up for the game. We don't have the football dedication that our American friends do !!

Friday nights are Major Junior hockey nights, in Kitchener, Ontario anyway !! B)