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CRTC hears more calls for constraints on sales tactics of cable, internet firms

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A coalition of groups representing consumers, seniors and low-income Canadians is recommending tough new rules to rein in the sales practices of Canada’s telecommunications firms.

The groups made a joint submission Tuesday during the second day of CRTC hearings in Gatineau, Quebec. The CRTC is looking at whether cable and internet companies have been using aggressive or misleading sales pitches to sell their products.

John Lawford, executive director of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, told CRTC commissioners the problem is severe even if cable companies won’t admit it.

« The companies are in denial. They have major sales problems, » Lawford said.

Lawford’s group, ACORN Canada (a group lobbying on behalf of low-income households) and two seniors’ organizations — CARP and the National Pensioners Foundation — told the hearing Canada needs a national sales practices code for telecommunications firms that lays out clear guidelines for what their salespeople can and can’t do.

The hard sell

The groups say there should be severe limits on door-to-door canvassers and the use of free hardware, such as phones or tablets, to lure new clients. Lawford warned commissioners that older Canadians are particularly vulnerable to door-to-door sales pitches because they may feel uncomfortable with turning away a persistent salesperson.

« When persistence becomes aggression at the door, they may even sign a contract or agree to a purchase because they are fearful, rather than interested in the product, » he said.

G​isele Bouvier, of ACORN Canada, told the hearing low-income Canadians are also at risk when it comes to high-pressure sales tactics.

« They already pay too much of their budgets for unaffordable service. They cannot afford salespeople who do not listen and sell them more than they need, » she said.

« No one can budget for being misled into a bad deal. »

In addition to a new sales code, the groups urged the CRTC to impose a 15-day ‘cooling off period’ on all consumer contracts with telecommunications firms. Lawford said that would allow customers a way out if they have second thoughts or if they feel the company was out of line or is not delivering what it promised.

« The consumer doesn’t have to give any reason, » Lawford said.

« If … somebody else comes in the household and says, ‘Oh my god, you signed that? What did you do?’ – it doesn’t matter. That helps cover a lot of these cases where there has been a very grey area, a sale that the consumer regrets. »

The groups say they would like to see Canada eventually move to a model of consumer protection at work in Australia. That country’s Telecommunications Consumer Protections Code provides a wide range of protections for phone and internet customers and lays out guidelines for companies when they deal with customers.

Earlier Tuesday, the CRTC heard from Aging Communications Technologies (ACT), a Montreal research project headed by Kim Sawchuk, a professor in the Department of Communications Studies at Concordia University in Montreal.

‘Elder abuse’

Sawchuk told the hearing her group has conducted interviews with more than fifty seniors and found that about three-quarters of them complained of being pressured or misled by telephone cable and internet companies. Despite the small sample size, Sawchuk said she believes the problem is widespread.

« We’re fully confident that our findings are pointing to a very serious problem in Canada that is under-reported but which is also unacceptable, » Sawchuk said.

Anne Caines, another ACT member, went further, calling some telecommunications firms’ sales tactics abusive.

« Lying to seniors or pressuring seniors to get them to enter contracts, or to purchase services they don’t need, is a form of elder abuse, » Caines said.

She and Sawchuk urged the CRTC to impose a 60 day grace period on cable, phone and internet contracts. They also called for a ban on commission-based sales by companies and fines for firms that use aggressive or misleading sales tactics.

The CRTC is holding five days of hearings. Commissioners already have listened to a steady stream of complaints about Canada’s cable and internet providers.

Those companies will have a chance to defend themselves later in the week. Representatives of several firms, including Rogers, Bell, Telus, Videotron, will appear to make their case.

The companies have long argued aggressive or misleading sales practices are the exception and not the norm. They also contend that if consumers have any grievances about contracts or services, they can take them to individual companies, to various provincial agencies or to national bodies such as the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-Television Services, the Competition Bureau or the CRTC.

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Anglais

Nostalgia and much more with Starburst XXXtreme

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Get a taste of adventure with Starburst XXXtreme based on the legendary NetEnt Game. The nostalgic themes are sure to capture fans of the classic version as they get treated to higher intensity, better visuals, and features. The most significant element of the game is its volatility. Patience will not be an essential virtue considering the insane gameplay, and there is a lot of win potential involved. It retains the original makeup of the previous game while adding a healthy dose of adrenaline. 

Starburst Visuals and Symbols

The game is definitely more conspicuous than before. The setting happens over a 5-reel, 3-row game grid with nine fixed win lines, which function if a succession from the left to the right reel is present. Only those players that that attain the highest win per bet line are paid. From a visual standpoint, the Starburst XXXtreme slots illustrates lightning effects behind the reels, which is not surprising as it is inherited from the original version. Available themes include Classic, Jewels, and Space. The game is also available in both desktop and mobile versions, which is advantageous for players considering the global pandemic. According to Techguide, American gamers are increasingly having more engaging gaming experiences to socialize to fill the gap of in-person interaction. Starburst XXXtreme allows them to fill the social void at a time when there is so much time to be had indoors. 

Starburst XXXTreme Features

Players get to alternate on three features which are Starburst Wilds, XXXtreme Spins, and Random Wilds. The first appears on reels 2,3, or 4. When these land, they expand to cover all positions while also calculating the wins. They are also locked for a respin. If a new one hits, it also becomes locked while awarding another respin. Starburst XXXtreme offers a choice between two scenarios for a higher stake. In one scenario with a ten times stake, the Starburst Wild is set on random on reels 2,3, or 4, and a multiplier starts the respin. The second scenario, which has a 95 times stake, starts with two guaranteed starburst wilds on reels 2,3, or 4. it also plays out using respin game sequence and features. The game also increases the potential with the Random Wilds feature to add Starburst Wilds to a vacant reel at the end of a spin. Every Starburst Wild gives a random multiplier with potential wins of x2, x3, x5, x10, x25, x50, x100, or even x150.

The new feature is sure to be a big hit with the gaming market as online gambling has shown significant growth during the lockdown. AdAge indicates the current casino customer base is an estimated one in five Americans, so Starburst XXXtreme’s additional features will achieve considerable popularity. 

What We Think About The Game

The gambling market has continued to diversify post-pandemic, so it is one of the most opportune times to release an online casino-based game. Thankfully Starburst XXXtreme features eye-catching visuals, including the jewels and space themes. These attract audience participation and make the gameplay inviting. The game also has a nostalgic edge. The previous NetEnt iteration featured similar visuals and gameplay, so the audience has some familiarity with it. The producers have revamped this version by tweaking the features to improve the volatility and engagement. 

That is characterized by the potential win cap of 200,000 times the bet. Starburst XXXtreme does not just give betting alternatives for players that want to go big. The increase of multipliers also provides a great experience. If the respins in the previous version were great, knowing that multipliers can go hundreds of times overtakes the game to a new level. 

Players should get excited about this offering. All of the features can be triggered within a single spin. Whether one plays the standard game or takes the XXXtreme spin route, it is possible to activate all of the features. Of course, the potential 200,000 times potential is a huge carrot. However, the bet size is probably going to be restricted and vary depending on the casino. It is also worth pointing out that a malfunction during the gameplay will void all of the payouts and progress. Overall, the game itself has been designed to provide a capped win of 200,000 times the original bet. 

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Anglais

‘We’re back’: Montreal festival promoters happy to return but looking to next year

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In downtown Montreal, it’s festival season.

In the city’s entertainment district, a musical act was conducting a sound check on stage Friday evening — the second day of the French-language version of the renowned Just For Laughs comedy festival. Tickets for many of the festival’s free outdoor shows — limited by COVID-19 regulations — were sold out.

Two blocks away, more than 100 people were watching an acoustic performance by the Isaac Neto Trio — part of the last weekend of the Festival International Nuits d’Afrique, a celebration of music from the African continent and the African diaspora.

With COVID-19 restrictions continuing to limit capacity, festival organizers say they’re glad to be back but looking forward to next year when they hope border restrictions and capacity limits won’t affect their plans.

Charles Décarie, Just For Laughs’ CEO and president, said this is a “transition year.”

“Even though we have major constraints from the public health group in Montreal, we’ve managed to design a festival that can navigate through those constraints,” Décarie said.

The French-language Juste pour rire festival began on July 15 and is followed by the English-language festival until July 31.

When planning began in February and March, Décarie said, organizers came up with a variety of scenarios for different crowd sizes, ranging from no spectators to 50 per cent of usual capacity.

“You’ve got to build scenarios,” he said. “You do have to plan a little bit more than usual because you have to have alternatives.”

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Anglais

MELS new major movie studio to be built in Montreal

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MONTREAL — MELS Studios will build a new film studio in Montreal, filling some of the gap in supply to meet the demand of Hollywood productions.

MELS president Martin Carrier said on Friday that MELS 4 studio construction will begin « as soon as possible », either in the fall or winter of next year. The studio could host productions as early as spring 2023.

The total investment for the project is $76 million, with the Quebec government contributing a $25 million loan. The project will create 110 jobs, according to the company.

The TVA Group subsidiary’s project will enable it to stand out « even more » internationally, according to Quebecor president and CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau. In the past, MELS Studios has hosted several major productions, including chapters of the X-Men franchise. The next Transformers movie is shooting this summer in Montreal.

Péladeau insisted that local cultural productions would also benefit from the new facility, adding that the studio ensures foreign revenues and to showcase talent and maintain an industry of Quebec producers.

STUDIO SHORTAGE

The film industry is cramped in Montreal.

According to a report published last May by the Bureau du cinéma et de la télévision du Québec (BCTQ), there is a shortage of nearly 400,000 square feet of studio space.

With the addition of MELS 4, which will be 160,000 square feet, the company is filling part of the gap.

Carrier admitted that he has had to turn down contracts because of the lack of space, representing missed opportunities of « tens of millions of dollars, not only for MELS, but also for the Quebec economy. »

« Montreal’s expertise is in high demand, » said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, who was present at the announcement.

She said she received great testimonials from « Netflix, Disney, HBO and company » during an economic mission to Los Angeles in 2019.

« What stands out is that they love Montreal because of its expertise, knowledge and beauty. We need more space, like MELS 4, » she said.

There is still not enough capacity in Quebec, acknowledged Minister of Finance, the Economy and Innovation Eric Girard.

« It is certain that the government is concerned about fairness and balance, so if other requests come in, we will study them with the same seriousness as we have studied this one, » he said.

Grandé Studios is the second-largest player in the industry. Last May, the company said it had expansion plans that should begin in 2022. Investissement Québec and Bell are minority shareholders in the company.

For its part, MELS will have 400,000 square feet of production space once MELS 4 is completed. The company employs 450 people in Quebec and offers a range of services including studio and equipment rentals, image and sound postproduction, visual effects and a virtual production platform.

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