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In an age where the internet can provide almost everything we need – and more – it’s not surprising that a lot of our downtime is spent online. In particular, we find ourselves predominantly streaming our favorite forms of entertainment, such as films, TV shows, gaming, and even communicating with friends and family.
As Canadians, we know how to make the most out of our streaming services. Boasting our very own video streaming services, as well as tapping into the popular apps from around the world, consider yourself to be thoroughly entertained. Who said Hollywood had to have all the fun?
Read on to find out our top picks.
Netflix
Netflix and Chill anyone? Almost everyone on the planet has a Netflix subscription – and if you don’t, then you’re most likely just tapping into someone else’s! Much like the rest of the participating countries, including the UK and USA, Canada has its own index of titles on Netflix that aren’t available outside of the country.
In fact, Canada boasts the biggest catalogue of films out of all versions of Netflix, with a study by Surfshark revealing that a whopping 4043 titles are available on the North American site. Their research also found that Canadian Netflix has the sixth most TV shows out of all versions of the much-loved app, as well as being in second place for the greatest number of titles available across both film and television!
Canadian Netflix also boasts a range of French-language films. The most recent additions are a selection of 25 Quebec-based originals, including some of the greatest artistically and commercially successful movies that have been made in the province in recent years. This is a great way to celebrate the French-speaking parts of the country, whilst also giving non-French speaking inhabitants an insight into those titles – and remember, there’s always subtitles!
CraveTV
As a product of Bella Media Inc – the Canadian media conglomerate – CraveTV is Canada’s very own version of Netflix, also posing as an on-demand service for their most popular TV channels. As well as giving viewers access to many different series on Showtime, and the HBO library, there’s also French dubbed options and even original CraveTV titles.
The thing that sets this Canadian streaming service apart from the more global offerings is that there’s also à la carte options – meaning that viewers can pay to watch certain programmes rather than forking out for a monthly subscription that they may not necessarily need. Of course, subscribing is the most popular option – as there’s so much exclusive Canadian content on offer, who’d want to miss out?
Play Alberta
Whilst video streaming has become dependent on what country you’re in, Canada’s online casino gaming scene is regulated even further, by province. The Criminal Code of Canada acts as the main point of authority for the nation – however the decision was made to let each province decide where they stand on gambling, and therefore what they do and don’t wish to allow.
For example, players in Quebec have their very own online Lottery site called Lotto-Quebec which was launched in 2012. They also have Espacejeax which offers up a wide range of casino games – but only in that province.
Now let’s move over to Alberta, and back to streaming. The Play Alberta site was developed in 2020 and stands as the only legally regulated online casino in the entire province. The reason it’s so important to keep gameplay regulated is that it not only allows the revenue to go directly back into society, but it also helps ensure that all available games are kept fair and safe for players.
As well as providing a safe space for casino gameplay, Play Alberta also offers a little something extra to players in the province. We’re, of course, referring to the live dealer section of the site, which allows players to experience the thrills of a live-action dealer, streamed directly into their homes. This makes the game far more accessible, without removing the interactive nature of the games – particularly table top, such as Blackjack and Roulette – that we all know and love.
Zoom
Over the past year and a half, the world has found itself relying on video-calling streaming services to communicate – both in business, and pleasure. But sticking with the business side of things, it seems as if Canadians may never return to conducting solely in-person meetings or events. In fact, nearly three out of four Canadians have described virtual conferencing tools as an excellent alternative to interacting with people in person. The way that we work has certainly changed across all avenues, with more and more useful tech products emerging as a product of the recent state of the world.
Zoom has proved to be one of the most popular forms of communication for many businesses, including those in Canada. With this programme, you can host group calls and one-on-ones with ease. You can even impose your own faux background to hide that pile of washing that you’ve just not got round to yet!
As you can see, almost anything is possible thanks to this new age of technology. Any nation that can adopt these new advances in tech, and grow as a society, will do well in the modern world, with Canada being no exception. All you need is a decent WIFI connection and a dream.
