Saskatchewan Replaces Film Age Rating Requirement With Content Descriptions

Saskatchewan no longer requires films to carry age-based ratings and instead requires movie theatres to provide their own content descriptions.

Under the new rule, which took effect on April 1, age ratings are voluntary. Previously, the province relied on ratings assigned by the British Columbia Film Classification Board (BCFCB).

Saskatchewan had a reputation for regulating the film industry for explicit content more than other provinces, with the Saskatchewan Film and Video Classification Board banning “Exit to Eden” due to such content in 1994, making the province the only one in Canada to do so.

The board underwent reform on Oct. 1, 1997, under the Film and Video Classification Amendment Act, which saw it enter into an agreement with the BCFCB.

Under the agreement, the BCFCB provided standardized age ratings while the Saskatchewan board continued to enforce rules, register distributors, and handle appeals. The province later introduced the Film and Video Classification Act, 2016, to codify the classification and regulation of films for public exhibition, rent, or sale.

However, the province continued to rely on the BCFCB for ratings until the Film Content Information Act, introduced in 2023 and passed in 2024, began Saskatchewan’s shift away from age ratings toward the use of content descriptions. That shift became fully realized when the Film Content Information Act came into effect on April 1, 2026.

Saskatchewan is not the only Canadian jurisdiction to have adopted ratings from elsewhere. Manitoba uses ratings from British Columbia, while New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island share a rating system under the Maritime Film Classification Board, which is based in Halifax. Also, Alberta’s classification system is applied in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, while commercial theaters in Yukon (Landmark Cinemas) apply an average of Canadian classifications.

Age ratings have generally been consistent across the Canadian provinces, though Alberta sometimes applies a stricter rating, and Quebec often applies a more lenient rating. For example, the 2024 film “Terrifier 3” received a rating of R only in Alberta, while other provinces rated the film 18A. The 18A rating allows viewing by minors who are accompanied by adults, while the R rating strictly prohibits viewing by anyone under the age of 18.