Editing BBC Canada (section)

==History==
[[Alliance Atlantis]] (AAC) was granted a [[broadcast licence]] for a [[Category 2 speciality service]] covering "entertainment, drama and documentary programming". BBC Canada, by the [[Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission]] (CRTC) in November 2000.<ref name="bbccan-licence" /> Alliance also received licenses for channels including [[National Geographic (Canadian TV channel)|National Geographic]], [[IFC (Canadian TV channel)|IFC]], and The Health Network, launched as [[FYI (Canadian TV channel)|Discovery Health]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dixon |first1=Guy |title=Alliance Atlantis reels in Salter Street Films: Deal for Halifax production firm expands stable of specialty channels and programs |work=The Globe and Mail |date=13 February 2001 |location=Toronto ON |page=B1}}</ref> The [[television channel|channel]] was launched on 7 September 2001 as a [[joint venture]] between AAC and BBC Worldwide.

To promote the launch of BBC Canada's 2007 fall season, a 16-page British-style tabloid insert called the ''BBC Telly'' was published in the ''[[Toronto Star]]''. Toronto-based Pilot PMR created the campaign.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mediaincanada.com/2007/09/17/bbcmag-20070917/|title=BBC Telly hits Toronto streets with tabloid-style promo » Media in Canada|work=mediaincanada.com|access-date=10 May 2015|archive-date=12 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150512224526/http://mediaincanada.com/2007/09/17/bbcmag-20070917/|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 28 January 2008, a [[joint venture]] between [[Canwest]] and [[Goldman Sachs Capital Partners]] known as CW Media bought Alliance Atlantis and gained AAC's interest in BBC Canada. On 27 October 2010, the channel's ownership changed once again as [[Shaw Communications]] gained control of BBC Canada as a result of its acquisition of Canwest and Goldman Sachs' interest in CW Media.<ref>[http://www.canadianbusiness.com/markets/headline_news/article.jsp?content=b4951353 Shaw Communications closes purchase of Canwest TV assets, rebrands as Shaw Media]{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>[http://crtc.gc.ca/eng/com100/2010/r101022.htm CRTC approves Shaw’s purchase of the Canwest Global television properties] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220233335/http://crtc.gc.ca/eng/com100/2010/r101022.htm |date=20 December 2013 }}</ref>

On 13 May 2011, BBC Canada was separated from the now-defunct children's channel [[BBC Kids]] due to its ownership changing hands to [[Knowledge Network]].

On 1 April 2016, Shaw Media was sold to [[Corus Entertainment]]. BBC Canada also earned several sister networks to go with the existing ones.

In a notice to subscribers posted in early November 2020, Corus sister company [[Shaw Direct]] indicated that the channel would be shutting down on 31 December 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.shawdirect.ca/english/support/article/12745/|title=December 31 <nowiki>|</nowiki> BBC Canada cease broadcasting|publisher=[[Shaw Direct]]|access-date=9 November 2020|archive-date=9 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109200259/https://www.shawdirect.ca/english/support/article/12745/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In March 2021, [[Blue Ant Media]], a company owned by former Alliance Atlantis executive [[Michael MacMillan]] which already owns [[BBC Earth (Canadian TV channel)|the Canadian version of BBC Earth]], announced that its [[BBC First (Canadian TV channel)|HIFI]] channel would be rebranded as a [[BBC First (Canadian TV channel)|Canadian version]] of the BBC's international entertainment channel brand [[BBC First]] on March 16. Several programs that had been carried by BBC Canada prior to its closure, including ''[[Top Gear (2002 TV series)|Top Gear]]'' and ''[[Antiques Roadshow]]'', were picked up by BBC First.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2021/tv/global/bbc-first-canada-launch-top-gear-graham-norton-the-office-1234909279/|title=BBC Studios, Blue Ant Media Team to Launch BBC First Channel in Canada (EXCLUSIVE)|first=Naman|last=Ramachandran|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=March 3, 2021|accessdate=March 3, 2021|archive-date=13 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513060648/https://variety.com/2021/tv/global/bbc-first-canada-launch-top-gear-graham-norton-the-office-1234909279/|url-status=live}}</ref>