Like every industry, the impacts at the beginning were devastating. Everything just ground to a halt. At the CMF, we had 1,500 projects that were shut down immediately.
We were very fortunate that with the government's emergency relief program, we distributed $120 million to the industry in over 10 days. That kept the door open. It kept people employed, and it allowed at least the structure to remain intact.
As the government brought in the short-term compensation fund, that guarantee of having a back-stop in the event that production had to go down enhanced the acceleration of content going into production. We've seen it in Alberta. There were some large series like Kim's Convenience and Murdoch Mysteries that were able to start earlier, because they had insurance packages previously that covered issues like the pandemic.
Yes, you're absolutely right, Ms. McPherson, production has geared back up. It's slow. We, anecdotally, know it will be less than last year. One of the concerns is ensuring we support development, so that the pipeline keeps moving forward.
The pandemic really pinpointed the fragility and weaknesses in our Canadian system. It started with the digital revolution. When the streamers came into the country, that accelerated the pressure downwards. COVID has now shone a light on the cracks in the Canadian system. The bill will do a great deal to strengthen it, and ensure that we can leverage the success of the past.