Compared to Hollywood, Canada害羞草研究所檚 screen industry is tiny. And by all accounts, there are fewer egos, bullies and power-trippers on the scale of Harvey Weinstein within it.

害羞草研究所淏ut of course there害羞草研究所檚 been sexual harassment here. Absolutely. No question,害羞草研究所� Emmy-nominated Canadian writer-director Patricia Rozema said in a recent interview.

害羞草研究所淭here are definitely, definitely cases of people who have been systematically sexually harassing young actors, female actors, and getting away with it, and people looking the other way.害羞草研究所�

Canada害羞草研究所檚 performers害羞草研究所� union, ACTRA, has invited industry stakeholders to a closed-door meeting on Thursday to discuss how to implement practical, concrete measures to tackle the issue here in a way that also leads to cultural change.

害羞草研究所淚s there a specific thing I would like to see come out of that meeting? Action,害羞草研究所� said actor Lyriq Bent.

害羞草研究所淭his isn害羞草研究所檛 something that is new, this is something that害羞草研究所檚 been going on for a long time, which is why a lot of what we害羞草研究所檙e hearing about has been 20, 30 years ago害羞草研究所�. Now, an opportunity came along where people have to listen. So let害羞草研究所檚 purge. Let害羞草研究所檚 purge ourselves of all of this sickness and move forward. It害羞草研究所檚 about time.害羞草研究所�

While sexual misconduct has long been a part of the Canadian industry, it害羞草研究所檚 a problem that seems to be growing, said actress-writer Susan Coyne, co-creator of 害羞草研究所漇lings and Arrows and screenwriter of the new film 害羞草研究所淭he Man Who Invented Christmas.害羞草研究所�

For the past year, she害羞草研究所檚 been holding ad-hoc meetings in Toronto living rooms and coffee shops about sexual misconduct in the industry. The latest meeting had about 25 women in attendance.

害羞草研究所淲hat I was hearing from younger actresses is things have gotten worse than when I and my friends, like Martha Burns, were younger and were their age and starting out,害羞草研究所� said Coyne.

害羞草研究所淎nd I don害羞草研究所檛 understand how that could be. It was so disturbing.害羞草研究所�

The smallness of Canada害羞草研究所檚 screen industry makes it 害羞草研究所渁lmost harder to speak up, because there害羞草研究所檚 just so much less work and we don害羞草研究所檛 have the stars who can lead the charge either,害羞草研究所� she added.

害羞草研究所淲e work a lot, not just on Canadian sets, but we have a lot of American shows that come up here, too. And Canadians have even less power there, working on an American show; it害羞草研究所檚 so easy to replace you.害羞草研究所�

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Atom Egoyan said ACTRA needs to take 害羞草研究所渁 much firmer stand害羞草研究所� going forward.

害羞草研究所淭here are situations clearly in history where ACTRA was told of abuses and didn害羞草研究所檛 react properly and I think that can never, ever happen again,害羞草研究所� said Egoyan.

害羞草研究所淚 think obviously 害羞草研究所� and ACTRA is quite aware of the fact that 害羞草研究所� they bowed to pressure.害羞草研究所�

Actress Mia Kirshner is also critical of the way ACTRA has handled the topic of sexual harassment and abuse.

害羞草研究所淭oo little, too late. I don害羞草研究所檛 believe that ACTRA is actually interested listening to union members,害羞草研究所� Kirshner tweeted recently.

害羞草研究所淚 believe that this committee is being created for the purpose of public relations.害羞草研究所�

She wrote that she declined to be a part of a new committee created by ACTRA to deal with the issue and instead has co-created a group called #AfterMeToo to push for change.

Jennifer Jonas, producer and owner of New Real Films, said Thursday害羞草研究所檚 industry meeting should address the need for parity and equality on TV and film sets.

害羞草研究所淪exual harassment, I guess you could boil down to being a kind of bullying where the power dynamic is in someone else害羞草研究所檚 favour,害羞草研究所� said Jonas.

害羞草研究所淲hat I害羞草研究所檓 happy to be seeing with the #metoo (hashtag) and all the different industry people 害羞草研究所� both in Canada and the United States 害羞草研究所� coming out with their statements and everything right now is that people are recognizing that if you make sure there害羞草研究所檚 more gender parity, more diversity, take the power away from the bullies, that things will necessarily and structurally improve.害羞草研究所�

Rozema suggested industry workers also need a better method to report information about offenders.

害羞草研究所淩ight now we have a system where people can do whatever they want, but only if you have enough information to convict someone can you do anything about it,害羞草研究所� she said.

害羞草研究所淭here needs to be a system in place where there can be anonymous reports. So if you get 60 reports on some dude, you can start to say, 害羞草研究所榃here there害羞草研究所檚 smoke, there害羞草研究所檚 fire.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟

Writer-director Michael Dowse added that a responsibility also lies with agents in ensuring they don害羞草研究所檛 put their clients 害羞草研究所渋n harm害羞草研究所檚 way.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淥bviously nobody should be doing that thing, but there should be an awareness of reading those situations and avoiding private meetings with directors,害羞草研究所� said Dowse.

Actor Shawn Doyle, who is a councillor for ACTRA Toronto, insisted the union is taking the situation and this moment in time 害羞草研究所渧ery, very seriously.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚 think it害羞草研究所檚 really important that at the end of that meeting there comes out a firm set of guidelines, that we can move forward as an industry together,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所漇omething that can be enforced across the board. Something that doesn害羞草研究所檛 allow wiggle room.

害羞草研究所淭here are going to have to be consequences for people committing any kind of harassment or bullying or abuse of any sort. And my hope is that we can find a speedy way to get to some resolve and protect our members.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所� With files from Maija Kappler

Victoria Ahearn, The Canadian Press