Last updated · reviewed by the Essentras editorial team
Press release distribution by country
Press release distribution in Canada: wires, prices and outlets
In Canada you send a press release through a wire such as Cision's Newswire.ca, The Canadian Press or TMX Newsfile, which quote per release, or you pay a named outlet to publish it. Essentras lists 44 Canadian outlets, median $5,000. Plan for English and French, and for the 2026 time zone changes.
Sources: each wire's own page, the Competition Bureau, the Competition Act, Ad Standards, 6 provincial and territorial governments and 44 Canadian listings in the Essentras API
What you will do
- See what the Canadian wires publish about price today: almost all of them quote.
- Check 18 named Canadian titles with price, turnaround and label, including French-language titles in Quebec.
- Pick 1 of 3 baskets quoted today ($3,993.30, $21,250 or $10,405.80) or build your own.
- Disclose paid content the way the Competition Bureau and Ad Standards expect.
- Time a national release across Canada's time zones after the 1 Nov 2026 changes.
Start here in 1 click
Every Canadian listing sorted by price, a national daily, and a free shortlist. None needs an account.
Canadian outlets, cheapest first
Every Canadian listing with its price, turnaround, link policy and label, before you pay.
- Listings
- 44
- Median price
- $5,000
- At $500 or less
- 3
- Run a label
- 35 of 44
National Post
$5,000
- Turnaround
- 4 to 6 weeks
- Label
- Published with a sponsored or partner label.
- Link
- Nofollow
AI Match: a shortlist for your release
Free. Describe your company in 1 sentence and get a ranked list of Canadian and global outlets, with the price next to each.
Paid placements are paid: they are not earned coverage, and each runs with the label its listing states. Counts and prices from the public API, 4 Nov 2026.
Canadian wires
Press release distribution services in Canada and what they charge
Canadian newswire services send your release to newsrooms, investors and partner sites, often in English and French; editors decide on coverage. Almost all of them quote. Here is what each publishes, read on 4 Nov 2026.
| Service | What it says it does | Published price |
|---|---|---|
| Cision Canada (Newswire.ca) | Canadian and international circuits, sold as packages. | No published price: "Let's design a package tailored to your needs." |
| The Canadian Press | Release distribution in English and French to any Canadian city, through its wire network. | No price shown; you pay per release sent, with no cost for an account |
| Notified (GlobeNewswire) | Its Canada National circuit names the Globe and Mail, La Presse, National Post, Toronto Star and Stockwatch; French options for most Canadian newslines. | No published price |
| TMX Newsfile | Takes releases in English, French, Spanish and German. | No published price: contact form |
| Business Wire | Global wire, priced by word count, circuit and add-ons such as translation. | US prices only: $475 local, $510 regional, $940 national (400 words); Canada on quote |
| ACCESS Newswire | Subscription plans with 1 release a month. | From $920 a month (Budget), $1,150 (National), $1,525 (Premium); Canadian circuit prices not readable |
| EIN Presswire | Global wire; 1 or 2 country targets per release depending on the package. | $149 for 1 release, $499 for 5, $999 for 15; no Canada price |
- Read on each vendor's own page on 4 Nov 2026. Business Wire's pages returned 403, so they were read in Internet Archive copies of 24 Aug and 12 Oct 2026. TMX Newsfile showed a bot check, so it was read in archive copies of 9 Oct and 4 Nov 2026. ACCESS Newswire was read in a copy of 11 Oct 2026.
- Currency as each vendor shows it; Business Wire and ACCESS Newswire show US dollars.
Canadian outlets
Canadian news sites you can publish on, with price, turnaround and label
A paid placement buys an article on 1 named site, at the price and with the label its listing states. Essentras lists 44 Canadian outlets; 9 state no label and 35 a sponsored or partner label. Below: the whole set in numbers, then 18 titles, cheapest first.
| Measure | Canadian listings |
|---|---|
| Listings | 44 |
| Price range | $155 to $21,720 |
| Median price | $5,000 (middle 50% of listings: $4,167 to $5,000) |
| At $500 or less | 3 |
| At $2,500 or less | 6 |
| Label | 9 state no label and 35 a sponsored or partner label |
| Stated turnaround | 4 in business days, 2 in 1 week, 5 in up to 3 weeks, 16 in up to 4 weeks, 17 in more than 4 weeks |
| Dofollow link | 18 of 44 |
- Turnaround is counted in business days, paused while we are waiting on you, plus a 3 business day grace period, as every listing states it.
- The country is the country field of each listing in the API. A few listings under a country are niche or regional sites; the named table below shows news and business titles.
| Outlet | Price | Turnaround | Label, as the listing states it | Link | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stockhouse | $173 | 2 to 4 weeks | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Nofollow | |
| Cult Montreal | $1,667 | 3 to 5 business days | Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label. | Dofollow | |
| Abbotsford News | $2,597 | 1 to 2 weeks | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Nofollow | |
| Journal Metro | $2,717 | 1 to 2 weeks | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Dofollow | French |
| Elle Quebec | $4,167 | 1 week | Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label. | Dofollow | French |
| Elle Canada | $4,167 | 2 weeks | Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label. | Dofollow | |
| François Charron | $4,678 | 1 to 2 weeks | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Dofollow | French |
| Investing.com (Canada) | $5,000 | 1 week | Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label. | Nofollow | |
| National Post | $5,000 | 4 to 6 weeks | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Nofollow | |
| Financial Post | $5,000 | 4 to 6 weeks | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Nofollow | |
| Toronto Sun | $5,000 | 4 to 6 weeks | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Nofollow | |
| Vancouver Sun | $5,000 | 4 to 6 weeks | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Nofollow | |
| Montreal Gazette | $5,000 | 4 to 6 weeks | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Nofollow | |
| Calgary Herald | $5,000 | 4 to 6 weeks | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Nofollow | |
| Ottawa Citizen | $5,000 | 4 to 6 weeks | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Nofollow | |
| Times Colonist | $6,082 | 2 to 4 weeks | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Dofollow | |
| The Star | $9,357 | 2 to 4 weeks | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Dofollow | thestar.com |
| Dailyhive.com | $17,355 | 2 to 4 weeks | Published with a sponsored or partner label. | Dofollow |
- Every listing: Published or your money back. Refund or free re-placement if the turnaround is missed, counted in business days with a grace period.
- The national and metro dailies at $5,000 each state 4 to 6 weeks. Book them before the date you need.
- Language notes come from the listing or the site. The full Canadian list is in the publisher directory.
Quoted today
3 Canadian baskets, priced by the quote API
Each basket was priced as a whole on the read date, so the total includes the volume discount the API applied. Use a basket as is or as a starting point.
| Basket | Outlets (price each) | Subtotal | Discount | Total quoted | Cart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian starterA finance site, a Montreal city magazine and a local news site | Stockhouse ($173), Cult Montreal ($1,667), Abbotsford News ($2,597) | $4,437 | -$443.70 (10% volume discount) | $3,993.30 | Add all 3 to cart |
| Coast to coast dailies5 national and metro dailies, each with a sponsored or partner label, at 15% off | National Post ($5,000), Financial Post ($5,000), Toronto Sun ($5,000), Vancouver Sun ($5,000), Montreal Gazette ($5,000) | $25,000 | -$3,750 (15% volume discount) | $21,250 | Add all 5 to cart |
| French-language QuebecFor a launch that must reach French readers in Quebec | Journal Metro ($2,717), François Charron ($4,678), Elle Quebec ($4,167) | $11,562 | -$1,156.20 (10% volume discount) | $10,405.80 | Add all 3 to cart |
- Totals from POST /api/agent/v1/quote on 4 Nov 2026. A quote reserves nothing and charges nothing; the cart shows the same total.
- Volume discount, as the API states it: Buy 3 or more placements for 10% off the basket, 5 or more for 15%.
- Refund terms on every listing: Refunded if not published, or if the turnaround is missed.
- Canadian starter: 2 a sponsored or partner label, 1 no label, as each listing states it.
- Coast to coast dailies: 5 a sponsored or partner label, as each listing states it.
- French-language Quebec: 2 a sponsored or partner label, 1 no label, as each listing states it.
Disclosure rules
The Canadian rules on disclosing paid content
In Canada the Competition Bureau enforces the Competition Act, and Ad Standards runs the industry code. Neither sets 1 label word; both say people must be able to tell that content is advertising.
| Rule | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Competition Act, section 52(1) | No person may knowingly or recklessly make a false or misleading representation to the public to promote a product or business interest. | laws-lois.justice.gc.ca, current to 19 Oct 2026 |
| Competition Bureau, influencer marketing | Content can be misleading if you do not make clear that it is an advertisement. Material connections, such as payment, must be disclosed. | Competition Bureau page, modified 19 Jan 2022 |
| Competition Bureau, Digest volume 4 | Disclosures should be inseparable from the content, so they travel together when it is shared. | Deceptive Marketing Practices Digest, 5 Jun 2018 |
| Penalties | Civil penalties for a corporation can reach $10 million, $15 million for a later order, or more when based on the benefit or revenue. | Competition Bureau, false or misleading representations, modified 25 Nov 2024 |
| Canadian Code of Advertising Standards, clause 2 | No advertisement may be presented in a format or style that conceals that it is an advertisement. | Ad Standards, the Code online |
What this means for a paid placement in Canada
A paid article must not pass as independent news. Of the 44 Canadian listings, 35 state a sponsored or partner label, so most Canadian options already run a label. For the others, put the label in your brief and confirm it before you pay. This is not legal advice.
Time zones and French
Canada's time zones after 1 Nov 2026, and when to send
Canada changed its clocks map this autumn. Several provinces stopped changing clocks on 1 Nov 2026, so this winter Toronto and Winnipeg share a time, and Vancouver is 2 hours behind Toronto, not 3.
| Province or territory | Offset this winter | Changes clocks? | When it is 09:00 in Toronto |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador (most) | UTC-3:30 | Standard time in winter | 10:30 |
| Atlantic provinces | UTC-4 | Standard time in winter | 10:00 |
| Quebec | UTC-5 | Yes, clocks went back on 1 Nov 2026 | 09:00 |
| Ontario (most) | UTC-5 | Yes; the northwest, west of the 90th meridian, now stays on daylight time | 09:00 |
| Manitoba | UTC-5 | No, Manitoba Standard Time all year from 1 Nov 2026 | 09:00 |
| Saskatchewan | UTC-6 | No, Central Standard Time all year | 08:00 |
| Alberta | UTC-6 | No, Alberta Time all year from 1 Nov 2026 | 08:00 |
| Northwest Territories | UTC-6 | No, from 1 Nov 2026 | 08:00 |
| British Columbia (most) | UTC-7 | No, Pacific time all year; the southeast stays on UTC-6 | 07:00 |
| Yukon | UTC-7 | No, since 2020 | 07:00 |
- Sources: the governments of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec and the Northwest Territories; the Interpretation Act, section 35 (Newfoundland and Atlantic standard times); the NRC (Internet Archive copy of 1 Nov 2026) for Yukon; CP24 (30 Oct 2026) for Ontario, whose own page we could not find. All read 4 Nov 2026. Nunavut was not checked.
Send for Eastern time
Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal newsrooms work on Eastern time. A release at 09:00 in Toronto is 07:00 in Vancouver this winter, early but inside the day.
French for Quebec
English and French are Canada's official languages, and French is the official language of Quebec. For Quebec media, send a French version written for them, not a machine translation.
From abroad
09:00 in Toronto is 14:00 in London, 18:00 in Dubai, 19:30 in Mumbai and 01:00 the next day in Sydney this winter.
Book long windows early
17 of the 44 Canadian listings state 4 to 6 weeks, and 6 state 1 week or less, counted in business days, paused while we are waiting on you, plus a 3 business day grace period.
Which route
Wire, paid placement or pitching: which route fits a Canadian release
The routes buy different things. You can mix a wire with pitching or a paid placement on a named title.
| Route | What you get | Cost | Who decides if it runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wire | Your release sent to newsrooms and partner sites, in English, French or both | Quote per release at the Canadian wires | Editors decide on coverage; partner sites post the release as a release |
| Paid placement | An article on 1 named site, with writing available, a draft to review and a live link | From $155; median $5,000 across 44 Canadian listings | You buy the slot and review the draft. The listing states: Published or your money back. Refund or free re-placement if the turnaround is missed, counted in business days with a grace period. |
| Pitching journalists | Earned coverage, if a journalist picks the story | Your time, or an agency fee | The journalist and the editor; nothing can be bought |
Toronto media coverage without a retainer How to distribute a press release What press release distribution costs
Step by step
How to distribute a press release in Canada, step by step
1. Decide the regions and languages
National, 1 province or Quebec only. If Quebec matters, plan a French version from the start.
2. Write it the Canadian way
A dateline such as "TORONTO, Nov. 4, 2026", amounts in Canadian dollars, a quote from a named person and a contact who answers on Eastern time.
3. Get quotes from 2 or 3 wires
Ask Cision Canada, The Canadian Press or TMX Newsfile for the circuit you need, and what French distribution or translation adds.
4. Pick named outlets for the article
Filter the Canadian listings by price, label and turnaround; book the 4 to 6 week dailies first.
5. Set the time in Eastern time
Send in the Toronto morning, and check the new offsets for the west: Alberta and Saskatchewan are 1 hour behind Toronto this winter, British Columbia 2.
6. Follow up and keep the proof
Answer journalists the same day. For paid placements, keep the live link and screenshot each listing provides.
Templates
Copy-ready bilingual release header, pitch and placement brief
Replace everything in square brackets. For Quebec, have the French version written by a French writer.
Bilingual release header
The first lines of a release sent in English and French.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / POUR DIFFUSION IMMÉDIATE [Headline in English, under 12 words] [Titre en français, moins de 12 mots] [CITY], [Province], [Month] [Day], [Year]: [Company], [what it does in 6 words], today [announced / launched / reported] [the news in 1 sentence, with the number that matters, in Canadian dollars]. "[Quote from a named person.]" said [Name], [Title] at [Company]. Media contact: [Name], [Email], [phone], available [hours] ET French media contact: [Nom], [Courriel], [téléphone]
Pitch email to a Canadian journalist
For a reporter who covers your sector. Send it in the morning, Eastern time.
Subject: [The news in under 10 words] ([Sector], [City]) Hi [First name], [1 sentence: the news and the number behind it.] Why your readers: [1 sentence linking it to a story they ran, or to a Canadian trend they cover]. I can offer [an interview with Name, in English or French / the data / photos] today. The release is below. [Your name] [Phone]
Brief for a paid Canadian placement
What to send with a paid placement order, so the article runs labelled and on time.
Outlet: [listing name] Label: [the label the listing states] Language: [English / French] Angle: [the news in 1 sentence] Key facts: [3 facts with sources] Quote: [1 quote from a named person] Link: [1 URL] Deadline: [date], counted from the order in business days Approver: [name and email]
Often added to Canadian distribution, and cheaper ways to start
Optional. You can do everything on this page without any of these.
Often added
The Guaranteed 7 (US reach)
From $999
For a launch that needs US reach as well as Canadian coverage: your story on 7 named US outlets, including MSN, USA Today and AP News. Published on all 7, or your money back.
See the Guaranteed 7AI Visibility Tracker
$49 a month
Checks every week whether AI assistants mention your brand, so you can see what the coverage changed.
Track AI mentions
Not ready yet?
Press Monthly
$97 a month
1 press placement every month. The outlet is matched to your niche and shown to you before anyone writes.
See Press MonthlyAI Match shortlist
Free
Describe your company in 1 sentence and get a ranked list of outlets that fit, with the price next to each.
Get my free shortlistFree press release distribution
Free
The free routes that still work, what they reach and where they stop.
Read the free guide
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How much does press release distribution cost in Canada?▾
The Canadian wires quote per release; Cision Canada, The Canadian Press and TMX Newsfile publish no price (read 4 Nov 2026). Business Wire publishes only US prices, from $475. A paid article on a named Canadian site costs $155 to $21,720 in the Essentras catalog, median $5,000.
What are the main Canadian newswire services?▾
Cision's Newswire.ca, The Canadian Press with its wire network, Notified (GlobeNewswire) and TMX Newsfile. Global wires such as Business Wire, ACCESS Newswire and EIN Presswire also sell Canadian distribution.
Is there free press release distribution in Canada?▾
None of the Canadian wires read for this page publishes a free tier. The Canadian Press charges nothing for an account and bills per release sent. Pitching journalists yourself is free, but nothing makes them cover it.
Does a paid article in Canada need a label?▾
It must not pass as independent content. The Competition Bureau says content can be misleading if you do not make clear it is an advertisement, and Ad Standards clause 2 bans ads that conceal they are ads. 35 of the 44 Canadian listings state a sponsored or partner label.
What time should I send a press release in Canada?▾
In the morning, Eastern time. Since 1 Nov 2026 British Columbia stays on UTC-7, Alberta and Saskatchewan on UTC-6 and Manitoba on UTC-5, so check the offsets above before you set an embargo.
Do I need a French version?▾
For Quebec media, yes in practice: French is the official language of Quebec. Several wires distribute in French, and the catalog lists French-language titles such as Journal Métro and Elle Québec.
How fast do paid placements go live in Canada?▾
Each listing states its own window. 6 of the 44 Canadian listings state 1 week or less and 17 state 4 to 6 weeks. Journal Metro, for example, states 1 to 2 weeks.
Can Canadian coverage be guaranteed?▾
Not by a wire or a pitch: editors decide. A paid placement is bought, and its only guarantee is the refund. Every listing states: Published or your money back. Refund or free re-placement if the turnaround is missed, counted in business days with a grace period.
Next steps
- 01
Pick the route
A wire for disclosure and reach, a paid placement for a named Canadian title, or both.
- 02
Plan English and French
A French version written for Quebec readers, if Quebec matters.
- 03
Book the long windows
Dailies that state 4 to 6 weeks go first; faster sites can follow.
- 04
Send on Eastern time
And check the new western offsets before any embargo.
Browse Canadian outlets with live prices
44 Canadian listings, each with its price, turnaround, link policy and label stated before you pay.
Browse Canadian outlets Compare other countriesChecked on . Wire pages, rules and provincial time pages were read that day. Essentras prices, labels and basket totals come from the public API on the same day.
Sources
- Cision Canada, pricing (read 4 Nov 2026)
- The Canadian Press, press release distribution (read 4 Nov 2026)
- Notified (Intrado), global distribution (read 4 Nov 2026)
- TMX Newsfile, additional news services (Internet Archive copy of 9 Oct 2026; live site bot check on 4 Nov 2026)
- Business Wire, US distribution pricing (Internet Archive copy of 12 Oct 2026; live page 403 on 4 Nov 2026)
- ACCESS Newswire, subscription pricing (Internet Archive copy of 11 Oct 2026; live page 403 on 4 Nov 2026)
- EIN Presswire, pricing (read 4 Nov 2026)
- Competition Bureau, influencer marketing and the Competition Act (read 4 Nov 2026)
- Competition Bureau, false or misleading representations (read 4 Nov 2026)
- Competition Bureau, Deceptive Marketing Practices Digest, volume 4 (read 4 Nov 2026)
- Competition Act, section 52 (read 4 Nov 2026)
- Ad Standards, Canadian Code of Advertising Standards (read 4 Nov 2026)
- Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, section 16 (read 4 Nov 2026)
- Official Languages Act, section 2 (read 4 Nov 2026)
- Government of British Columbia, daylight saving time (read 4 Nov 2026)
- Government of Alberta, Alberta Time (read 4 Nov 2026)
- Government of Saskatchewan, The Time Act in effect, 30 Oct 2026 (read 4 Nov 2026)
- Government of Manitoba, time change (read 4 Nov 2026)
- Government of the Northwest Territories, end of seasonal time change (read 4 Nov 2026)
- Gouvernement du Québec, changement d'heure (read 4 Nov 2026)
- Interpretation Act, section 35 (read 4 Nov 2026)
- CP24, clocks falling back in Ontario, 30 Oct 2026 (read 4 Nov 2026)
- Essentras public API, Canadian listings (read 4 Nov 2026)
Prices, rules and terms change. Check each source before you buy. This page is general information, not legal advice. Paid placements are advertising bought from the outlet and run with the label each listing states.