Canada.gov.ca

The newly founded ANCHOR Fest, formerly known as The Charlottetown Film Festival, presents Canada.gov.ca live at Jack Blanchard Hall in Charlottetown this month.

John Batt is the brain behind @canada.gov.ca, an Instagram account that curates stories from the obscure and often bizarre side of Canadian history and culture. The tales and memes ride that sweet line between education and entertainment. He’s taking his one-man show—a cross between a TED Talk and a couple drinks with a good buddy—on the road all over Canada, including shows in Dawson City, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Toronto, Halifax, and St. John’s. Batt will bring his live show to Charlottetown at Jack Blanchard Hall, located at 7 Pond Street, on May 9 at 7 pm.

John recalls, “True canada.gov.ca heads will remember that the very first event for the account took place in Charlottetown at Sportsman’s in 2022. Described as a meet and greet, the admin was pleasantly surprised when almost 100 people showed up to drink Revs, Schooners, share stories, and play pool. Even Roscoe was there. As someone who spent every summer on PEI, I hope I am thought of as an honourary Islander: thrilled to be back in Charlottetown to put on my now nationwide show.”

This event is part of ANCHOR’s year-round programming leading up to its festival dates, October 14–18, 2026. ANCHOR Fest will introduce music and stand-up comedy as core pillars of its programming, while maintaining a strong focus on showcasing independent Canadian cinema. 

“As a festival that blends film, music, and comedy, the ANCHOR team is drawn to John’s unconventional approach to live performance,” says Sam Langille, event coordinator.

Tickets are available at anchorfest.ca. This event is all ages with a licensed bar. Follow @anchorfest.ca on Instagram for updates on more year-round events and festival announcements.