[1] The event was held at the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel in Toronto and was hosted by actor Dave Thomas.
The venue had to be changed due to a scheduling conflict and, seven days before the show, CBC members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) went on strike.
This meant that the production lost access to staging and set elements, which were built by, and stored at, the CBC.
While the CBC was still able to air the event, to allow it to proceed, the network cancelled its co-production contract, and the academy received emergency funding from Telefilm Canada, the Ontario Film Development Corporation and the federal Department of Communication.
New sets were completed and, with a leaner crew, the ceremony was ready to proceed when, 45 minutes before air, a bomb threat was received.