Two local filmmakers have published research showing that small towns in the area could become more sought-after film sets with a few tweaks to marketing, permitting and some economic development.
Tracey and Tom Strnad, local residents, filmmakers and leaders in the South Georgian Bay Media Association, recently set out to explore through research and interviews what it would take to bring more of the multi-billion-dollar Ontario film industry to small towns.
While Collingwood and The Blue Mountains have been used as backdrops for films like The Long Kiss Goodnight in 1996 and Molly's Game (filmed at Beaver Valley Ski Club) in 2017, those tend to be the exceptions, not the norm.
And yet, the Strnad's argue that what makes towns in this area attractive to tourists also makes them attractive to the film industry: quaint downtowns, waterfront space, the Niagara escarpment, ski hills, and etc.
"The same reason people come visit a place is the same reason people will come to film in a place," said Tom Strnad during a presentation of the Attracting Film Productions to Small Town Ontario study. "So those were the real neat synergies that we wanted to look at."
According to the Strnad's research, Ontario's film and television sector contributed $3.15 billion to the economy in 2022. Most of that would have been spent in Toronto and the GTA (including Hamilton).
The second season of the Netflix show, Umbrella Academy, was filmed in Ontario in 2019 and contributed more than $77 million in local spending, of that, 59 per cent was allocated to wages and salaries. This one production engaged 980 Ontario-based suppliers, and stimulated 1,120 full-time equivalent jobs in the province, according to the report.
"Right now, most productions are going to look at doing some sort of studio filming (likely in Toronto) and then going to do some on-location filming," said Strnad. "That's where you're trying to attract."
The report notes Ontario's small towns are quaint, picturesque and overlooked, but this means they're also a source of "untapped potential."
The Strnad's engaged municipal staff and partners in Collingwood, The Blue Mountains, Wasaga Beach, Adjala-Tosorontio, Bradford West Gwillimbury, Essa, Innisfil, New Tecumseth, Meaford, Oro Medonte, and the County of Grey for the study, as well as industry professionals.
"We wanted to look at that tourism industry synergy," said Strnad. "Every town that we talked to has policies in place for special events, park rentals, live music."
There was, however, a lack of policies and permits in place specifically for film production.
"Parks and recreation departments have the expertise and knowledge base to address film requests and policies and are currently the primary contact point for small towns without a film office or film policy in place," states the report.
While most of the municipal staff and representatives interviewed by the Strnad's for the report indicated a desire to increase film production, they also noted a lack of town staff and resources to implement film policies and/or establish and operate film offices.
"There was a consensus that a more regional approach to a film office could be considered for implementing a film office and film policy procedure," stated the report.
Establishing a film office was one of the recommendations in the Attracting Film Production report. A film office is a non-profit operation that can be funded by any level of government and/or tourism organization that functions as a liaison between the municipalities it represents and the film industry.
For example, the Nottawasaga Futures Film Liaison Office represents Adjala-Tosorontio, Bradford West Gwillimbury, Essa, Innisfil, and New Tecumseth and over the last ten years has helped coordinate 92 film and television productions over 358 production days for a direct economic impact of $3 million.
Without a film office coordinating, anecdotal evidence from local film producers suggest the economic impact of about 35 film and television productions in The Blue Mountains over the last 10 years was about $300,000, and in Collingwood 28 film and television productions brought in about $250,000.
In the city of North Bay where there is a film liaison office (Cultural Industries Ontario North), 94 film and television productions, which included 2,400 production days in the last ten years, brought in about $167 million.
"Based on the regions studied, we found that a regional film office or liaison increases the amount of film production and direct economic impact by three- to 10-times the organic rate of production in a small town," states the media association's report.
"By having a regional office it's a model for how you can start to look at some permitting and location accessibility and just having someone that you reach out to and say, 'hey, I want to do this. How do I make that happen?'" said Strnad.
The short-term strategies recommended in the Attracting Film Productions to Small Town Ontario study focus on having municipalities or regions establish a film policy, a local film office, and a tiered permit system.
The report also suggests tweaks to marketing that already focuses on tourism by including marketing for film production by showcasing unique features of the town, adding town-owned facilities and outdoor properties to the Ontario Creates Location Library, and collaborating with regional tourism boards and neighbouring film offices to integrate local assets into broader marketing efforts.
Some of the long-term strategies suggested in the report recommend offering incentives for film productions that hire local talent, building education and professional development capacity by working with colleges to develop specialized film and media courses, and considering the addition of film studio spaces to new capital projects like arenas, performing art centres, museums, and etc.
"Unique location needs and working in tourist towns with the capacity to host a film is an easy sell for any film or television production," concludes the study. "Where else can you find ski hills, a working steam train, or a natural biosphere such as the Niagara Escarpment?"
Tom Strnad presented the report at the end of February to several stakeholders in the area from tourism organizations, municipal staff, film and television industry people and to local media.
The final report is available to download from the South Georgian Bay Media Association website here.
The Attracting Film Production to Small Town Ontario study lead consultant was director and cinematographer Boris Mojsovski. The project partners were Ontario Creates, Community Futures South Georgian Bay, Nottawasaga Futures Film Liaison Office and Town of The Blue Mountains.
