The film industry has become one of the fastest growing sectors locally and North Bay City Council hopes that continues.

They’re calling on the province for long-term or permanent funding for the film industry.

Councillor Mike Anthony brought the motion forward at last week’s Council meeting.

He says a group of producers recently met and had plenty of good things to say about North Bay.

“Beautiful location, your downtown really films well, very great people, they complimented the city on how the city works with them.  But, every one of them also touched on the funding, and said if that funding was impacted, you would see that industry here impacted, very quickly,” Anthony told Council on Tuesday night.

He says the industry was basically a non-factor about a decade ago and has come a long way.

“You’ve got to look at the synergies of things like companies that have been started for extras, things like the post-production facility at Canadore College, all of the different contracts for catering or renting locations, all those sorts of things,” he says.

Anthony says direct impact spending has nearly tripled in recent years.

The motion says the film industry in North Bay added approximately $6 million to the economy in 2016 and over $20 million in direct spending in 2017.

 

File photo

Filed under: film industry, North Bay City Council