While it’s easy to love to hate winter as it drags on into its fourth and fifth month, when it comes to selling Timmins as a destination for film production that longevity is one of the area’s biggest assets.
A couple years ago, the province gave the Timmins Economic Development Corporation (TEDC), in partnership with the Venture Centre and City of Timmins, $19,519 to create a value proposition identifying the advantages of filming in Timmins.
That funding has been exhausted, however TEDC community development consultant Antoine Vezina said the efforts to attract TV and film productions to town are ongoing.
“One of the things that we’re focusing on is our extended winter period,” said Vezina.
With snow that lasts longer into the season, he said there is winter filming potential.
There have been successes for TV shows filming here.
An episode of Galala, a talent show for French speaking youth, was filmed in town. TFO’s Jeune d’exception, and Le Gemelle 2 from Balestra have also filmed here.
“There’s quite a bit of small TV shows around hunting and fishing, so the outfitters in the region there’s quite a few of them that have their annual shows, so those are ongoing as well and we’re there to support if they need something,” he said.
Vezina also keeps an eye on a database, and when a production with a winter or mining scene, for example, pops up, he said he reaches out to them.
Bringing productions north has cultural and economic spinoffs.
“It creates a lot of intangible benefits in the arts community,” he said. “On the economics side, obviously these companies come in with large production crews so they’re staying in our hotels, using our accommodations and restaurants, they’re buying equipment or clothing in our retail stores. The economic spinoff can be quite large.”
When the movie Two Lovers and A Bear filmed in town, Vezina said there were production people in town for several months in advance. Once filming started, there was also a need for equipment and contractors.
“There were huge opportunities for local businesses when they were here and it’s really a success story that we want to try and replicate,” he said.
There are still challenges to attract film crews north.
TEDC CEO Christy Marinig said the distance from Toronto, as well as not having as many crew members in town as Sudbury or North Bay are some of the barriers for the industry.
Still, she said the goal is to have at least one or two productions in town every year.
“The ideal goal is to have a combination of large high budget productions that would be coming from the States or backed by Hollywood, but also having smaller production projects that can involve local stakeholders,” said Vezina.
“If there are projects that can bring opportunities for local actors to be hired or local players to be involved in the production, that is the ultimate dream or goal because the spinoff on that can be tremendous. It can really spur a local film sector.”
