Released on October 15, 2001
A state-of-the-art film and video production centre is now a reality for
Saskatchewan. A partnership deal involving the Government of Saskatchewan,
the Government of Canada, the City of Regina and the Saskatchewan film and
video industry will support the $11.5 million Canada/Saskatchewan Film,
Video, Production and Education Centre.
The centre will be located in the redeveloped Regina Normal School, on the
corner of College Avenue and Broad Street, and will include space at the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) facility. By providing production
and training space for a wide variety of programming, including films and
television, the centre will help maintain a viable industry sector and
increase available technical expertise, making Saskatchewan more
competitive at attracting co-production ventures and international
financing.
"Our investment in the Canada/Saskatchewan Sound Stage is a sign of our
commitment to a growing sector of our economy," Premier Lorne Calvert
said. "The sound stage will provide jobs and opportunities where the
knowledge our young people gain at our universities and technical schools
can be put to work, right here at home."
"As the knowledge-based economy grows at lightning speed around the world,
we must not be mere spectators, just watching it happen somewhere else. We
must make it happen here, too," Natural Resources Canada Minister Ralph
Goodale said, on behalf of the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Secretary
of State (Western Economic Diversification) (Francophonie) Ron J. Duhamel,
and Canadian Heritage Minister Sheila Copps. "This sound stage will be a
very important asset in this community and in this province overall. It
will provide a terrific facility for attracting future growth in film and
video to Saskatchewan."
The Government of Saskatchewan will provide $3 million toward the project,
with an additional $3 million for work on the sound stages and ancillary
space coming from Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD). WD's
funding will be recognized through the designation of a Canada Sound Stage.
The remainder of the project will be funded by the industry, facilitated
through a seven-year waiver of payments-in-lieu of property taxes by the
City of Regina.
"We are pleased to participate in this project. It is just one of a number
of exciting initiatives we're working on with the provincial government to
revitalize downtown Regina," Regina Mayor Pat Fiacco said. "The sound
stage will also enhance Regina's growing Knowledge Corridor through
strategic partnerships with the University of Regina and SIAST Wascana."
The partnership deal for the facility includes a long-term lease
arrangement with the adjacent CBC Regina Broadcast Centre, which will be
linked to the sound stage and provide post-production support services.
Saskatchewan Property Management Corporation (SPMC) will own the building,
while SaskFilm will operate and administer the program.
SaskFilm, a non-profit agency that works to promote growth in the
provincial film industry, will be located in the centre. Companies will
pay rent based on an industry variable rate card, which sets the user fees
for similar facilities across Canada. The University of Regina and the
Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology will lease
classroom space.
The Canada/Saskatchewan Film, Video, Production and Education Centre will
be one of the largest film and video production centres in Western Canada
and will begin production on March 29, 2002.
Production volumes in the film and video industry have exceeded $60 million
over the past year. A $20-million increase in production is expected as a
result of construction. Each large film production requires a 'cast of
hundreds'. Every $10 million in annual production volume generates about
110 film industry jobs. For a typical production, about 30 per cent of the
budget is spent on services such as hotels, food, vehicle rentals,
construction materials, equipment rental and insurance. For example, based
on a $25 million production, budgets would fund 4,400 hotel rooms, 63,000
catered meals, $310,000 in vehicle rentals and $1.25 million in equipment
rentals.
Government of Canada funding for this agreement was provided for in the
February, 2000 budget and is therefore built into the existing financial
framework.
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For more information, contact:
Joanne Mysak Dave Burdeniuk
Manager, Consultations, Marketing and Executive Director, Communications
Communications Saskatchewan Property Management
Western Economic Diversification Canada Corporation
Saskatoon Regina
Phone: (306) 975-5942 Phone: (306) 787-1075
Roslyn Ingram
General Manager
Public Affairs Division
City of Regina
Regina
Phone: (306) 777-7486
