Mayor Darrin Canniff is hoping to make Chatham-Kent a destination for the film industry.
Canniff entered a notice of motion at the August 14, 2023 Council meeting, which would, if approved, authorize staff to explore and report back to Council on the potential for economic spin-off, potential community and cultural impacts in Chatham-Kent and the overall impacts that filming local productions have had in other communities.
Canniff said in his motion he’d like to see the successes in other communities be emulated in Chatham-Kent.
“It has been recognized that the film industry has the potential to be a significant economic driver in Chatham-Kent,” the Mayor said.
“With the increasing demand for film production and the limitations of larger cities like Toronto and Vancouver, many production companies are relocating outside the GTA to take advantage of the attributes of utilizing smaller communities.”
Canniff added: “Studies have found that up to 20% of a production’s total budget is typically spent on the filming location. With most productions costing between $800,000 to $1-million, filming in Chatham-Kent could provide significant benefits.”
Within his motion, Canniff is also looking to authorize administration to fund, through strategic reserves, a dedicated staff member for no less than 12 months to foster the FLICK program and measure the success and impact.
The Mayor is also looking to dedicate strategic reserves funding moving forward to cover the cost for further exploration, planning, research and attraction.
The motion is set to be on the Council agenda on Monday, September 11, 2023.
The meeting will start at 6 p.m. at the Civic Centre in Chatham.
