DIDSBURY - Town council has approved a new bylaw setting out rates and fees for filming in Didsbury.
Bylaw 2024-10 received first reading on June 11 and was then reviewed by the financial planning committee before coming back before council on June 25 where it received final reading.
Numerous productions have been filmed in Didsbury over the years including Fargo, Under the Banner of Heaver, Wynonna Earp, Let Him Go and Land.
“The rates being proposed are meant to recover the cost of services provided for facilitating filming in public spaces such as road closures, barrier placement, intermittent traffic control facilitation from community peace officers and bylaw enforcement, communications with the public, and any other services provided by the Town of Didsbury,” said chief administrative officer Ethan Gorner.
“The financial planning committee reviewed a number of other filming rates charged by municipalities for these services and expressed a desire to reduce red tape by making a baseline rate as opposed to complicated fee structure for each of the variable services that may be asked of the town to accommodate filming.”
Administration was in touch with Keep Alberta Rolling – an organization that promotes the economic benefits of the province’s film and screen industry – to obtain feedback on the proposed rates and was told the proposed Didsbury rates were comparable with other municipalities, he said.
The rates and fees are in addition to any facility rentals, such as for the multi-purpose room, train station and parking lot at the Memorial Complex, he said.
The rates are $1,000 for complex film productions, which are projects that require additional town resources or support of town staff from multiple departments or film production that requires the closure of a roadway.
For simple film production, the rate is $500. Those productions require limited use of town resources or staff support and do not require the closure of any roadway.
There is no charge for not-for-profit productions.
Deputy mayor Curt Engel and councillor Bill Windsor did not attend the June 25 council meeting.
