DIDSBURY - Wynonna Earp fans are planning an event in Didsbury this fall as part of celebrations for the iconic TV series, which has been filmed, in part, in Didsbury since 2016, said town chief administrative officer Ethan Gorner.
Presented at the recent council meeting, Gorner’s monthly report to council highlights upcoming activities in town, as well as updates on town staff work.
“Wynonna Earp fans are planning the Earptopia Convention in Calgary this fall (with) approximately 500 fans from all over the world expected to attend for the weekend,” he said. “The convention includes a pre-convention event called Earptopia Day in Didsbury.
“The organizing team is expecting approximately 200 attendees to visit Didsbury for that day and is working with the town to prepare for this event. More information will be provided at a later date.”
Film crews were back in Didsbury on March 12 shooting scenes for an upcoming 90-minute Wynonna Earp special.
While the Syfy TV series ended in 2021 after four seasons, streaming service Tubi announced last month it was making a 90-minute special to air later in the year.
Now in production, Wynonna Earp: Vengeance is billed as a brand-new Earp story with all the series' favourite characters.
In the series, Wynonna Earp is the great-great-granddaughter of legendary lawman Wyatt Earp who battles reincarnated outlaws that Wyatt killed.
Scenes for numerous episodes of the television series have been filmed in Didsbury starting with its first year in production in 2016.
Economic development update
Meanwhile, Gorner said local businesses seeking workers are being encouraged to register on the town’s website to gain access to a jobseeker list created by the provincial AAIP - rural renewal stream workforce program, he said.
The list is open to local and other Canadian citizens seeking full-time positions, in addition to immigrants.
“The (town’s) economic development department is working with a Canadian immigration consultant and their clients to attract investors to Didsbury,” he said. “The EDO was invited to join the trade mission to China and Vietnam, but the budget did not allow for that.
“Instead, the EDO updated the Town of Didsbury investment and opportunity brochure.”
The Mountain View Regional Film Office (based in Didsbury) has been included in an upcoming economic development conference as a speaker. All partners are onboard and will be part of the panel session.
The Mountain View Regional Film Office will provide a panel session similar to the format presented at the Alberta Municipalities convention in 2023.
The session is called Spotlight on Rural Cinema: The Journey of the Mountain View Regional Film Office, he said.
Council accepted the CAO report as information.
