Sechelt is opening the door for Hollywood North to come knocking.
Sechelt council approved a new film production policy and established fees for film production, in a Dec. 20 regular meeting.
A filming location scout reached out to the district about potentially filming in Sechelt starting February 2024, to use district facilities, parks and downtown Sechelt as filming locations.
Currently, Sechelt has no filming policies or bylaws.
In hopes of bringing a new industry into Sechelt, staff drafted the policy and amendments.
A series of bylaws will be influenced by film production, and have had amendments proposed accordingly including:
- Parks Bylaw No. 116, 1990
- Highways and Parking Bylaw 516, 2012
- Bylaw Enforcement Implementation Bylaw 515, 2012
- District of Sechelt Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 575, 2019
- Business License Bylaw 520, 2012
- Fireworks Prohibition Bylaw No. 445, 2005
- Business Improvement Area Bylaw 599, 2021
- Noise Bylaw No. 519, 2012
The report notes that there is no cost to the district associated with using Sechelt facilities for filming purposes.
The proposed policy is in alignment with the District of Sechelt’s Official Community Plan (OCP), and would not trigger an amendment.
The regulation put in place by the policy will cover a wide array of topics including filming permits, street and traffic control, noise, marine usage and public notifications.
Coun. Darren Inkster spoke in favour of the proposal, saying that the combination of film personnel travelling to the Coast, as well as local services needed to support production, such as catering, will have a positive impact in the community.
“I'm really supportive of something that moves forward expeditiously so that we can put it out there that we're willing to support some of the movies that are happening in neighboring jurisdictions,” Inkster said.
Coun. Adam Shepherd noted the rate comparison chart on the report and asked if there were any specific municipalities that Sechelt's proposed filming rates were based off of. He also asked how the filming rates compare to those in Gibsons.
Corporate officer Kerianne Poulsen explained that there are a variety of different types of fees on the proposal, so the comparisons are not an exact percentage based on a different municipality.
She cited Squamish as an example, which has a lower application fee rate than what is proposed in Sechelt, but charges a higher rate for some of the other services they provide.
Poulsen said that Sechelt’s filming rates were designed to be in line with those of Gibsons, but they are not identical. She explained that the different municipalities offer different location rental services and different amenities which influence rates.
She added that the proposed rates are generally lower than municipalities of a larger size such as Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge and Port Moody.
The Film Production Policy was unanimously adopted by council, and the amendment to the Fees and Charges Bylaw passed three readings.
Jordan Copp is the Coast Reporter’s civic and Indigenous affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
