Kamloops council approves new film permit bylaw as production increases
CBC
The City of Kamloops has approved a new bylaw on Tuesday to help manage film productions around city limits following an increase in projects around the region.
According to the Thompson-Nicola Regional District film commissioner, the film industry has been steadily growing in Kamloops, with 2021 seeing the most film productions ever in the city.
"This year alone there were five productions," Victoria Weller said on CBC's Daybreak Kamloops.
Under the new bylaw, film companies will need to pay $125 for the permit as well as a refundable deposit of $5,000 in case of any damage.
The bylaw also requires production companies to pay city staff an hourly rate for tasks that range from shutting down streets and planning parking for large trailers and trucks, to changing street signs.
"The film industry is very high maintenance ... and it's a lot of time for staff to react to their demand or needs, so this way there's a way to recoup some of that costs for the taxpayer," she said.
One of the reasons for the uptick in production is the city's landscape, which provides a backdrop to just about any genre.
The arrest in Brampton, Ont. on Nov. 3, 2023 of Amandeep Singh — one of four men charged in connection with a killing that Ottawa has linked directly with the government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi — happened just one day before a wedding in that city brought together a who's-who of New Delhi's Sikh enemies list, CBC News has learned.