1972: 22-year-old Doug Dales, who has just finished school and is producing commercials, hears of a Vancouver equipment rental company closing shop and looking to sell its gear. Having been involved in lighting for amateur theatre and fashion shows at his Toronto high school, and having studied film at York University and in England, Dales is determined to be in the film business. He begs and borrows from friends and family to buy the gear for $48,000 and sets up PS Production Services in Toronto.

1973: Competing against local giants William F. White and Panavision, Dales puts together a small team and begins providing commercials and the increasing number of independent producers with cameras and lights.

1978: In a breakthrough in the long-form sector, PS services the $2.2-million Canada/U.K. copro Power Play, starring Peter O’Toole and Donald Pleasance.

1983: Now a major equipment supplier for Canadian productions, PS services Next of Kin, Atom Egoyan’s first feature film – a relationship with the director that will continue for years to come.

1986: After several years of strong growth, PS, with partner Atlantis Films, constructs the 100,000-square-foot Cinevillage complex east of downtown Toronto. It houses the two companies plus two soundstages with full dressing, makeup and support facilities, and offers studio and office space to other tenants. The surrounding area subsequently becomes Toronto’s Studio District.

1987: PS Atlantic is founded in Dartmouth, outside of Halifax, NS. The company begins working on projects of every size in all four Atlantic provinces, eventually providing equipment for big East Coast features such as Margaret’s Museum (1995, Mort Ransen) and The Hanging Garden (1997, Thom Fitzgerald).

1988: PS marks its first foray into foreign territory when it supplies for Bat*21, a Gene Hackman-Danny Glover Vietnam War flick shot in Borneo. About 18,000 pounds of equipment are provided for the project, including a custom-made generator that fits the hold of a wide-body 747.

The project opens the door for PS to work in other foreign locations, and it soon supplies equipment in such places as the U.S., Mexico, Sri Lanka, India, New Zealand, South Africa and Guyana.

1992: PS enters a particularly high-growth period, averaging 30% growth for the year and for the next four years.

1993: The company establishes its first full-service foreign branch office in Vietnam, which underscores its interest in under-served markets. PS first supplies a full range of equipment to indigenous Vietnamese productions, later providing services for the increasing number of European and North American projects heading to the country.

1994: PS acquires Northern Lights, a large equipment company (serving B.C., Alberta, the Yukon and sometimes Alaska) founded in 1992 by Barry Reid. Under Reid’s management, PS Vancouver, as it is today known, goes on to triple in size, serving both the indigenous trade and U.S. productions.

Rae Thurston joins the company. He will eventually move up the ranks to VP operations and Toronto GM.

1996: At the request of the Vietnamese government, PS establishes a program to train teams of local technicians in the language used on international sets, production protocol and various areas of technical know-how.

1997: PS signs on as the exclusive supplier for Toronto commercial prodco The Partners’ Film Company.

1998: PS Toronto needs more space and relocates to a four-acre site at the edge of the city’s financial core. Three buildings covering 50,000 square feet house camera rental, maintenance and testing facilities, lighting and grip departments, as well as the PS electronics lab, carpentry shop, manufacturing shop and a six-bay truck depot for the PS rolling stock and generators.

1999: The CFTPA gives Dales the Jack Chisholm Award for his outstanding contribution to the Canadian film and television industry.

Jeff Ramsay replaces Reid as GM of PS Vancouver.

2000: The Canadian Society of Cinematographers honors Dales with the Bill Hilson Award for outstanding service in the development of the motion picture industry.

PS reaps the benefits of a record year for production in Canada.

2001-2002: Production growth plateaus in Canada after several booming years.

PS’ affiliate offices in Winnipeg and Regina join to form PS Prairies. The Regina facility sets up shop in the new SaskCan Production Studios.

2003: John Whish succeeds Thurston as GM of PS Toronto.