Parks Canada has learned that ‘approval’ is a touchy word among filmmakers, and has tweaked the wording of its proposed rules for film and TV shoots, following a flurry of complaints from the industry. But it is standing by its controversial price structure which, if passed by its executive board, could be okayed by Ottawa as early as January.

Parks Canada is seeking daily location fees from $500 to $2,500, depending on crew size, and application fees from $150 to $3,000, according to the most recent draft of its multimedia guidelines, which the federal agency began drawing up earlier this year to govern the use of national parks and historic sites by film crews. Use of the 100-plus locations has previously been negotiated on a case-by-case basis.

Producers have complained about the ‘unusually high’ fees, but Parks insists they are a fair average of other rates from across the country. The agency has, however, rewritten two clauses of the guidelines in which it appeared to want both script and final cut approval of all projects, acting on further criticism from stakeholders.

‘It was poor wording on our part. Our apologies to the industry for creating confusion,’ says Robert Moreau, director of heritage presentation. Parks still wants to see a script beforehand, and will sometimes ask to see the finished product, but is not out to control or censor the shoots, he says.

Michael Cates, locations rep at the B.C. branch of the Directors Guild of Canada, says that’s ‘completely reasonable’ and applauds the change, although he still thinks the agency’s fees are too high.

‘The costs are still disappointing. We find them unusually high,’ he says.

Parks Canada had intended to charge even more for its sites, but rolled back prices after an earlier round of complaints. If okayed by the Parks board, the rules will go to the Department of Canadian Heritage in the new year for final, um, approval.

-parkscanada.pch.gc.ca