Calgary is a step closer to the dream of a purpose-built studio complex. The province of Alberta has plans to lead a combination of public and private parties to build a production facility in the city.

Lindsay Blackett, the province’s minister of culture and community spirit, tells Playback Daily he expects to announce a deal in the next 60 days to build a 30,000-square-foot shooting stage with a 40-foot ceiling. He calls the project the culmination of an ongoing discussion that has lasted 30 years.

‘We have a tentative agreement on land use. We have entities willing to put forward financing… We would like to build a film production community that rivals B.C. and Ontario,’ he says.

That said, Blackett faces a budget crunch in the next fiscal year. He expects the provincial budget to shrink by 10% to 15%, with a commensurate impact on his own department. He notes that while the $20 million Alberta Film Development Program has in the past been boosted to accommodate demand — in 2008, the Alberta Treasury increased its commitment to $34 million — there is little chance of a similar boost in the future.

Alberta uses a grant system rather than the tax credits that are typical in most provinces. The 25% grant on qualifying Alberta-based spends is popular with producers because the money is returned — in cash — two months after completion of production rather than after the applicable tax year.

Still, the provincial government’s commitment to a studio facility is an endorsement of the television and film industry. Indeed, so is Blackett’s position: He is Alberta’s first dedicated culture minister in 23 years.

Blackett says support for the arts is very easy to justify in the case of film and television. ‘I asked for $20 million and the investment returned $150 million. So I may be able to ask for $30 million and get a return of $300 million.’

‘It’s about keeping jobs in the province and keeping our young people in Alberta. There’s a lot of competition out there, so we are serious about keeping them here.’