With Vancouver’s status as a region, its ever-maturing production community, impressive studio space and proximity to Hollywood, Quebec’s studios and European-looking locations, and the plethora of provincial tax incentives outside Canada’s most coveted province, Ontario has been faced with some pretty stiff competition in attracting and keeping production within its borders. And that’s just domestic competition.

Far be it, however, for the province not to rise to the occasion.

It has been said that Ontario loses more than $100 million in production annually as a result of its lack of studio space big and elaborate enough to house the $50-million-plus U.S. projects otherwise attracted to Montreal and Vancouver. In response to this alarming figure, the city, the province and private enterprise alike have scurried to fill the gap. First with the February announcement of the $150-million Pinewood Shepperton project to be built on Toronto’s portlands and then early April’s announcement of the $100-million Studios of America facility, also to be built on the portlands (see story p. 1).

Premier Mike Harris has ironically decided to spend his last moments in power heralding the cause of culture (setting the stage for the culturally inclined Ernie Eves) and shoring up new and improved production resources for the province.

In addition to announcing the new Studios of America project, Harris laid to rest the longtime issue of accessing tax credits, both domestic and service, in the province by announcing a new expedited system. Instead of taking what’s become roughly two years to receive the 11% credits, Harris promises a six-week process.

‘There is a competitiveness issue the government decided to address,’ says Adam Ostry, outgoing CEO of the Ontario Media Development Corporation. For the past year, Ontario’s domestic and service industries have been expressing concerns to the government over the increasing lag of tax-credit processing time, especially in comparison to Vancouver, where it generally takes nine months. Even the federal tax-credit system is faster. This latest development, however, will see Ontario leading the pack in the tax-credit process, potentially inciting other provinces like Quebec, whose tax-credit processing system has been painfully slow since the Cinar debacle, to follow suit.

And so with Ontario’s studio and tax-credit issue taken care of in one fell swoop, the premier set off to L.A., mayor in tow, to tout his achievements to the U.S. film and television industry, with the hopes of enticing the big players to bring more big business to the province. And despite being flanked by anti-Canada protesters, Lastman returned home with news that a whole handful of foreign productions have decided to shoot in Ontario as a result of the trip. Whatever the case, while Mel and Mike were off on their mission, Deluxe Film Labs heaped more good news on the region by deciding to stay put and set up a new plant in west-end Toronto.

The international film processing company handles roughly four million feet of film in Toronto daily, employing about 300. And its decision to stay undoubtedly bolsters the city’s profile on the international stage.

So shoot me for saying it, but kudos to Ontario. At least this month.