Existing soundstages in Montreal and Toronto are disturbingly quiet for the summer season, but entrepreneurs in other Canadian cites are throwing caution to the wind and constructing more purpose-built studios than ever, gambling that Hollywood service shoots will return to usual levels when U.S. labor unrest subsides and money markets cool off.

British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia are aiming to compete with the newly opened Filmport in Toronto, with megastages of their own in the works.

Construction of Pacific Studios, a 37,000-square-foot purpose-built studio (and a new 23,000-square-foot soundstage) is underway at Burnaby, BC’s Canadian Motion Picture Park, which already houses eight stages.

‘We are fully booked through to December and have been getting calls for movies that we can’t accommodate,’ says Wolf Isachsen, VP of CMPP, adding that the new facilities should be open in November. ‘This larger stage will help us attract larger movies that want purpose-built studios and not warehouse space.’

In Saskatchewan, Kevin DeWalt of Minds Eye Entertainment says he is in the preliminary stages of putting together a deal to build a new purpose-built studio with two interconnecting 22,000-square-foot stages, where he will shoot the $50-million feature Wicked City in summer 2009 with German partner Stallion Media. The approximately $4-million soundstage will have an accordion wall so that it can be opened up to be used as one 44,000-square-foot stage, or divided in two.

‘The land has been purchased and the drawings are almost complete, and we are finalizing the financing, which is all coming from private-sector investors in Europe and Canada,’ says DeWalt, noting that the principals aim to begin construction in November on land about 15 minutes outside Regina. He adds that informal discussions are underway with SaskFilm (which runs the Canada Saskatchewan Production Studios) to be contracted to run the new soundstage.

A proposal for two new Nova Scotia soundstages is also in the works, to deal with the studio crunch expected with the imminent closure of Electropolis Motion Picture Studios in Halifax, which up to now has provided the province’s the main soundstage.

Film Nova Scotia CEO Anne MacKenzie says Nova Scotia Power, which owns the building where Electropolis is located, is planning to turn the complex into its head office in late fall or early winter.

Tour Tech East in Dartmouth is hoping to make up for the shortfall by expanding its own studio facility. TTE president Peter Hendrickson says he has submitted proposals to all three levels of government to kick in 50% of the proposed $10 million required to build a 40,000-square-foot stage and a 5,000-square-foot studio with a 30-foot submersion tank.

‘Right now we mostly do MOWs and small movies up to $20 million, but the new studios would open the door for larger productions,’ says Hendrickson, noting that Tour Tech is willing to put up $5 million of its own money for the expansion.

As well, Americans Jim Kendrick and Mary Barstow of Seacoast Entertainment Arts purchased the Shelburne Film Studios in April and are renovating and upgrading the former naval base’s four studios. 

Kendrick says the Olympic-size swimming pool in Studio C has undergone renovations, a fully equipped audio recording studio and post facility for dailies has been built, cosmetic landscape work has been undertaken, and amenities for crew provided for.

Shelburne Film Studios, located about a 2.5-hour drive from Halifax, will be open for shooting this fall, and has already booked in a Canadian feature for September.

In Toronto, the newly opened Filmport, offering seven stages – including North America’s largest purpose-built soundstage at 45,900 square feet – should help attract larger productions to the city.

However, Jim Mirkopoulos at Cinespace Film Studios is concerned that Toronto does not have enough studio space for medium-budgeted Hollywood productions and Canadian TV shows.

The Toronto Film Studios stages at 629 Eastern Avenue are closing at the end of 2008, while TFS’ stages at 65 Heward Avenue will remain open and are being renamed under the Filmport banner. 

‘There is a real demand for low-cost studio space in Toronto,’ says Mirkopoulos, noting that Cinespace put in three new shooting spaces and production offices, and was booked to capacity as soon as the renovations were complete.

‘My big concern is where the bread-and-butter medium-budget productions are all going to go,’ Mirkopoulos explains. ‘Vancouver has a substantially larger capacity, so Toronto will lose potential work.’

Meanwhile, in Calgary – which is set to lose its main space by the end of the year – plans for a new soundstage are still in the development phase.

The Curry Army Barracks, an old military base containing four retrofitted soundstages – was supposed to be closed by now, as owner Canada Lands is developing the land for residential housing. However, it has taken longer than expected for the redevelopment to take place, so for the time being filming continues at the barracks.

‘Canada Lands hasn’t confirmed a date as to when the transition will take place,’ says Luke Azevedo, Calgary film commissioner. ‘So we are booking on a case-by-case basis.’

A proposal for a new purpose-built studio called the Creative Hub has been in the works for awhile.

Azevedo confirms that consultants are working on a business plan for Creative Hub that should be completed this month. A developer and operator for the complex has been chosen and a potential piece of land identified. He anticipates that by the end of the summer they can begin securing financing on the estimated $20-million studio, which includes two stages at 18,000 and 15,000 square feet.

In the meantime, an entrepreneurial team has retrofitted a warehouse space in the northeast side of Calgary and is renting it out to shoots. The upcoming CBC drama series The Wild Roses is the first client.

Meanwhile, Manitoba is aiming to attract westerns to the province with the construction of a 19th century western backlot – nicknamed ‘Tyndall Town’ – on 75 acres that is being developed by local interests.

The private-enterprise venture, budgeted at $7 million, is headed up by local entrepreneur Kent Ulrich and actor/producer Jeff Skinner, and several silent partners. An advisory committee of industry professionals, including Indiana Jones and Star Wars producer Robert Watts, offered guidance on the project.

Located about half an hour outside of Winnipeg near Tyndall, MB, the western facade includes a saloon, bank and general store, as well as lagoons, a creek and forest clearings. Construction will begin this fall.

‘This is really big for us, as we are often scouted for westerns, but they go where there is an existing western backlot,’ says Louise O’Brien-Moran, manager of film production at Manitoba Film & Sound. ‘The backlot is located in a sweet spot where films get the rural bonus, but it isn’t too far from the city for crews, so the location is quite strategic. Hopefully it will diversify the types of projects we do here.’