With Alberta turning 100 this year, filmmaker/actor Paul Gross is getting personal with his upcoming Passchendaele, a $16-million Alberta-shot war epic looking at the contributions of Canadians in the First World War. The theatrical feature has received an unprecedented $5.5 million in direct investment from the Government of Alberta to get it started.

After a two-month delay, Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story – the 2 x 120 miniseries from Regina’s Minds Eye Entertainment – will air on CBC on Sunday, March 12 and Monday, March 13 at 8 p.m.

Jamie Brown, CEO/executive producer at Winnipeg’s Frantic Films, and his team are currently in production on Music Rising, a one-hour doc for CTV about the titular charity group aiding New Orleans musicians affected by hurricane Katrina.

After several years of servicing film projects from the U.S., animation and FX house Satellite Animation Studios, newly settled in Calgary, is looking to make a name for itself in local circles and also show off its creative range.

CBC has cancelled three underperforming series, bringing an end to Da Vinci’s City Hall, Gemini winner This Is Wonderland and hockey mock-doc The Tournament, leaving the pubcaster with no Canadian drama series on its primetime schedule.

The CRTC has announced targets around its broadcaster incentive program, challenging private English-language casters to invest more in indigenous production. The regulator is already offering bonus advertising time as a reward for doing so, but some industry reps say targets and bonuses are not enough.

The Ontario tax credit for foreign production will remain at 18% for at least another year, but hopes that the province would return to direct funding of film and TV projects went unanswered following an announcement by Culture Minister Madeleine Meilleur.

CBC’s early coverage of the Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy has generated some big numbers since the Feb. 10 opening ceremonies.

New York City: Applications of new media platforms in the kids production sector was the prevailing theme at the seventh KidScreen Summit, held in New York City Feb. 8-10.

Ottawa ­- GAPC Entertainment is currently in production on a new one-hour documentary for CHUM Television and SCN called Who’s Afraid of Happy Endings?, about the lucrative world of romance novels.

Vancouver – Local prodcos Ocean Playground Productions and CKO Films are headed into post after 19 days shooting the HD drama Traveling at the Speed of Life.

Toronto: CBC has begun shooting preliminary footage for its new 7 x 60 series Kraft Hockeyville, while fielding applications from communities across Canada hoping to become the show’s titular town, and host an NHL exhibition game at their local arena.