B.C. surpasses Ontario as top production locale for films, TV: report
VANCOUVER — British Columbia has surpassed Ontario as Canada’s top locale for film and television production for the first time, a development that industry experts largely credit to the rise of streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime.
A new report by the Canadian Media Producers Association says the 2016-2017 fiscal year was strong for Canada overall, with production volume in the country reaching an all-time high of $8.38 billion.
B.C. has always been in the top three provinces for film and TV production, but last year its volume hit $2.991 billion, just ahead of Ontario with $2.977 billion. Quebec, with its thriving French-language industry, placed third with $1.754 billion.
Robert Wong, vice president of Creative BC, the provincial agency that supports the artistic sector, said increased global demand for content and the recognition that B.C. is a world-class production centre are spurring the growth.