Movie makers flock to Almonte, 'mini-Hollywood of the Valley'

The town of Almonte is seeing lots of action from the film industry lately as movie crews roll in for the fifth time in less than two years.

"It's a small town that's got a lot of modern conveniences and a lot of great stores, and at the same time it has maintained that historic flavour," said Ainslie S. Wiggs, a location manager working with The Mob Entertainment. 

This is the fourth time the Ottawa-based production company has used Almonte as a backdrop for a movie, she said.

The latest film, called A Christmas Festival of Ice, is a story about a woman who finds out her hometown ice sculpting competition has been cancelled due to lack of funding. She makes it her mission to get the festival back up and running and falls in love in the process.

Almonte's Mill Street has been redecorated for Christmas and an American flag flies from the town's historic clock tower.

"I guess we are a mini Hollywood of the Valley," said Bob Graff, owner of Baker Bob's bakery in Almonte, which will be featured in the film.

"I mean, it highlights that we've got a very pretty town, a very photogenic town … they're coming at times when sometimes business is slow and it creates interest for people," Graff added.

Film business boosts economy

But it has a financial impact as well, according to Tiffany MacLaren, the community, economic and cultural co-ordinator for the Town of Mississippi Mills.

"There's several economic benefits but we know for example that the last film that was filmed here, Love on a Limb, which was done in June, July, spent $50,000 locally doing that," she said.

The money came from hiring a local company to do road detours, paying locals to do security work and act as extras in the movie, and renting out homes and businesses to shoot some scenes.

"They also rented local artwork for some of the scenes that were in people's living rooms … they paid some local artists. And then they of course they pay the location. So if a restaurant is closed, they negotiate with those restaurants and they do that," said MacLaren.

Almonte resident Tom Campbell stopped by the set when filming began on Tuesday.

Hearing about all the movies filmed in his hometown recently makes him proud, he said.

"Well we have a quaint little town, we've got all sorts of atmosphere and so I'm sure the settings fit all sorts of different motifs and ideas and things like that," said Campbell. 

"It's nice to have these buildings being appreciated."

Films shot in Almonte recently include:

• Two Countries: Malayalam Cinema, July 2015.
• The Rooftop Christmas Tree: The Mob Entertainment, February 2016.
• Awakening the Zodiac: Sony Pictures, June 2016.
• Love on a Limb: The Mob Entertainment, July 2016.
• A Christmas Festival of Ice: The Mob Entertainment, February 2017.