Bylaw changes: Greater Sudbury wants your thoughts on the film industry
After hosting a public meeting earlier this week — Greater Sudbury still accepting suggestions on draft bylaw
Movie crews are becoming a common sight around Sudbury — and that has city hall looking to update its film bylaw.
The bylaw was first created in 2005, but filming activity has picked up significantly in recent years. There have been 24 films and six television series shot in Sudbury since 2012, with more in the works.
The city's film liaison says she wants more people to share ideas on how the city should deal with the film industry.
"There are concerns over public property and how it's being used," Emily Trottier said.
"Addressing that on a case-by-case basis [is] what this bylaw is going to enable us to do."
Trottier said the bylaw — which will be presented to city council in the fall — will streamline permits and update the code of conduct for film crews.
Currently not all of the bylaw in question actually applies to the film industry.
"Quite frequently it's like fitting a square peg in a round hole," Trottier said.
"Some of the templates that we're using are geared towards construction, [and] contractors who are doing work on the street ... we need to be triggering relevant questions that are specific for filming."
There was a public meeting on the matter earlier this week and the city is still accepting suggestions, she added.
For those who work in the industry, having a supportive environment in which to film is important, she said.
"[People have] been welcoming us with open arms," said Mark Montefiore, who has been in town shooting the TV Series "What Would Sal do?"
This is the third time that Mark Montefiore has filmed in Sudbury, and he said part of what he keeps him coming back is the support he gets from most residents.
But not everyone is pleased to see roads partially blocked off and city parking lots filled with film trucks — which is why the city is taking a hard look at its bylaws to see what can be done to keep relations running smoothly between Sudbury residents and film crews.
