Hard Rock Medical moves production from Sudbury to North Bay

A Canadian television drama series is packing up and moving their production from Sudbury to North Bay. 

Hard Rock Medical, the TVO show inspired by the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, is about to begin filming for its third season. However, this year will be a little different. For the first time since the show began, it won't be shot in Sudbury. 

We're competing with every city around the world, we're not just competing against Sudbury.- North Bay Mayor Al MacDonald

Heather Dahlstrom, a film outreach worker for northern Ontario with Music and Film in Motion, told CBC news that the move to North Bay is purely practical.

Production took place in the summer at Sudbury's Collège Boréal during the first two seasons, but because school is currently in session, they can't film there for season three. 

"I'm just hoping the show sticks around long enough that it gets syndicated and goes elsewhere in the world so other people can see what northern Ontario's like," Dahlstrom said.

The film outreach worker said there's no rivalry between the two cities and North Bay's mayor echoed that sentiment, with one minor exception.

"I don't think so in the film industry," Mayor Al MacDonald said. "Obviously, the Wolves and the Battalion, but we're competing with every city around the world, we're not just competing against Sudbury."

Shooting is set to take place from Feb. 16 to March 24 and the series is still hiring for several positions. It's also not the only production happening in northern Ontario.

Sudbury is hosting CraveTV's Letterkenny, which is going into season two, and Chiller's first season of Slasher is also being shot in the city.

In North Bay, Brooke Shields continues to star in Hallmark's Flower Shop Mystery: Mum's the Word.