Ottawa's film industry is booming. But troubles could be on the horizon

Good morning! 

It was nice to meet so many Ottawa Lookout readers at the Tulip Festival over the last couple of days. We’ve got a really exciting story about the attraction coming out on Friday, where we talk with its executive director about all the events taking place over the Victoria Day long weekend. And yes the fireworks show is making a comeback. Stay tuned for that… 

For today’s newsletter, I sat down with Ottawa’s film commissioner to talk about the television and movie industry in Ottawa that’s been expanding. But despite recent success, it’s been trailing a bit behind, in large part due to the recent Hollywood strike. Now to make matters worse, U.S. President Donald Trump is again flaring around his favourite word: tariffs. 

As someone who enjoys a good Hallmark movie, it’s always fun to sit down and watch locations where you’ve been transformed into film sets. I even had the chance to work as a background actor in two local productions including, Head Over Heels and True Justice: Family Ties, starring Kat McNamara. If you ever have the chance to be in one, I highly recommend it!

Let’s get to today’s headlines!

— Charlie Senack, Ottawa Lookout managing editor, [email protected], X: @Charlie_Senack

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WEATHER

Wednesday: 22 🌡️ 14 | 🌧️

Thursday: 18 🌡️ 13 | 🌧️

Friday: 21 🌡️ 12 | 🌤️

LOOKOUT RECOMMENDS

What to eat: Our food editor Ralf is raving about Tortilla Maker’s new tacos birria. Yes birria is a bit of a trend, but the restaurant uses goat meat rather than beef, so you know it’s authentic. And speaking of authenticity, their tacos are so good that other restaurants are using them. Located at 2003 St. Joseph Blvd., read Ralf’s review. 

International competition: If you haven’t heard of Eurovision, you’re missing out. It may in fact be the greatest musical performance show on earth (yes, really), where European countries choose singers and bands to duke it out for the best performance. Come by Club SAW to watch it this Saturday from 3-7 pm. 

Cheer on the team: Ottawa Charge are back in the city for Game 4 of their playoff match-up against the Montreal Victoire. Tickets start at $45, so why not bring the entire family. 

What to watch: ByTowne Cinema has a series called Drunken Cinema. No, the goal isn’t to get drunk, but they do feature movie classics for movie lovers, with an interactive twist to encourage participation. This week it’s The Mummy Returns!

OTTAWA NUMBERS

🅿️ $3 million: The amount of new parking revenue the city is expected to get from new evening parking rules in the Glebe, Little Italy, and the ByWard Market. [CTV]

👜 20: The number of years Wellington West’s Flock Boutique has been in business. It carries the work of over 100 independent Canadian designers and makers. [Kitchissippi Times]

🏒 1-0: The score of the Ottawa Charge’s women’s hockey game against the Montreal Victoire Tuesday night. If Ottawa wins on Friday, they are heading to the PWHL championship final. [CBC]

NEWS

Ottawa’s film industry is growing. But could tariffs delay progress?

Ottawa has been home to a bustling film and television industry. And it shouldn’t be a surprise The city is full of heritage sections that can be used to mimic a 19th or 20th century town. On the outskirts, there are communities like the Village of Manotick which can play the part of any Hallmark-style American town. And even further, there are sprawling farms and forests that can paint a backdrop for almost any movie. 

But that recent success could come under threat if U.S. President Donald Trump moves forward with plans to put a 100 per cent tariff on any film and television productions shot outside of the United States. 

Trump said other countries "are offering all sorts of incentives to draw out filmmakers and studios away from the United States. He then went on to say, “Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., are being devastated," calling it a national security matter to legally justify the change.

Here at home, the Ottawa Film Office says they aren’t worried — at least for now. Film commissioner and CEO Sandrine Pechels de Saint Sardos said she questioned Trump's initial social media post. 

“Right away, I think it's important to not panic and to have a cool head on it. When you read it, and I read it quite a few times, actually, he doesn't mention anything about animation or TV series,” she told the Ottawa Lookout. “And as you know, Ottawa is very well known for having one of the best animations to use in town.“

The news has been a worry for Ottawa’s entertainment industry, which supports film and television productions. 1Department Entertainment Services, which works on eight to 15 small and mid-sized productions a year, says 90 per cent of that business is American. They work on film budgets between $20 and $30 million a year. 

“We've been working with the U.S. for many years," Shane Boucher, president and CEO of the company, told CBC. “The studio can literally cease to function in a matter of months if we don't have enough productions that are booked."

Trump also said he would survey the industry to see what their thoughts are, but a lot of questions remain about how doable these tariffs would actually be. Many productions are filmed in various locations, and in most instances, there is a reason. 

Pechels de Saint Sardos used the Fast and Furious franchise as an example which has been filmed in various locations abroad, including in Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, Cuba, Spain, Italy and Abu Dhabi. She also pointed out that Gladiator 2 was filmed in Morocco because “audiences like to have exotic locations.” 

Ottawa has recently been home to a number of bigger productions including Netflix’s Hot Frosty, which was primarily set in Brockville, Ont., but also included scenes in the Capital including the former Century Public School in Parkwood Hills. 

The TV series Geek Girl, a joint production between Canada and the United Kingdom, was also partially shot in Ottawa and included locations such as the Chateau Laurier Hotel, the NCC River House, Museum of Nature, and Major Hill’s Park. The show was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for Best Children's or Youth Fiction Program or Series. 

Growth also comes with losses 

While Pechels de Saint Sardos is celebrating the growth of Ottawa’s film and television industry, it’s also coming with some setbacks. In 2023, Hollywood experienced a series of strikes that significantly impacted film and television production. The negative effects are still being felt. 

“I remain hopeful because I was talking to my colleagues who are telling me that things are blooming. They are seeing a lot of applications,“ said Pechels de Saint Sardos. “My office was recently contacted by an American production to do a look-book for some future big TV series and feature film. That makes me optimistic.”

In 2023, Ottawa hosted at least 39 live-action film and television productions. There were also 15 animation productions by local studios. In total, it led to 30 feature-length films, including 11 holiday movies, and 12 TV series. 

Then last year, Ottawa was involved with 11 Hallmark and Netflix Christmas movies. Pechels de Saint Sardos believes the industry brings in about $50 million a year locally, which includes hiring about 600 production workers through about 40 companies. 

While Ottawa is becoming the Christmas movie capital of the world, most are filmed in the summer with white snow blankets over the grass and white plastic powder on the streets. That is because the city is cold when the real snow is on the ground, which deters film companies. 

“It’s hard to work outside with that amount of snow when it's cold and there is ice. So everything got delayed a little bit,” said Pechels de Saint Sardos. “But I’m not worried.”

Plans are still in place to build an Ottawa sound stage 

Since before the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been plans to build a film and production studio on the NCC-owned Greenbelt Research Farm across from the Nepean Sportsplex. 

Initial plans included four soundstages, each the size of an Olympic hockey rink, and office and production space. Privately funded, it was expected to cost $40 million. Two years later, Ottawa city council approved a loan of that amount to be given to Toronto-based TriBro Studios which wanted to build the site. But it fell through. 

The plans have now been scaled down because of the 2023 strike in Hollywood. Ottawa’s Film Office said it’s now considering building two or three sound stages totalling about 40,000 square feet — 20,000 square feet less than what they previously opposed. 

“There are a lot of stakeholders on that project. I'm doing my due diligence with my board. We are hitting all the necessary steps in order to have it done,” said Pechels de Saint Sardos. “It's still very attractive, but I cannot share that much.”

It’s believed the film and television studio in Nepean would generate between $40 million and $100 million in annual economic spinoffs. Last year Pechels de Saint Sardos told the Ottawa Business Journal that a business plan is currently being drawn up and the goal is to have a feasibility study sometime this year.

THE AGENDA

🏫 The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board has moved forward with plans that will phase out the alternative program and change boundaries for some students. The decision passed 12-3, with trustees Nili Kaplan-Myrth, Amanda Presley and Lyra Evans opposing the recommendations. [Ottawa Citizen]

🚗 Anyone in Ottawa knows how busy  Hunt Club Road and Riverside Drive is. Again this year, it has been designated the city’s worst intersection. In just the first three months of this year, 27 collisions were reported. Innes & Tenth Line came in second place with 21 collisions, followed by Fallowfield & Woodroffe and Baseline & Woodroffe, both with 20 collisions in the first three months of 2025. [CTV]

📢 Despite concerns over potential legal challenges, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said it’s his recommendation the city move forward with a proposed bubble bylaw. If the council approves such a rule, it would restrict demonstrations near certain community spaces, including schools, hospitals and places of worship. [CTV]

🇨🇦 Ottawa South MP David McGuinty has kept a spot in cabinet and will serve as Canada’s new Minister of Defence. After being a backbencher politician for two decades, the Liberal MP was previously named the Minister of Public Safety last December. Also in the National Capital area, Gatineau MP Steven MacKinnon was named Leader of the Government in the House of Commons. [CBC]

💉 There was much of debate after the safe consumption site was forced to close at the Somerset West Community Health Centre. Service agencies said it would only make Ottawa’s drug crisis worse, with more overdose deaths reported, but local businesses hoped it would deter crime. Now, two months later, residents in the Chinatown neighbourhood say they are feeling less safe. [CBC]

🔥 The Ottawa Police are looking for the public’s assistance to figure out why a five-storey building in Bells Corners went up in flames last month. Anyone with dash-cam or surveillance video of suspicious activity, particularly from the Northside Road, Thorncliffe Place and Robertson Road area, are asked to reach out. It’s believed the incident was arson. [Ottawa Citizen]

👮‍♂️ Crime in Barrhaven is on the rise. To help deter unwanted incidents at local businesses, the Barrhaven BIA is handing out over 50 interior window-mounted cameras. It comes after Ottawa Police said in March that they often don’t have access to live footage from cameras when an incident occurs. [Ottawa Business Journal]

HOME OF THE WEEK

Well if you’ve ever dreamed of owning a waterfront home, then this is the place.

Located about 30 minutes from downtown Ottawa, this 1,100 square foot home has a private sandy beach, wood floors and ceilings, a beautiful yard and a stunning main living area. Though be aware, it’s only one bedroom. 

How much will this place set you back? Less than you’d think for beachfront property…

House of The Week is a home selected by the Lookout team and is not a paid advertisement. All ads are labeled as such. If you’re a realtor who wishes to feature your home in our newsletter, please contact our sales team.

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ARTS SUMMARY

Performance

Tom Powers is interviewing Jim Ed Norman, who was awarded the Bob Kingsley Living Legend Award and is a former Warner Bros. Nashville CEO. He shares stories about creating records with The Eagles, Kenny Rogers and many others, along with a musical performance. May 20, at 7:30 PM at the NAC. Tickets here.

Never got to see Pink Floyd in concert? Well, here’s the next best thing. Classic Live Albums is recreating their popular album The Wall, a note-for-note remake. Tickets $34 at the NAC on May 23. 

Say his name three times and he appears… There’s still time to grab tickets for Beetlejuice showing in the city from May 27-June 1, though tickets are going fast.

Art

Stonecut printmaking, which began in Puvirnituq, is having a resurgence. You can witness this art in Revival: Printmaking in Nunavik (2014–2019), at the Ottawa Art Gallery until Aug. 24. 

Madweyàshkà | Like a Wave is finishing up on May 19, but you still have time to see a selection of works of art by First Nations and Métis artists. At the Âjagemô exhibition space. 

While Mother’s Day is over, there’s still time to see Mother/Artist Collective — Don’t Worry, I’ll Show You the Good Parts, an art show exploring ambitions, challenges and realities of motherhood and artistry, at City Hall. 

Music listings

Wine Lips | 27 Club, 27 York St | May 15 | Fusing garage rock, punk, and psychedelia into a high-energy sound characterized by fuzzed-out riffs and raw stage presence. Tickets $22.50. 

Jazz in the Dark | Art House Cafe, 555 Somerset St W | May 16 | A unique, immersive, live jazz experience where guests are invited to close their eyes or use a provided blindfold. Tickets $19. 

Doug Paisley | Red Bird, 1165 Bank St | May 17 | Rooted in the sound of folk and country, and influenced by many years performing bluegrass and American traditional music.  Tickets $38. 

Rhiannon Giddens | NAC, 1 Elgin St | May 17 | Grammy-winner whose music blends folk, blues, gospel, and classical influences to illuminate overlooked narratives in American history. Tickets $46.

The Rasmus | Overflow Brewing, 2477 Kaladar Av | May 18 | Finnish rock band known for blending alternative rock with gothic and symphonic elements in their hit ‘In the Shadows’. Tickets $32.50

Listings for music shows are provided by OttawaGigs.ca, the best place to discover live music in Ottawa. Check out Ottawagigs.ca for full listings across the city.

OTTAWA GUESSER

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• The CiyFolk Festival, happening in Septembe,r has announced a big lineup, including Alex Warren, Morrissey, The Pogues, and more. 

• The crowd was electric when the Ottawa Charge won last night's game. [Reddit]

• Congrats to Richard Ferland, who won the United Way East Ontario Community Builder Award. [Apt613]

• The Chef’s Table series is back for 2025. Want to learn more? [NAC]

• If you’re looking for some hikes this summer, check out the Rideau Trail Association.

• In 32 years, the 24-hour Elgin Street Diner has never closed its doors. So what happens there when we are all fast asleep? [CBC]