Filming FAQ
Filming benefits New Westminster
Throughout the province, filming spends $3B annually. In 2017, the New Westminster Film Office generated over $1M in film permit revenues that help support the delivery of City services and community activations.
For New West merchants and/or residents, one day of filming can equal between $10,000 - $20,000 of spending in our community for locations, goods or services. Based on 135 film permits issued in 2017, the economic spin off of filming in New Westminster was between $1.3 – $2.6M. Residents who work in the filming industry were paid over $47M in 2017. These residents buy goods and services locally that directly contribute to the wellbeing of our City.
Filming is known to create ‘film tourism’ where fans come out to see where their favourite shows and movies are filmed. Popular productions such as Once Upon A Time, Supergirl, Riverdale, and Supernatural see fans visiting our City to watch filming or find locations seen in past episodes.
Overall, filming is a powerful economic generator for New Westminster. The compilation of film permit revenue, economic spin-off and filming employment is estimated at $50M annually.
Creating Sustainable Filming
In order to create sustainable filming, the Film Office works with locations teams to ensure that popular neighbourhoods have adequate time to rest between filming occurrences. The key to minimizing impact is communication! All filming information, including contact information for submitting feedback, is included in a Filming Application Letter to be distributed to residents before any proposed filming activity is approved.