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Hollywood North film workers reeling through two labour disputes BRENT RICHTER
brichter@nsnews.com
The lights have dimmed. The cameras aren’t rolling. And there’s next to no action.
Local film and TV production workers are reeling as two Hollywood-based strikes have put Metro Vancouver’s sizable film business into stasis. Strikes by members of the Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists in their labour disputes against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers mean only small, non-unionized shoots are still happening in Hollywood North. That’s a wrap Tony Lazarowich, a 37-year special effects veteran, had been preparing to shoot Final Destination 6 but has now been told not to expect to get called back to the set until 2024. “For any producers to forecast that as the worst-case scenario, that’s not encouraging at all,” he said. “It’s pretty bleak.”
Clare Husk, film co-ordinator for the City of North Vancouver, said it became clear that strikes were coming as early as February when the number of permit requests fell off. In the first half of 2022, the city granted 71 film permits for 94 days of filming, bringing in $274,422 in revenues. In the same period this year, there were just 27 permits for 29 days of shooting and $65,719 in fees collected. “Our numbers are hugely down year on year,” she said. “And in April, I did not have a single permit, which I have never experienced in the nearly 10 years I’ve been doing this.” Husk said the only film shoots happening now are commercials and independent passion projects that outof-work filmmakers are pursuing for the festival circuit. There are about 70,000 film workers in B.C., 5,000 of whom live in North Vancouver, Husk said. In 2020 (the most recent year of stats available), more than $110 million was paid in wages to workers with North Continued on page 26
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HIGH-TECH TUG Jordan Pechie, senior vice-president of Seaspan Marine Transportation, sits at the controls of HaiSea Wamis, the world’s first fully electric tugboat. See page 4 for the full story about the unique new vessel. PAUL MCGRATH / NSN
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