CITY of STRATFORD Office of the Mayor His Worship Dan Mathieson City Hall, P. O. Box 818 Stratford, ON N5A 6W1 519-271-0250, ext. 234
[email protected] www.stra tfordcanada.ca October 6th, 2020 By Email
[email protected] The Honourable Lisa MacLeod Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries 6th Floor, 438 University Avenue Toronto, ON M5G 2K8 Dear Minister MacLeod: The Mayors of Southwestern Ontario (MOSO) are pleased to offer our support for the Southwestern Ontario Film Alliance proposal to create a Film and Production Hub in our region. We write to you today to request your government’s support for the expansion of film and television production in Ontario. In 2019, Ontario’s film and television industry created 45,000 jobs and contributed over $2 billion to the provincial economy. However, the industry is concentrated in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and Northern Ontario due to the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund, which rebates up to 50% of production expenditures. Consequently, Southwestern Ontario has been excluded from this expanding industry. The need for increased economic activity in our region could not be more urgent amid the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in the arts and culture sector. For example, the Stratford Festival was forced to cancel their 2020 season due to the ongoing public health crisis, putting 1000 staff, crew, and cast members out of work. Significantly, the Festival is the driving force of Stratford’s economy, and is the catalyst for $135 million in annual economic activity our region. The creation of a film and production hub in Southwestern Ontario could create much- needed opportunities for our highly valued arts and culture industry, as well as our substantial tourism and hospitality sector.