As many as 1,059 people were hired by movie productions shooting in Squamish from 2015-2019.
The District of Squamish received $199,200 in revenue.
The numbers were tracked down by the district through film applications and post-production surveys and BC statistics provided by Creative BC.
According to estimates by Creative BC, the people employed by film crews in town were paid $28,481,311 in the last five years.
However, these numbers are estimates and the actual numbers may vary for multiple reasons.
“A crew member could conceivably be paid by more than one payroll company in a year. The crew numbers may be doubled in some cases,” said Creative BC.
These numbers also don’t include crew members working on commercials, reality/unscripted television, documentaries, or independent low‐budget projects as Creative BC does not have access to that information.
The district says it intends to keep supporting the film industry growth and would aim to gain a better understanding of trends in Squamish through data collection.
The District of Squamish has also identified digital media marketing and film as an opportunity to boost Squamish’s economic development.
According to the current business licensing numbers, the number of film-related businesses operating in the district has grown to 25.
In 2020, the district did not see any filming activity from March through to mid‐July, as travel was limited in BC by the Public Health Order.
The district is also proposing to hire a film liaison service in 2021.
The position, the district says, would enable it to support this industry better while proactively mitigating disturbances to businesses.
