Newmarket invests $50,000 of film production revenue in the downtown ZAC

PRESS RELEASE
CITY OF NEWMARKET
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Following the recent announcement on March 18th of a popular TV series filming in Newmarket, Newmarket Town Council is pleased to announce a $50,000 investment in the town centre, focused on the Main Street District Business Improvement Area (BIA) and economic development initiatives, resulting from film production revenues.


“As City Council, we are truly delighted to use this opportunity to drive growth and development in Newmarket as we recover from two years of uncertainty,” Mayor John Taylor said. “Film production will bring direct revenue to downtown and throughout our city while it’s here, but we want to provide more targeted direct investment in the downtown business community in the spring and summer to help with the recovery and recognize that there will be impacts on the downtown core due to the filming. That’s why we’re creating a program that will generate revenue and awareness downtown, and bring our main street back to life after years of COVID-19 restrictions.


Soon the city will launch a new initiative called Random Acts of Downtown Shopping with $20,000 in rewards and prizes to help entice people to shop downtown this spring. This initiative will reinvest revenue back into the downtown core, support businesses in the Main Street BIA impacted by street and parking lot closures, and encourage residents to explore new and old downtown favourites. The full program will be unveiled in the coming weeks.


The remaining $30,000 will go towards improving and enhancing the downtown area through events, programs and other economic development initiatives. This will be done in partnership with the City and Main Street District Business Improvement Area (BIA).


This investment in the city’s downtown area is funded directly from revenue generated from film production. The film is expected to have a minimum economic impact of $200,000 for Newmarket as a whole, with rentals and fees, accommodations and the infusion of several hundred cast and crew members who will shop, dine and will discover Newmarket.


News of a film production in town sparked community curiosity. In order to respect the integrity of the production and in accordance with the filming permit agreement, the city is unable to release or confirm the name of the show. The film production company has confirmed that all casting for the additional roles has now been completed.


Main Street remains open for business during the filming period. The City asks visitors to respect the film’s production and crew during their visit.


During the film period, from March 30 to April 1, there will be intermittent and continuous closures in the authorized area, which includes: Botsford and Timothy streets, from Main street to Old City Hall, the surrounding area and the marketplace.


For more information on the shooting, parking disruptions and to share feedback, go to heynewmarket.ca/filming.


For non-emergency questions, contact customer service at info@newmarket.ca or 905-895-5193 and press 3 if after hours.


For emergencies related to the production of the film, residents can also call the City Film Helpline at 905-716-9800. Staff will operate this line throughout the production period.

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