fourONEsixSTYLE

Ever since Toronto broadcasting powerhouse Alliance Atlantis was put on the sales block, people in the media industry have been speculating who the potential buyer would be. Playback magazine had a front-page poll listing the possibilities as Corus, CanWest, Astral, Rogers and Quebecor. However the news this morning is that Winnipeg-based CanWest, owner of Global and the National Post, is in the lead.

CanWest would partner with Goldman Sachs in the US to purchase Alliance Atlantis for 2.3 billion dollars. Goldman’s part of the purchase would include Alliance’s half of the CSI franchise - sadly, I’ll no longer be able to use CSI in my defense of Canadian television programming - while a new subsidiary of CanWest will take over broadcast specialty channels such as Showcase and the recently relaunched Slice channel.

At a benefit I attended in November hosted by Alliance Atlantis CEO Michael MacMillan, he ruminated about the company he started with a few of his roommates in a small Toronto apartment upon graduating from Queen’s University. Now, it appears he’ll be focusing on philanthropic activities like running Toronto East General Hospital’s fundraising campaign.

(photo: CPimages/Frank Gunn)

There’s nothing remarkable about the stretch of waterfront across from The Guvernment nightclub at Queen’s Quay where honeywagons sit parked before a large film production studio called Cinespace. It’s no surprise then that this is where the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation has set its sights to begin development of a key area of our waterfront called East Bayfront.

You’d think no one would object to the revitalization plan to include accessible waterfront and two-acre Sherbourne Park. The mixed use space, relative in size to Battery Park in Manhattan and London’s Canary Wharf will also include 7000 units of housing and 1 million square feet of commercial space. Cinespace, a major player in the Toronto film scene, will need to vacate by February 21st in order for the plan to go ahead, and they claim they’ve just been given notice to leave the premises leased by them from City of Toronto real estate developer TEDCO.

Toronto’s film industry is already dealing with city-ordered relocation of studio space, since a relative monopoly on the industry was given to the Toronto Film Studios to build Filmport. This means that space for US productions to shoot, key to the growing film industry in Toronto, is really tight. It could mean the loss of thousands of jobs if US productions find other cities that are more accommodating.

Cinespace is simply asking that it get 18 “official” months to find a new home. In the meantime Filmport and those affected by relocation can build new studios and Toronto can continue to offer the film production services it has come to be known for. Location Manager Craig Williams is one of 4454 film industry professionals who have signed an ongoing online petition agreeing that loss of studio space could have a “devastating impact” on Toronto’s film industry. He believes that “while we’ve all been waiting for the waterfront to evolve into something we can all use and explore, the city has to have a balanced plan to ensure it is not at the expense of key industry.”

Vintage postcard #6
Originally uploaded by jmv.

Got my breaking news from George Stroumboulopoulos’ The Hour tonight about the Fairmont chain of hotels being bought by a Saudi prince and an American developer for $4 billion. So we can say Goodbye to another Canadian icon. Many of these hotels were built in the late 1800’s under the vision of W.C. Van Horne, who dreamt of building lavish rest stops alongside the newly constructed Canadian Pacific Railway. ”If we can’t export the scenery, we’ll import the tourists” he was known for saying.

I’ve been lucky enough to stay the night at the Royal York and tour some of the famous suites: The Governor General’s and The Queen’s. The room we had was kinda old school (think Laura Ashley decor} but it had a great view and the eggs benny in bed (vegg style) was phenominal.

toronto film shoot
Originally uploaded by 416style.

It may be more widely known now, but for some time it got under the skin of many Torontonians that our city was being used for Hollywood flicks without the recognition it deserved. Story lines and plots centred around American cities but used our picturesque city for it’s backdrop. New York cabs used as props are still a familiar sight, but somehow now the attitude has changed. We’re happy to do what it takes behind-the-scenes to make Hollywood history, even if it means blowing up our City Hall.

Here are a few recent movies shot in the Tdot:

Mean Girls
How To Lose a Guy In 10 Days
The Recruit
Cinderella Man
Good Will Hunting
X-Men
Bulletproof Monk
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Chicago
John Q
Tuxedo
The Pacifer
Resident Evil: Apocalyse
Cold Creek Manor
Saint Ralph
Fever Pitch
Ice Princess
Phil the Alien
Four Brothers
Dawn of the Dead
Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen
Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
Welcome to Mooseport
The Prince and Me
Godsend
New York Minute
Against the Ropes
Festival Express
A Home At The End of the World
Touch of Pink
Twist
The In-Laws
Wrong Turn
How To Deal
Spider
Owning Mahowny
Hollywood North
Undercover Brother
K-19: The Widowmaker
Jason X
Narc
Men With Brooms
Half-baked
Driven
Ararat
Moonstruck
Bollywood/Hollywood
Between Strangers