Canada

Location: North America

Currency: Canadian Dollar (CAD)

Q. Are there any requirements, when sending CAD?
A. Just your details, the beneficiary details and the purpose of the payment.

Q. Can I send inbound and outbound payments?
A. Yes, there are no restrictions on sending money into or outside of Canada.

Q. How much can I send?
A. As much as you want.

Q. How long will it take for my funds to be received?
A. Standard international payment time. However, with the right foreign exchange broker, this can be done as fast as the very next day.

Q. Who can I send CAD to?
A. Both individuals and businesses can receive funds.

Q. Is sending CAD expensive?
A. Not if you use the right currency broker, who will be able to offer you bank-beating exchange rates and significantly lower payment charges.

Q. Can you use forward contracts with CAD?
A. Yes. With the right currency broker, you can book a CAD exchange rate forward, protecting you against any adverse currency movements. With these contracts, you will always know exactly what is coming out of your bank account.

Information courtesy of Currencies Direct.

Film Commissions

Alberta

Alberta Film

Calgary Film Commission

Edmonton Screen Industries Office (ESIO)

British Columbia

Burnaby Film Office

Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Film Office

Chilliwack Creative Commission

Columbia Shuswap Film Commission

Creative BC

INFilm (Vancouver Island North Film Commission)

Okanagan Film Commission

Thompson-Nicola Film Commission (TNFC)

Vancouver Island South Film & Media Commission

Manitoba

Manitoba Film & Music (MFM)

Newfoundland & Labrador

PictureNL

Northwest Territories

Northwest Territories Film Commission

Nova Scotia

Screen Nova Scotia

Nunavut

Nunavut Film Development Corporation (NFDC)

Ontario

Brampton Film & Television Office (BFTO)

Durham Region Film Commission / Film Durham

Hamilton Film Office

Mississauga Film Office

Ontario Film Commission / Ontario Creates

Ottawa Film Office

Sault Sainte Marie Film Office

Toronto Film, Television & Digital Media Office

Prince Edward Island

Film PEI

Quebec

Film Laurentides

Québec Film and Television Council (QFTC)

Saguenay Film Commission

Yukon Territory

Government of Yukon

Visas & Permits

Visas & Work Permits

For crew members who will be entering to oversee the project, Western passport holders are able to enter Canada visa-free with an eTA for a period of up to six months. This excludes US nationals arriving directly from the US, who are exempt from the eTA requirement.

Commercial advertising shoots are exempt from the work permit process, on the condition that the project is foreign funded.

Please contact a local embassy, consulate or representative for more information. Alternatively, there are specialist companies that provide visa and immigration support to the media industry, and may be able to assist.

Film Location Permits

Canada is known to be a very film friendly country with streamlined permitting processes, which strive to both protect locations and give visiting productions the flexibility they need.

Basic permits typically take about three days. Shoots that require downtown street lockups, night shooting, aerials over the city, stunts and SPFX, will require more time for processing.

Customs

For productions looking to bring in film equipment, Canada is an ATA carnet country.

When to Film

When to Film

Canada is the world’s second largest country, so climate varies greatly depending on latitude, altitude and proximity to the coast. As a general rule, Canada has a four season climate.

Spring is beautiful and in full bloom. Summers on the coast, in the mountains and further north tend to be milder than the long, hot summers experienced in the Prairie Provinces. The western states regularly experience a fifth season, in the late summer months, of hazy skies brought on by wildfire smoke. Autumn brings colourful leaves, especially on the East Coast. Winters are very cold especially further north. The only exception is the Vancouver area which has mild, rainy winters that rarely get snow.

Canada is a multicultural country that celebrates religious pluralism.

Public Holidays

Public holidays may affect timing, availability and costs. See here for public holiday dates in Canada.

Costs & VAT

Canada is a very well established and sophisticated production centre and, as with anything that is of the highest quality, it costs accordingly. On average, it is more cost efficient to shoot in Canada than the US. Vancouver and Toronto remain among the busiest production centres in North America.

In Canada, the VAT rate is known as the Federal GST (Goods & Services Tax) rate. At the time of writing, combined federal and provincial/territorial sales taxes range from 5% to 15%.