Filming in Pickering

Once a permit request has been sent, we are generally able to issue a permit within 3-5 business days depending on the complexity of the shoot.

Permit fees as of July 5, 2024:

$360 +HST: Standard permit fee for road occupancy without temporary closure or lane restriction (but may include travelling shots, parking, performing or ITC),

or

$515 +HST: For permits requesting a temporary road closure or lane restriction (this fee is a stand alone for these conditions and includes your road occupancy and temporary closure).

Either fee can cover multiple locations over multiple days, provided the occupancies relate to a single filming event, occurring over consecutive days.

Insurance:

All film productions must provide the City with a Certificate of Insurance, naming the City as an added insured to the production's insurance policy. Minimum required coverage is $5 million general commercial liability and $2 million each for owned and/or non-owned vehicles. The City should be named as:  City of Pickering, One The Esplanade, Pickering, On L1V 6K7.

Paid Duty Officers:

Paid Duty Officers (PDO) may be required to be on site for traffic control & safety. Please reach out to Durham Regional Police Services to hire a Paid Duty Officer.

City Parks, Municipal Facilities, and Pickering Museum Village:

If your production plans to include use of a City owned facility or public park or the Pickering Museum Village, we'll connect you to the right staff for issuance of a Facility Rental Agreement or Park Rental Permit. View additional information found Community Spaces & Rentals.

SPFX & Drone Usage:

Use of SPFX that are fire or incendiary-based must be reviewed by the City of Pickering, Fire Prevention Office.  The Film Liaison Office will circulate your application directly to our Fire Services staff to determine if the activity requires a separate Fire Permit or on site attendance by our Pickering Fire Service team. In most cases, certified SPFX personnel contracted by the film production company can be used. (Note: if City of Pickering Fire personnel are required, but not available, no other private fire service or personnel will be allowed as a substitute.)

The use of chemical based SPFX products must be reviewed by our Engineering Department prior to issuance of a Film Location Permit, to ensure they are safe for our residents, and the environment. A minimum of 10 days is required for the City to review the MSDS sheets on chemical based, sprayed snow materials.

Non-incendiary SPFX such as mock gunfire no longer requires on-site attendance by Durham Region Police Services tactical teams. However, details of the SPFX explosives or gunfire must be reported to the City of Pickering Film Liaison Office as well as the Durham Region Police Dispatch office, prior to issuance of the City's Film Location Permit and commencement of filming.

If a production plans to use a drone, a copy of the drone operator's certification must be filed with the Film Office prior to us issuing a Film Location Permit.

Nautical Village:

The busy city pace slows down as you enter our beautiful Nautical Village. A perfect pathway dotted with shops and cafes that seamlessly merge with Lake Ontario. Here, you'll also find the sparkling waters of Frenchman's Bay, the largest natural bay on Lake Ontario. Sailboats docked next to bayside restaurants provide a perfect nautical backdrop.

Pickering Museum Village:

Pickering Museum Village, 2365 Concession Road 6, Hamlet of Greenwood

Map & Description of Village Buildings

Nestled on the banks of Duffins Creek in the quaint hamlet of Greenwood, Pickering Museum Village provides a private, distinct setting. Whether it's heritage accuracy, a timeless 'backwoods' environment, or a quaint village setting, Pickering Museum Village can provide it.

• over 10 acres of pristine natural settings including a meadow and bridged stream, woods and pathways
• 19th century village including artefact buildings like a blacksmith's shop, log barn and house, a standard board barn, log school house, 2 storey temperance hotel, chapel, 2 storey board & batten home, 2 storey farm house, Odd Fellows community hall, various accessory buildings like drive sheds and a small farm abattoir

William F. White Backlot:

Nestled in the midst of a film friendly, rural community, this 90 acre backlot is in the Zone. This unique and extremely versatile space offers innumerable options to go from a rustic small town, to modern New York City streets. The backlot features a 23 acre, 'small town anywhere', with facade streetscapes, a town square, and a variety of interior sets, all adaptable to meet your design needs. Beyond the 'town' are stretches of secluded field and forest for exterior rural shots.

Tribro Studios:

This studio is within union Zone 1 and is a 40-minute drive from downtown Toronto and 35 minutes from Toronto Pearson International Airport. The facility is 180,000 sf with 22 ft ceiling heights and has ample parking for crew and trailers. Studio features include:

• 150,000 sf stage area
• Mill shop
• 30,000 sf production offices and ancillary space
• 3 stages @ 18,000 sf each
• 4000 amp service

Hamlets:

Pickering is dotted with vintage hamlets, still 'in the Zone' and just minutes from urban settings and transportation networks. Surrounded by natural beauty, we've retained all the charm and character of our small towns, while making huge strides in maturing as a city. The Hamlet of Whitevale has been maintained and enhanced since its settlement in the early 1800's. Located along the banks of Duffin's Creek along Concession Road 5, Whitevale has protected much of the original Victorian influenced architecture. Filming activities in the Hamlet of Whitevale are overseen by the City of Pickering as well as the Whitevale & District Residents' Association.

Film productions looking for new locations often search the inventory of film sites hosted by Ontario Creates. This is the official Film Commission office established by the Province of Ontario, to support all aspects of the film industry across Ontario.

If you would like to offer/rent your property to the film industry, consider registering your property with the Ontario Film Commission, Ontario Locations Library. This online portal features over 400,000 digital images of locations, used by film and TV producers to scout potential filming sites for upcoming productions in Ontario.

It is important to note, that any arrangements made for use of your private property, are between you and the production company.  The City of Pickering has no jurisdiction or involvement in setting the terms of rental of private property. The City's role in issuing approvals to the Film industry only applies to the use of City owned property or roads.  Residents must still comply with all Municipal By-laws while providing use of their property to a film company. Therefore, if a film company is using your property, but parking their equipment or vehicles on a public municipal road, the production must still apply for a Film Location Permit for occupancy of that road.

Please don't hesitate to call 905.420.4660 ext. 1158 or email Filming for more information.