It’s a rare day in the Canadian media sector when a government invests tens of millions to support it, but that day came this week in British Columbia, home to one of the world’s largest animation and VFX clusters. 

The provincial government announced on Wednesday that it was investing US$31 million to “support people and businesses” across BC’s culture industries. Calling it the “largest-ever single investment” in the sector, the province’s minister of tourism, arts, culture and sport, Lisa Popham, said the new funding is intended to support the industry in the wake of the pandemic. 

Almost US$12 million will flow to film and TV production, with US$668,000 broken out for programs dedicated to professional development, diversity and sustainability. A further US$2.2 million (CAD$3 million) will be reserved for independent BC-owned digital media companies. The funding is to be administered by Creative BC, which handles the province’s significant tax credit programs, and it will flow to the industry over the course of three years. Further details on the rollout of the funds were not released with the announcement. 

Jennifer Twiner McCarron, CEO of one of BC’s largest multi-holding production companies, Thunderbird Entertainment, tells Kidscreen she was pleased to see the funding support not only production, but socially progressive initiatives as well. “This significant investment in B.C.’s creative industries will continue to make the province a destination of choice for employees, buyers and creators,” she says. “It is so encouraging to see not only Creative BC’s ongoing recognition of the important role a healthy TV and film industry plays in the province (and in Canada overall), but also its further support of environmental sustainability and DEI initiatives that will help to push our industry forward.”

The province’s most recent impact data reported that in 2020, BC hosted more than 350 productions and employed almost 30,000 people in full-time or equivalent positions. However, the pandemic has been especially hard on talent growth and retention in the animation industry globally. And in BC, the cost of living for places like Vancouver—well known for its astronomical real estate prices—was already a struggle. That issue has been further exacerbated by post-pandemic changes to the workplace and rising inflation.

Photo by Lee Robinson on Unsplash