Photo from the fourth episode of The Last of Us, which was partially filmed in Lethbridge. (Photo supplied by the City of Lethbridge)

By Christian Oldale

Lethbridge City Council greenlights funding to attract film and TV productions

Jul 26, 2023 | 3:33 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Lethbridge City Council is committed to bringing more television and film productions to the area.

During their meeting on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, council voted unanimously in favour of a request originally brought forward by Economic Development Lethbridge (EDL) to help the community attract more film and television productions to the community. Details on funding for the initiative can be found here.

A City of Lethbridge employee will be needed to develop and coordinate the groundwork required, and administer the permitting process for productions. An external position with EDL meanwhile, would focus on external community relations, marketing and attracting the film industry to come to Lethbridge.

Mayor Blaine Hyggen said, “This is exciting news for our community and I am thrilled at the possibilities it could bring to our city and region in the coming years.”

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Hyggen stated, “We know Alberta has been a hub for film and TV production in recent years and this initiative will really help put Lethbridge on the map and help drive future economic growth.”

Carly Kleisinger, Director of Community Services added, “This initiative will serve as a starting point for the formal coordination and proactive development of the creative industries sector in Lethbridge. With a focus on film, television and digital content creation, we look forward to moving this forward with Economic Development Lethbridge.”

Opportunity Lethbridge and EDL will provide annual reports to council, which will include updates on the term positions and work completed to date.

Trevor Lewington, Chief Executive Officer for EDL said, “There has been a lot happening in film and television production in Alberta over the last few years. This funding approved by City Council allows us to better position Lethbridge to attract more of that business and the resulting jobs to our community.”

Earlier this year, Lethbridge was featured in HBO’s Emmy-nominated series The Last of Us, and was also featured in an episode of The Amazing Race Canada in summer 2022.

READ MORE: Lethbridge News Now.

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