Electropolis in Ruins!

With the Atlantic Film Festival still in full swing and a new and improved tax credit announced, Halifax's production community has been dealt a debilitating blow. Nova Scotia Power, the province's electricity provider has singlehandedly killed the industry by bolting the doors and throwing out the tenants from the Electropolis sound stage in downtown Halifax. (ed. metephorically speaking that is).

In an announcement today Michael Donovan (ed. Mr. Oscar (tm), to you) has received news that he will have to vacate the building where shows like Bo on the Go, Lunar Jim etc, have and are being produced.

The Chronicle Herald quotes the Oscar (tm) winner ""They want us out," he said, adding that while NSPI can do what it wants with the property, he isn’t happy about the way negotiations took place. "We feel very badly treated.""

"Utility spokeswoman Margaret Murphy called the "unfortunate situation" an impasse between a landlord that wants to increase its lease price to better reflect current market conditions and a tenant that had enjoyed a favourable long-term lease."

Apparently Donovan's company DHX Media signed a lease ten years ago (ed. wouldn't that have been Salter Street Films?) agreeing to pay $50,000 a year lease. The contract also stated that after the ten years were up, the lease amount would rise to $500,000 which is about the actual operating cost of the building.

According to "a close friend", The gold statuette recipient is baffled at how the corporate monster NSPI would actually hold him to a signed legal contract thet bleeds his company of close to the market value of the property. After all, he did win an Oscar (tm). (ed. Enough)

Surely to God the government of Nova Scotia will step in and buy the property to avoid the sad sight of Poko and Minus packing up their meagre belongings and shuffling down the side of the road looking for a small corner to film his adventures in.

The government did come through last week after producers in town held a hunger strike (ed. actually they just cut out carbs for a few days). The tax credit on Nova Scotian labour has been increased to 50% + 5% for "frequent flyers" and another 10% for shooting in rural nova scota. (ed. really, isn't it all rural?) At a potential 65%, this tax credit is the highest in North America. And luckily for Halifax Film Nova Scotia Labour still counts people from Ontario who come to work here.

So, i urge everyone to call their MLA's and the premier's office to beg for their support to get Electropolis out of the hands of the spoiler of dreams NSPI and back into the hands of the free-"ish" marketplace.

Halifax Film should not have to did into their $25M IPO, their $1M provincial labour grant, or the money coming in from international sales of its evergreen children's programming. And I'm not saying this because I own 1000 shares of DHX (ed. presently at $1.70 where you acquired it)