Temporary Special Conditions for Film in Gastown

The Gastown area will have reduced access and special conditions for filming from now until September 30, 2022 due to compounding issues facing the businesses in the area. These issues include significant disruptions related to the demolition and removal of debris from the devastating Winters Hotel fire (more information to come on this), major BC Hydro infrastructure projects, as well as local business and tourism recovery efforts during the peak of the cruise ship season.

Effective immediately:

·         The City will be unable to permit road closures or intermittent traffic control in the neighborhood.

·         There will be a moratorium on the peak business days of Friday to Sunday and holidays.

·         Street parking permitted must be minimal and generally limited to a maximum of one block face (~300-400ft)

·         Frequency and locations of filming will need to be paced to a less frequent volume to ensure adequate “breaks” between film activities.

While we discourage productions from requesting exemptions to the directions above, the Film Office will consider extenuating circumstances provided there is support from affected businesses, or it is demonstrated to have minimal impact on the district.  For example, early morning activities that are completed prior to the start of normal business hours.  

We want to be clear that the decision to enact the conditions above was not made lightly, and is a result of unprecedented neighborhood impacts. Gastown has been a critical and supportive location since the very earliest days of Vancouver’s industry, and it is vitally important that we protect this asset and community goodwill during these difficult circumstances. 

We sincerely thank the industry for your support and look forward to getting through this challenging time and relaxing some of these conditions in the fall.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this direction, please reach out directly to Jodie Shebib, Acting Branch Manager, Film and Special Events at Jodie.shebib@vancouver.ca or 604-707-5394.