How romantic comedies for the holidays are giving some Ontario communities a big boost

Watching Christmas movies is a time-honored tradition, including Christmas films typically set in small towns across the United States.

But many of them are actually made in Ontario every year, providing a major boost to local businesses and the province’s economy as a whole.

This also includes the new Netflix film Hot frostywhere the winter wonderland in Hope Springs, New York is actually Brockville, Ontario.

In Brockville, the town is trying to capitalize on the film’s popularity and is even developing one Hot frosty “Bingo card folks can follow sightings of local landmarks while watching the film at home,” said Lyndsay Bigley, marketing officer for the city of Brockville.

Local companies are also getting involved. A knitwear store is now selling a pattern similar to the magical scarf that brings a snowman to life in the film, while a cafe has developed a specialty drink bearing the film’s name.

When the film was filmed in April, restaurants and hotels were seeing an uptick in business while the film’s cast and crew were in town during what is typically a quiet time for summer vacations, Bigley said.

“It was really cool to see some of the bigger stars of the film strolling around downtown and visiting these little independent shops. I think that was really special,” she said.

Bigley said she hopes the film will help people see Brockville as more than just a summer destination.

“Seeing people look at Brockville in a different light, seeking us out and realizing that there is actually a lot to do here, even in the winter. It was really special.”

VIEW | Ontario’s cities provide the backdrop for popular holiday rom-coms:

Does this sound familiar? These regions of Ontario have been featured in holiday films

Netflix’s “Hot Frosty” and “A Royal Date for Christmas” are just two films that have used Ontario cities as filming locations. CBC’s Lorenda Reddekopp takes a closer look at the impact of holiday films in the province.

North Bay has been the setting for dozens of Christmas romantic comedies

Brockville is just one example of how communities are experiencing economic growth through the holiday film industry.

The town of North Bay has become a hotspot for holiday movies. The city’s website even has a section dedicated to the film and television industry with location suggestions.

Many of these films are produced by Hideaway Pictures, a production company based in Sudbury and North Bay. CEO David Anselmo says holiday films are a big part of their business. He estimates they have made between 50 and 60 of them since he returned to Sudbury to start the company about 12 years ago.

During this time, the film industry exploded in northern Ontario, says Anselmo.

“When I started my business and moved back, we had very few employees working full-time,” he said.

“And now there are thousands of crew members in Northern Ontario who live and reside here, pay taxes here and really support their entire families through this industry, so I’m very proud to have been a small part of that.”

Anselmo said the growth is due in part to tax credits the Ontario government has provided to encourage people to film in the region.

A film with a budget of $5 million can receive up to half a million in funding through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund, a government-owned enterprise designed to promote economic development in the region.

Ontario Tourism, Culture and Games Minister Stan Cho says film and television production brought $3.2 billion to the province’s economy in 2022 and is expected to set a record this year.

“We are very fortunate to have these four seasons and a lot of people who are incredibly talented to oversee these shows,” Cho said.

“People have realized this is a great place to film some fantastic productions.”