Part 2: Film Industry Strategy, Inclusive Voting Access, and Council Oversight Decisions - 01/16/2025
- PECConnect
- Jan 16, 2025
- 3 min read
David Harrison, acting as chair, guided the meeting smoothly and ensured discussion stayed focused. He emphasized that this committee’s decisions would move forward to council for final approval, reinforcing transparency in the process.
Emily, speaking on behalf of economic development staff, explained that the film policy is regional, not just local. She stressed that working with neighboring municipalities makes the region more attractive to production companies and ensures consistent rules. This matters to local businesses because it increases the chances that productions choose Prince Edward County and spend money locally.
View the entire PEC Council Meeting; or view our recap.
Councillor Roberts strongly supported the film policy and spoke about the region’s deep history in film and screen production. He emphasized training, digital content, and interactive media, noting that modern screen industries go far beyond traditional film. His comments highlighted future job opportunities for young people and creatives in the County.
Councillor Phil St-Jean raised practical questions about heritage oversight, economic impact, accommodations, and voting access. He supported the film policy and later played a key role in election discussions, stressing that internet-only voting can exclude seniors. His advocacy directly led to a motion encouraging inclusive roving polling locations, benefiting residents in retirement homes and social housing.
Councillor John Hirsch asked pointed questions about past filming in the County and whether the municipality had missed revenue opportunities. He supported clearer rules so the County is not caught off guard when productions request changes to public infrastructure.
Karen Palmer, senior staff, provided detailed explanations about how filming affects private property, businesses, and public services. She emphasized that while the County may not earn revenue from every shoot, local businesses often see significant benefits, especially wineries, shops, and accommodations.
Councillor Janice Maynard focused on fairness and accessibility. She pushed for flexibility in film fees for small creators and raised important questions about helping vulnerable residents vote. Her comments reinforced the idea that policies should work for everyone, not just large organizations.
Councillor Sam Grosso brought real-world filming experience to the discussion, asking about noise rules, curfews, and benefits to the County when filming happens on private land. His questions helped clarify that existing bylaws still apply and that indirect economic benefits are a key goal.
On election planning, Catalina, the municipal clerk, played a central role. She explained legal requirements, voter rights, and how the hybrid voting model would work. She confirmed that retirement homes, long-term care homes, and vulnerable populations would be considered when selecting polling locations.
A motion led by Councillor St-Jean and Councillor Roberts formally requested that the clerk be as inclusive as possible when setting roving polling locations, including retirement homes and social service providers. This motion passed and directly affects seniors and residents with mobility or transportation challenges.
Council unanimously supported the hybrid voting model, updates to closed meeting protocols, removal of the Nominating Committee from live streaming, and advancement of the film policy. For residents, this meeting showed a clear focus on economic opportunity, transparency, heritage protection, and inclusive democracy.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 1:06:28. Due to the length of the meeting, our team was not able to independently review the full recording in its entirety. As a result, we relied on software-generated transcription, automated summarization, and automated recognition of speakers and participants, which may not be entirely accurate. All transcriptions, summaries, and related content are prepared by our team in good faith and on a reasonable best-efforts basis. The content is provided for general informational purposes only and is intended to support public understanding of the topics discussed. While reasonable efforts have been made to present the information accurately, automated processes may result in errors, omissions, or unintended misinterpretations. This article does not constitute an official, certified, or verbatim record of the meeting, and it should not be relied upon as such. Readers are encouraged to consult original source materials, official minutes, or recordings where available for confirmation or clarification. Questions, requests for clarification, or suggested corrections may be submitted to hello@pecconnect.ca for review and consideration.
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