Cochrane will soon have a starring role as a backdrop in an upcoming Netflix production.
Crews have begun filming the upcoming original series My Life With the Walter Boys in Cochrane. Crews are expecting to wrap up in Cochrane in about a week, and production will continue in and around the Calgary area into August.
According to a post on the Town of Cochrane's Facebook, residents will likely notice film crews around town from April 11 to 13. Filming locations today include Glenhill Drive, the Texas Gate Grill, and William Camdem Park.
Tomorrow and Wednesday, 2 Avenue W will be closed from 1 Street W to Memorial Way to accommodate filming, with intermittent traffic control on 1 Street.
Other filming locations include the Fence and Post restaurant.
"We understand the importance for residents to access all affected areas," the Town stated. "Film crews will do their best to let traffic through when possible before every shoot."
Natalie Germann, Cochrane's community event administrator, liaisons with the film industry. She says she's not surprised the industry likes Cochrane.
"I don't think there's a prettier spot. We're really lucky to live here - even on a snowy day," German said.
German said she doesn't have a firm number available for the economic benefits that accrue to the community, but hopes to have a better estimate in the future. And she pointed out that crews are not just spending money while they are shooting, but they come to town for advance work, which also adds to business coffers.
In a presentation to Rocky View County in 2020, Luke Azevedo from Calgary Economic Development said the financial contributions to southern Alberta are considerable.
He added the area employs about 5,600 people and can generate up to a billion dollars over five to seven years. He spoke about the province’s diverse locations.
“We are very unique globally. We can be Afghanistan, we can be Mexico City, we can be Denver, we can be Calgary, we can be Rocky View County,” he said.
He spoke of showcasing areas like Rocky View to the world during COVID-19. There are also lower overall production costs and no provincial sales tax.
Several feature film projects have been filmed in Alberta, for example, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, The Revenant, Inception, Interstellar, and Legends of the Fall.
According to Calgary Economic Development for the Ghostbusters film in terms of accommodations Alberta hotel vendors received $2,170,294.75 in revenue over 4.5 months. Three weeks spent in the Fort MacLeod/Drumheller area for hotels generated $569,056.
My Life With the Walter Boys is based on the novel of the same name by Ali Novak. It is a coming-of-age family comedy centred around 16-year-old Jackie Howard who is suddenly uprooted from her Manhattan home and forced to adapt to life on a Colorado ranch with 11 rowdy kids — all of them boys.
According to Variety, Netflix has committed to 10 episodes, 50 minutes each, from production companies Komixx Entertainment and Sony Pictures Television.
