Film Permit Guidelines

At its own expense, including deductibles, the Applicant must maintain insurance coverage from an Ontario-registered insurance company and provide the Certificate of Insurance to filming@northbay.ca, meeting conditions for permit issuance set by the Economic Development Department and City Solicitor.

• In all policies, The Corporation of the City of North Bay must be named as an additional insured and a cross-liability clause must be included.
• A comprehensive general liability policy or commercial general liability policy in the amount of not less than $5,000,000 (Five Million Dollars) inclusive limit for any occurrence required
  • Note: it may be necessary to increase coverage if the exposure warrants it. This will be assessed on a case-by-case basis by the City of North Bay.
• Additional insurance limits and coverages (e.g. Products and Completed Operations, Blanket Contractual, Aircraft Liability, Pyrotechnics Liability, Fire, Non-Owned Automobile Liability, Personal Injury, Tenants Legal Liability, Pollution Liability, etc.) may be required depending on other specific activities, in which case the amount will be determined by the City’s Legal Department;
• Automobile third-party liability insurance in the amount of not less than $2,000,000 (Two Million Dollars) inclusive limit covering all vehicles used in connection with the filmmaking activities required;
• It is the responsibility of the production company to maintain insurance coverage for contents and equipment, rentals, liability for all activities, business interruption, automotive exposures and other risks and to limits of coverage amounts usual to that of a prudent company in the filming business operating at the same capacity.
• A thirty (30) day notification by the insurer to The Corporation of the City of North Bay must be included in the event of cancellation, termination or material alteration to the policy.

Production WSIB Clearance Certificate (not the WSIB Registration) or a letter from WSIB stating that it is not needed, should be submitted to filming@northbay.ca. 

Submission of a script to filming@northbay.ca is required for the assessment of subject matter and identification of potential considerations or concerns pertaining to filming at specific locations within the municipality.

Productions must provide a preliminary locations list to filming@northbay.ca. Shooting schedules/ one-liners must also be submitted when available. 

Call sheets must be emailed to filming@northbay.ca.

When a production company intends to create a set within an existing building, rural landscape, residential neighborhood, or urban area, the possibility of needing a Building Permit should be considered. If it's deemed necessary, the process may entail the following steps and document requirements:

• Site inspections.
• Technical engineer stamped drawings.
• Completed building permit application.

To ascertain whether a Building Permit is necessary, productions are advised to promptly contact the Economic Development Department at filming@northbay.ca or call 705.474.0400 ext. 2318 as soon as possible. It's essential to ensure compliance with our Chief Building Official's requirements before a filming permit can be issued. Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated.

The City of North Bay has bulk water and sewer disposal stations both located on Patton Street. Services can be purchased by creating an account with the City and paying a deposit. To create an account, the Applicant must submit the Portalogic Application Form to filming@northbay.ca. 

Note, productions must pay a $500 security deposit for each water card. This is to ensure production's account is left in good standing and the water card is returned at the end of production use.

If the Applicant wishes to film at a municipal park, picnic area, sports field, or arena they must submit the Facility Permit Request Form, and initialed Terms and Conditions to filming@northbay.ca. If the chosen location is available for filming, a rental agreement will be drafted, and fees will vary depending on the location.

If parking more than five (5) production vehicles at one location production must indicate the parking on the Filming Permit Application and include an aerial map indicating the location of production and crew vehicles, location of camera, and equipment, traffic or pedestrian interruptions, and the number of spaces requested. 

Production Vehicle Requirements:

• Must not block fire hydrants/connections, fire routes, sprinklers, intersections (within 9 meters), bus stops, crosswalks, sidewalks, driveways, accesses/egresses/ingresses, ramps, any municipal infrastructure, parking lot entrances and accessible parking for persons with disabilities, and emergency vehicle access. 
• Approval is needed for moving production vehicles between 11 pm and 7 am.
• Requests for relocating bus stops and shelters, accessible parking and loading zones can be coordinated through filming@northbay.ca at the time of application.
• Keep the filming permit on-site and display Parking Permits in vehicle windows.
• Cast and crew parking is not permitted in the downtown area, please have crew park offsite and shuttle to set.
• Fees are location-dependent and based on cost-recovery.
• Overnight filming/parking requests must be submitted as part of the filming permit application process.
• Refunds of monthly parking will be processed only after the return of the rental tag and for full months only. Partial months will not be refunded.

Winter Overnight Parking Ban

Overnight on-street parking bans are in effect from November 1 to April 15. By-Law 2014-37 prohibits the parking of vehicles:

• In the Downtown Improvement Area (DIA) from 3 a.m. to 6:30 a.m.
• On blocks containing cul-de-sacs and dead-end roads from 3 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
• All other streets from 3 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.
• On any city street within 12 hours of posting snow removal signs and 24 hours of snowfall during the period November 1 to March 31 both inclusive.

Overnight municipal lot parking bans are in effect from November 1 to March 31. By-Law 2011-234, Part 7 prohibits the overnight parking of vehicles on any municipal parking lot between the hours of 12 p.m. midnight and 8 a.m. except for:

• Lot Oak 2 (designated areas only) with purchase of monthly rental pass for overnight winter parking;
• Lot McIntyre 4 (Parking Garage), Levels 1 - 4, which is free from 4:30 p.m. until 8 a.m. and weekends and holidays year-round with no pass or permit required;
• Areas designated by the parking supervisor.

Sidewalk and Street Filming

• All filming with equipment or personnel positioned on a road, sidewalk, or boulevard requires a Street Work Permit Application, and map to be submitted with the Filming Permit Application.

Intermittent Traffic Stoppages (ITS)

• All ITS details must be submitted on the Filming Permit Application, along with a traffic control plan map, and intended traffic control method (Paid Duty Officers, or Book 7 etc.).
• The City of North Bay internal departments will determine if the traffic control method is sufficient or requires changes before approval.  

Road and Lane Closures 

• Road or lane closures require a traffic control plan map, Street Work Permit Application, Temporary Road Closure Application and intended traffic control method (Paid Duty Officers, or Book 7).
• The City of North Bay internal departments will determine if the traffic control method is sufficient or requires changes before approval.  
• Fees vary based on closure specifics and are cost-recovery based.

Additional Requests

• Any requests for traffic signal, light, or pattern changes require an email to filming@northbay.ca.  
• Road closures on all Provincial Highways (HWYs 11, 17 and 63 even within City limits) are subject to Ministry of Transportation approval which can be contacted at 705.497.5442 or visit: Ministry of Transportation.
• Any amendments to the schedule must be communicated to filming@northbay.ca, and the North Bay Police Traffic Section at 705.497.5555 standardize formatting or visit: North Bay Police a minimum of forty-eight (48) hours prior to filming.  

Productions must request any alterations, removals, or reinstallations of municipal street signs due to filming through the Filming Permit Application, and an aerial map indicating requests, for approval. Fees may vary and will be charged on a cost-recovery basis. Unauthorized sign alteration and removal is not permitted, and charges or fees will apply.

For public property excavation, on-site locates are required. Contact 3-1-1 for water, wastewater, and stormwater checks, and ON1Call at 1-800-400-2255 for utility vetting.

Productions must indicate on the Filming Permit Application the intent to use firearms, explosives, pyrotechnics, hazardous materials, and prop weapons along with a map outlining proposed locations of use, and a copy of the professional credentials required to operate or perform the activities.

The following special items must also be included with the Filming Permit Application:

• A completed Blasting Permit is required for explosives use.
• For chemical use, the Chemical Product Use Policy and Form must be submitted and present and accessible for all cast and crew during filming.
• The City may assign an inspector for a mix test, or on-set compliance inspection. 
• All pyrotechnic special effects require the following items:
  • Copy of the pyrotechnician certificate.
  • NRCAN Display Fireworks Manual and NRCAN Pyrotechnics Special Effects Manual compliance.
  • Arranged fire inspection by North Bay Fire Prevention for indoor use.
  • Paid Duty Police Officer(s) acquired for the detonation of pyrotechnic special effects and dangerous situations.
• A completed Burning Permit is required for open-air burning.

Approval for the use of substances may be weather dependent as there may be pedestrian and vehicular safety concerns on sidewalks and roadways.

Once the Economic Development Department receives the completed permit application and supporting documentation listed above, the decision to allow the use of such substances will be approved on a case-by-case basis. 

The use of remote-controlled devices, or remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS), including aerial drones, requires the following documents and final approval from the North Bay Jack Garland Airport Corporation to be facilitated through the Economic Development Department.

• Transport Canada Drone Pilot Certificate or Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) for Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS).
• Nav Canada RPAS Flight Authorization.
• Description and flight plan for drone or RPAS flight activities.
• $5,000,000 (Five Million Dollars) and additional Aviation Liability insurance naming the Corporation of the City of North Bay and the North Bay Jack Garland Airport Corporation as additional insured. Insurers must notify the Corporation of the City of North Bay 30 days before policy changes.
• Waiver of subrogation for the Corporation of the City of North Bay and the North Bay Jack Garland Airport Corporation.

Please note that the airspace around North Bay and surrounding communities encompasses the North Bay Jack Garland Airport, a hospital helipad, and a water aerodrome; as such you must be aware of the specific requirements for a specific location. Refer to the Drone Site Selection Tool of the National Research Council Canada to learn more about the airspace classifications and operational requirements throughout North Bay.

Drone pilots must follow the rules in the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs). Part IX – Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems contains the rules that apply to drones up to 25 kilograms. You are responsible to read these regulations in full before you fly your drone.

Community Notification           

The Applicant must notify affected residents and businesses within 200m of filming location, or as deemed appropriate by the Economic Development Department, three (3) business days in advance of filming. Notification must include duration, location, special effects, chemicals, road/lane closures, sidewalk usage, parking, and contact info. Chemical-related notifications must follow the Chemical Production Use Policy and Form.

Economic Development Department Notification               

Submit notification letters to filming@northbay.ca for review and approval in advance of distribution. Improper notice may result in withheld permits. Once a notification letter is received, the Economic Development Department will review the letter for accuracy and advise of the need for signatures. Production representative should send records of all signatures, and objections to filming@northbay.ca.