Mayor John Tory welcomes Netflix to its new Canadian home in Toronto

Today, Mayor John Tory welcomed Netflix to its new home in Canada when Netflix announced the opening of an office in Toronto.

Netflix officials delivered the news to Mayor Tory in a virtual meeting this morning with Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson (Scarborough Centre), Chair of the City’s Economic and Community Development Committee, and Councillor Paula Fletcher (Toronto-Danforth), Chair of the City’s Film, Television and Digital Media Advisory Board.

Prior to today’s announcement, Toronto was already the proud home of one of Netflix’s two Canadian Production Hubs. Through the hub, Toronto’s talented crews have been essential to the success of international productions such as Jupiter’s Legacy, The Umbrella Academy and The Queen’s Gambit. Netflix has contributed substantially to the development of Toronto’s infrastructure and workforce.

ith the new office in Toronto, Netflix will expand its commitment to working with Canadian talent. Building on the success of uniquely Canadian shows such as Schitt’s Creek, Blown Away and Anne with an E, Netflix will work with Canadian creators to bring stories from Canada to the world. As one of the most diverse cities in the world, Toronto is proud of our locally-based, globally-minded talent, and looks forward to being home to Netflix as they support the best creators here, and from every part of Canada. Netflix and the City have a shared commitment to supporting the growth and diversification of the sector, working with communities to support pathways to opportunities. As the home of mega-stars and mega-stages, with so much more talent to be discovered, the City welcomes Netflix’s enhanced presence and partnership in original content production.

In 2019, the film, television and digital media sector contributed $2.2 billion to Toronto’s economy and employed more than 30,000 people. The film and television industry has adapted to COVID-19 regulations, with robust health and safety guidelines and will be a driver of ongoing economic recovery in 2021 and beyond.

More information about the City’s film office and its unique industry programs is available at http://www.toronto.ca/film.

Quotes:

“In very difficult times this is the kind of news that gives us hope! We have been working hard to make sure Netflix’s new Canadian office would be in Toronto. We put together a bid book in days to make the case for Netflix to locate here and engage with our creative industry. Our pitch was clear – Toronto is a film friendly city which welcomes and celebrates the screen industry, the quality and diversity of our talent pool is second to none, and we have a robust and ever expanding production and post-production industry. I want to thank Netflix for making the right choice for their company and for our city. This has been a tough year for Toronto and all cities, all businesses, and all residents but today’s news is one more example of our determination to help sectors get through the pandemic, to protect and grow jobs in our city, and to make sure we come back stronger than ever.”

– Mayor John Tory

“We’re proud of Toronto’s artists, animators, actors and crew, and their collective creative impact. There are many more talented Toronto performers and crew for Netflix to discover, creators to work with, and authentic Canadian stories to tell. We’re excited for future collaboration with Netflix.”

– Councillor Paula Fletcher (Toronto Danforth), Chair of the Film, Television and Digital Media Advisory Board

“Toronto’s Film and TV sector has been thriving and growing and an increasing number of productions are choosing our city for their next project. In 2019, the sector employed more than 30,000 people and contributed $2.2 billion to Toronto’s economy. Thanks to our partnerships with industry leaders such as Netflix, the local industry has completely rebounded – operating at pre-pandemic levels – and is on track to have another record-setting year in 2021.”

– Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson (Scarborough Centre) Chair of the City’s Economic and Community Development Committee

“As we grow our business and presence all across Canada, we’re excited that Toronto will be our first local office. We’re looking forward to opening our doors and building on the great work we’ve started with our creative partners to bring more Canadian artists and stories to the world.”

– Ted Sarandos, Co-CEO and Chief Content Officer, Netflix

Toronto is home to more than 2.9 million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses.