Nick Shcherban has had a hard time sleeping as of late, and it has nothing to do with the terrifying plot of Stephen King’s horror classic It.
He said film production crews working steps away from his front door have recently been using air conditioning units the size of small cars.
“So when they start those things up, you’re not sleeping at night,” he said, adding that the vibrations from the machines are the main problem.
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Noise is one of many complaints residents have voiced since crews began shooting at a mansion on the corner of their street since the middle of August. The conduct of the crew has also been one of the main concerns.
“First they’ll block your driveway and then there’s other people sitting on your lawn,” Shcherban said. “And then they’re standing around smoking, dropping their butts.”
Recently residents were handed more bad news when they learned filming would stretch until this Thursday, after it was scheduled to wrap up last week.
Mayor John Tory has now gotten involved and relayed some of their concerns to Third Act Productions, the company working in the area.
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“When productions choose our city, our industry here has the opportunity to create jobs, attract talent and contribute to our economy,” a statement from Tory’s office said.
“However, we need to make sure this happens in a way that is respectful of our neighbourhoods and residents.”
Third Act Productions did not return requests for comment, but the big-budget productions are seen as valuable assets within Toronto’s local economy. This year around $800 million worth of projects are being produced in the city.
This past February, Tory returned from a trade mission in Los Angeles trying to entice more studios to choose Toronto as a home for their projects, but not everyone is as excited about the prospect of more disruptions.
“I was okay with the first filming but not the 10th and 11th,” said Riverdale resident Milena Ivkoviv.
“The film company gives short or no notice.”
The mansion at 450 Pape Avenue has been used for filming by various companies 11 times so far this year according to residents. It is scheduled to wrap up filming in Toronto by Sept. 6.