The streaming wars have gone from a steady flow of shows to a large boost of Canadian shooting studios. From CBS first opening a Canadian studio in Toronto to Netflix’s lease on not one, not five, but eight soundstages at Pinewood Toronto Studios and Cinespace Films Studios, TV enthusiasts should expect a lot more content soon. “When complete, Pinewood Toronto Studios will be Canada’s biggest production complex and will make a world of difference in our ability to attract high-end productions to Toronto,” Pinewood Studios Group spokesman Andrew Smith tells The Hollywood Reporter. 

So one must ask- why the rise in Canadian studios? Isn’t the incredibly dense city of Los Angeles enough? Well, there’s only so much land in California to have large, high quality studios. With the copious amount of studio land, shows like The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu need that space to create stunning backdrops. The beautiful environment and natural wonders helped emphasize the simplicity and rural feel that shows like Anne with an E encapsulate. 

Also, the high demand for shows have led to many studios to finance construction of these studios. According to theglobeandmail.com, “In B.C. (British Columbia), the industry accounts for 71,140 direct and spin-off jobs – up about 11,000 jobs from the previous year – compared with 51,580 in Ontario and 44,910 in Quebec, according to [a] study”. It is also cheaper to film in Canada than it is to film in the U.S. With the loonie (Canadian currency) dropping in value compared to the U.S.’s dollar, Los Angeles producers have been turning to those studios in Canada to make cheaper yet still high quality content.

While there are many other reasons for the rise in Canadian studios, the environment and economy are just a few. Keep an eye out for many shows coming to streaming services- who knows, the chance that they were shot in Canada is increasing.