Downtown prepped for film shoot
No word on what celebrities will visit for Netflix production
Sun shelters were set up in the empty Russell Hotel lot, crews were unloading moving trucks and a new facade was being installed on a nearby empty storefront.
Prep work for next week’s film shoot was in full swing Thursday in downtown St. Catharines.
Workers in neon construction harnesses were buzzing about the corner of St. Paul and James streets, which will be among the areas transformed into the early 1900s for the limited Netflix series “Madam C.J. Walker.”
“Anything that brings people to town is a good thing,” said Terry Fowler, owner of Fight Fit on James Street near the activity.
“Sometimes we don’t appreciate our city the way other people do.”
Location Manager John Teixeira of Manly Shore Production Services Inc. said his team visited potential shooting locations from Cobourg to St. Catharines.
St. Catharines was chosen because of the uniqueness of the T-intersection of St. Paul and James streets, which offers a vacant lot to use that is also surrounded by period
buildings.
It was a bonus to learn St. Catharines was the main corridor for freedom seekers coming from the United States on the Underground Railroad. The director, Kasi Lemmons, also directed the upcoming film “Harriet” about Harriet Tubman which is due in theatres later this year.
“She’s very ecstatic to know that she’s shooting in the town where Harriett Tubman had a connection to getting slaves across,” said Teixeira, adding choosing St. Catharines became a no-brainer.
Road closures will happen for two days of filming on Monday and Tuesday but all businesses will be open to pedestrians. St. Paul Street between Queen and Carlisle streets and James Street between King and St. Paul streets will be closed starting Monday at 6 a.m. and reopen at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
Filming will also take place at a private residence on Yates Street Tuesday.
“Most of the local shops and businesses have been absolutely amazing and great, obviously understanding they have their difficulties and concerns about loss of business,” Teixeira said.
“We’re working with all the shops to accommodate where we can, knowing that we don’t have all the money in the world to pay everybody but with the amount of folks we’re bringing into the town for the setup prior to filming, and with all the staff that are going to be there, it’s going to have a great economic impact.”
The city has said the filming is expected to bring more than $100,000 in economic benefits.
The series stars Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer as Madam C.J. Walker, a hair-care entrepreneur who is known as the first female African American millionaire, and Blair Underwood as her husband.
Teixeira said he couldn’t say how many people were on the crew or if any of the show’s cast would be on site due to nondisclosure agreements.
Nicole Pajak, co-owner Small Batch Co. on St. Paul Street, said her biggest concern is that the activity doesn’t impact customers.
But she said so far the activity hasn’t been a huge disruption and the crew has been respectful of the space. They’ve ordered juices for filming day.
“So far it’s all good.”
King of Trade manager Ken Mason said it’s a bit of an encumbrance, as the crew had to take the store’s stickers out of the windows, but added it’s nice to get different people downtown.
For his part, Fowler of Fight Fit said the shoot is a great opportunity to celebrate the city. He made a light box sign for his window welcoming the cast and crew.
“I think a little bit of smalltown hospitality never can hurt. It can go a long way.”