A Montreal West Island Disney Movie Shoot Ravaged A Green Space & Residents Are Pissed
Production covered the green space with gravel.
A green space in Pointe-Claire, Quebec.
Some Pointe-Clarie residents are raising hell after a shoot for a Disney movie in Montreal's West Island ravaged a local green space. The Montreal Gazette was the first to report this story.
In a March 17 Facebook post, Pointe-Claire City Councillor Erin Tedford said calls and emails have been pouring into her office concerning the incident in which production for the upcoming movie The Naughty Nine poured gravel over a grassy common area in an attempt to make it easier for trucks to access the site.
Poutine Productions, the company responsible for the shoot, sent a letter of apology to local residents claiming the gravel was necessary during the spring thaw when activity on the green turned it into a muddy mess. The company said it used the space in the first place because the city had requested it not park trucks on the street.
"Please accept our most profound apologies for the inconvenience our film shoot is causing you," the letter reads. "This is not something we had planned. We understand the frustration you might feel at this point."
Poutine Productions says it has contracted a landscaper to clean up the gravel and lay sod — something that it says will only be possible in May when the sod is available.
Tedford, meanwhile, suggested she has received "abusive and threatening messages" from constituents.
She explained in her Facebook post that the shoot was approved by the city through a pre-established process that included written consent from residents of the area. She said that "while council sets the process and requirements for such permits to be granted, we do not oversee the details of each individual permit or the work done."
Tedford is calling on city council to "re-examine" the permitting process for film work in the district.
According to Deadline, The Naughty Nine will be a Disney Channel original movie about a fifth grader who assembles a team to infiltrate the North Pole after he discovers he's on Santa's naughty list.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.