BCBusiness

(TOP) MICHAEL LI JANUARY 2016 BCBusiness 15 Liquid Assets N u m e r o l o g y by Melissa Edwards That's how many groundwater wells must be licensed under B.C.'s new Water Sustainability Act, in effect this month. Under the old system, water users—farmers, frackers, bottlers, cities—who drew from lakes or rivers were regulated but not those who drew from underground, even a few metres away. The act closes that loophole but creates new com- plexities, including giving priority rights to whoever has the oldest well, which must be modified to prevent residential users from ever being left dry—as happened in California, where some towns are parched as farms with older licences drain supplies. Anna Warwick Sears, executive director of the Okanagan Basin Water Board, which represents the region's three water districts, says the rule is designed to avoid conflict but may actually create it as farms with existing surface licences are forced to cede water to those with newly licensed but older wells. "It has to get a lot more elaborate," she says. "This is probably going to take 10 years to unfold." TwilighT zone par, B.C. was doing decent busi- ness thanks to "fantastic talent in both cast and crew, some of the best infrastructure in terms of studio space, animation and post-production facilities, and some of the largest visual effects capability in the world." While many factors contrib- ute to the success of B.C.'s indus- try—warm weather, proximity to L.A. and tax credits (33 per cent if they use B.C. labour)—film production is a hugely competi- tive business. While FLS produc- tion is up in B.C. in recent years, it's down from its 10-year high in 2010/11, largely thanks to com- petition from the southern U.S. According to Cecil O'Connor, production manager for Shirt, Atlanta and Louisiana are emerging as major film centres— and likely alternatives to B.C. should the loonie rise dramatically. Some industry observers argue that one way to hedge against the dollar's ups and downs is to strengthen B.C.'s capacity for indig- enous production. That's the perspec- tive of Vancouver filmmakers Kate Twa and Ronan Reinart, who have just finished shoot- ing their indie film The Orchard in B.C. for under $1 million. Reinart thinks the time is right for independent B.C. filmmakers. "Our drone got us footage that even six years ago would have cost us $30,000 per set-up for a 120-foot techno crane," he says. "All the technol- ogy you need to make really powerful, beautiful cinema has never been better or stronger or cheaper than now." • 18,000 Share of Okanagan water used for agriculture Share used to maintain golf courses COLOURFUL CHARACTERS The new Power Rangers film was one of many shot in B.C. last year top 5 U.S. productions shot in B.C.* The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn 2 (2011) Budget: $120 million Worldwide box office: $829,746, 820 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn 1 (2011) Budget: $110 million Worldwide box office: $712,205,856 The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) Budget: $50 million Worldwide box office: $709,711,008 The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2009) Budget: $ 68 million Worldwide box office: $698,491,347 Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol (2010) Budget: $145 million Worldwide box office: $694,713,380 SOURCE: BOxOFFICE MOJO.COM 55% 5% Estimated cost to California's economy due to drought last year $2,700,000,000 must be licensed under B.C.'s new Water Sustainability Act, in effect this month. Under the old system, water users—farmers, frackers, bottlers, cities—who drew from lakes or rivers were regulated but not those who drew from underground, even a few metres away. The act closes that loophole but creates new com- plexities, including giving priority rights to whoever has the oldest well, which must be modified to prevent residential users from ever being left dry—as happened in California, where some towns are parched as farms with older licences drain supplies. Anna Warwick Sears, executive director of the Okanagan Basin Water Board, which represents the region's three water districts, says the rule is designed to avoid conflict but may actually create it as farms with existing surface licences are forced to cede water to those with newly licensed but older wells. "It has to get a lot more elaborate," she says. "This is probably going to take 10 years to unfold." $2,700,000,000 older wells. "It has to get a lot more elaborate," she says. "This is probably going to take 10 years to unfold." *in U.S. dollars

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