Almost every CW series has a scene in the third episode where a certain type of viewer pauses and remarks, “That skyline looks familiar.” The way the industrial districts blend into forests at the frame’s edge, the street corners, and the cloudy light. It’s not a coincidence. A tax credit is what it is.
For many years, Canadian provincial incentives have subtly but significantly influenced the economics of American television production. With Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and a long list of genre shows that required forests, rain, and a city that could pass for somewhere in the American Pacific Northwest, Vancouver receives most of the attention and deserves it. However, something is changing. The next major destination is Alberta, and Calgary in particular. The cameras are following the money as it moves.
Currently, 22 to 30 percent of eligible production costs are refundable under Alberta’s Film and Television Tax Credit. For network television productions with tight budgets, the math becomes nearly impossible to ignore when you combine that with a favorable USD-to-CAD exchange rate—the US dollar still buys much more in Canada. In particular, CW shows have never been successful. On what a prestige drama might spend on an episode, they construct entire universes. Therefore, it begins to resemble a business mandate rather than an incentive when Alberta offers up to 30% back in addition to lower base production costs than Vancouver or Toronto.
The province appears to be fully aware of what it is constructing. In an effort to improve coordination and lessen bureaucratic friction for industry partners, Alberta combined its Film and Television Tax Credit and its Alberta Media Fund under one ministry, Arts, Culture, and Status of Women, in June 2026. More than $65 million in film and television investment through the provincial budget was announced by officials at a press conference during the Banff World Media Festival.
Notably, the FTTC allocation was reduced by $35 million to $60 million in the same budget, citing the redirection of unused funds to other initiatives. The industry expressed some mild concern and some headlines as a result of that reduction. However, Alberta quickly declared that it would not reject any foreign production. Reassurance was taken seriously, as evidenced by MGM Television’s upcoming adaptation of The Magnificent Seven, starring Matt Dillon and scheduled to start filming in Calgary in mid-2026.
It’s easy to undervalue the importance of the infrastructure argument. Calgary and Edmonton have been discreetly constructing sound stages and promoting themselves as full-service production facilities in addition to scenic backdrops. The first season of HBO’s The Last of Us was filmed in Alberta, and such high-profile endorsements typically have the same effect as restaurant reviews. Other productions take note. A major show creates an ecosystem of local crew, facilities, and post-production services that makes the next show easier to mount and less expensive.
The CW’s specific concentration in Canada, initially in Vancouver and now more and more in Alberta, may have more to do with institutional habit than with pure economics. The Flash chose Vancouver after Arrow did, in part to make crossovers easier. Flying up from Los Angeles, writers and executive producers would rather land in one city than two. It makes sense in terms of gravity. However, Calgary is now beginning to experience the same attraction. The next production team does the math, the infrastructure gets deeper, the tax credit stays competitive, and one large production plants a flag.
Observing all of this, one gets the impression that Alberta is playing a long, patient game. It streamlined its administrative structure, absorbed excess from an increasingly expensive Vancouver, increased its tax credit, and made gradual investments. Provincial statistics show that since 2020, over 380 productions have been supported, over $1.6 billion has been spent on production, and an estimated 16,000 jobs have been created. These numbers aren’t abstract. In addition to oil, beef, and the Rockies, they represent a legitimate industry being developed in a province that is obviously betting that cameras have a future here as well.
It’s still unclear if Calgary will completely replace Vancouver as the standard CW address or if it will take on a complementary role for productions that require something a little different, like wider skies, prairie proximity, or a less instantly recognizable city. In any case, the tax credits have already fulfilled their purpose. The cameras are still in the process of moving north.
