Celebrating Guardians of the North premiere: Recipient of Creative Saskatchewan’s Feature Film and TV Production Grant

In a media release posted today by the Government of Saskatchewan, Creative Saskatchewan, Wavelength Entertainment, aand the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA), are celebrating the premiere of a new television docuseries Guardians of the North, which was filmed in the province.

Guardians of the North was a recipient of our Feature Film and TV Production Grant, and Creative Saskatchewan committed $276,000 into the production, which is expected to result in approximately $1.3 million of economic outputs back into Saskatchewan.

The show features personnel from the SPSA, Muskoday First Nations Fire Department and Saskatchewan First Nations Emergency Management as they train for and battle wildfires on the ground and from the air during the summer of 2022. The MCCAFE wildfire near Stanley Mission, which burnt more than 12,000 hectares, is featured in the show.

“It was an honour for us to embed with the brave men and women as they worked tirelessly battling fires in extreme conditions with the express goal of protecting the North,” Producer for Guardians of the North Chris Triffo said. “We are grateful to have collaborated with SPSA, SFNEM, Creative Saskatchewan and City TV on this exciting docuseries.”

The room was buzzing at the media event, with attendees including Premier Scott Moe, Hon. Minister Christine Tell, and representatives from Saskatchewan First Nations Emergency Management, Muskoday First Nation leadership, Saskatchewan film industry representatives, and local Members of the Legislative Assembly.

“We’re thrilled to be able to support this project,” Creative Saskatchewan CEO Erin Dean said. “The film industry has an inspiring ability to capture important stories and showcase our incredible landscape to the world through cinematography, and the 200 days of production activity have a positive impact on the local economy while creating jobs.”

“Productions like Guardians of the North are what many hoped to see when our government announced increased investments to grow our film industry last spring,” Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Laura Ross said. “This is a Saskatchewan story through and through. Every $1 invested into this project is expected to generate an economic output of $4.65, resulting in a significant and lasting impact on Saskatchewan’s tourism, hospitality and trade industries.”