Explosions, fires and simulated gunfire expected during Brantford filming

A film camera is seen in a CTV News file photo.

The Wilfrid Laurier University campus in Brantford is starting to look more like a Hollywood movie set.

Over the next week, students and faculty may see or hear “explosives, pyrotechnics, fires, simulated gunfire, mock weapons, mock officers and vehicles, drones and simulated accidents,” the university said.

A large-scale film production will be taking over the area around George Street, Dalhousie Street, King Street, Queen Street and Colbourne Street between May 1 and May 8.

Crews will be setting up from Wednesday to Friday, with the bulk of the movie action set for Monday and Tuesday. The production will wrap up next Wednesday.

Noise warning

The university said filming is not expected to happen before 7 a.m. or past 11 p.m.

However, the production did apply for a noise bylaw exemption for its vehicles.

Impact on students and faculty

Filming will affect some campus buildings and parking lots.

Laurier says Gold Permit Parking behind the Special Constable Service Building at 45 Market St. will be closed throughout production. Gold Permit Parking, between the Student Centre and the Research and Academic Centre, will only be accessible from the Dalhousie and Darling Street entrances. The George Street entrance, meanwhile, will be closed from May 6 to May 8.

Road closures

Several roads and sidewalks will also be closed for part or all of the production:

• Queen Street (from Colborne to Darling) - from May 1 at 6 a.m. to May 7 at 11 p.m.
• George Street (from Dalhousie to Darling) - from May 6 at 7 a.m. to May 8 at 11 p.m.
• Dalhousie Street and Queen St. intersection – brief closures from May 6 from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Colborne Street and King Street – brief closures from May 6 from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Dalhousie Street and Market Street intersection – brief closures from May 6 from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Dalhousie Street and George Street – brief closures May 7-8 from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• George Street and  Darling Street intersection – brief closures May 7-8 from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Through lane closures:

• Dalhousie Street on May 6 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.
• Dalhousie Street on May 7-8 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Other productions

The Laurier production is just the latest project to shoot in southwestern Ontario.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was spotted in Elora on Tuesday where the action star is filming the Netflix show FUBAR.

Last week, a Cambridge pizza restaurant was turned into a donut shop for another production. No details have been confirmed, but it's believed crews were filming for the Amazon TV series Reacher, which has previously shot in the city.