A look at Winnipeg’s new movie prop house opening to a ‘blossoming’ industry

A large and unique set of movie props is starting to grow in Winnipeg.

Christmas came early to the Fort Garry Hotel.

Twinkling lights, decorated fir trees, and snowy sidewalks transformed Broadway into a winter wonderland earlier this week.

“It is truly going to be a magical Christmas movie,” said Ian Dimerman, the producer of A Magical New York Christmas – the latest Hallmark movie being shot entirely in Winnipeg.

The holiday flick, based on a 2021 novel by Anita Hughes, wraps production in Winnipeg next month and is set to air later this year. The story is set in a glamorous New York City hotel—for which Winnipeg’s Fort Garry Hotel is standing in.

“Winnipeg has always really doubled nicely for New York and Chicago,” said the Winnipeg-born producer with Inferno Pictures. “There’s certain parts of our downtown that really, really mimic the look of some of these larger urban centres in the U.S.”

It’s not the first time Winnipeg locations have been transformed into an unseasonal winter wonderland overnight—and it won’t be the last. According to ACRTA, of the 24 productions filmed in the province last year, nine were holiday movies.

But what does it take to turn an unremarkable Winnipeg street into a magical New York winter wonderland?

“Attention to detail is critical,” Dimerman said, adding a production’s art department is crucial to the success of a movie.

“We’re blessed here in Winnipeg. We’ve got some really talented people in the art department that have worked on some very, very big shows, and there’s a tremendous amount of talent in our fine city to make these movies come to life.”

That’s where people like Paige Thiessen—Winnipeg’s newest movie prop supplier—come in.

“We have a lot of Christmas decor. We know that Hallmark films and seasonal holiday-type films are big in Winnipeg,” said Thiessen, the owner of Prairie Production Decor and Props. “We’re ready to make Christmas happen.”

Thiessen just launched her props rental website this month. She plans to open her storefront this summer.

For the past year, she’s been collecting all sorts of items that may come in handy on a movie set—focusing on props that may be tricky to find. A perusal of her inventory may uncover some pretty unique treasures—like a wooden African tribal mask, vintage Lucky Strike cigarettes, or a four-foot-tall pumpkin.

“Seeing all these different sets and things come together, you get an idea of items that are really used quite often and kind of a bit harder to find,” she said.

With a growing movie industry in Manitoba, Thiessen said her goal is to make it easier for set designers to find exactly what they need right here in Winnipeg.

“We’re seeing year after year, it’s just blossoming into this great community,” she said. “Hopefully, it just keeps going in that direction.”