Olivia Chow has a model starship in her office.
It鈥檚 the USS Toronto, a Parliament-class vessel slightly bigger than her hand. An accompanying plaque features a quote from her husband, Jack Layton, who died in 2011.
鈥淎lways have a dream that will outlast your lifetime,鈥 it reads.
Layton, the former federal NDP leader, was a fan of 鈥淪tar Trek.鈥
Chow, the mayor of Toronto, says her fandom began in the 1960s, when she was still living in Hong Kong.
She remembers watching 鈥淪tar Trek: The Original Series,鈥 then known simply as 鈥淪tar Trek,鈥 every day after school, along with 鈥淏atman鈥 and 鈥淢ission: Impossible.鈥
Chow arrived in Canada in 1970.
鈥淐aptain Kirk with his yellow uniform was what I remembered,鈥 she says of the iconic character played by Canadian actor William Shatner.
Today, Chow leads a city that has become a second home to the 鈥淪tar Trek鈥 franchise.
鈥淪tar Trek: Discovery,鈥 which premi猫red in 2017 on CBS All Access and ran for five seasons, was filmed at Pinewood Toronto Studios just east of the downtown Distillery District.
During production of its final season, one of Pinewood Toronto鈥檚 sound stages was renamed the Star Trek Stage in honour of the studio鈥檚 connection with the sci-fi franchise. The stage is 18,000 square feet, slightly larger than an NHL rink.
The upcoming 鈥淪tar Trek: Starfleet Academy鈥 series on Paramount Plus 鈥 already renewed for a second season 鈥 is also being shot at Pinewood, as was the movie 鈥淪tar Trek: Section 31,鈥 releasing on Jan. 24 and starring Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh.
鈥淪tar Trek: Strange New Worlds,鈥 a spinoff of 鈥淒iscovery,鈥 is shot at a CBS film studio in Mississauga, west of Toronto.
John Weber, president and CEO of Toronto-based Take 5 Productions, says many factors would have compelled CBS, which falls under the Paramount corporate umbrella, to bring 鈥淪tar Trek鈥 north, including a familiarity with the Canadian market.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not any one factor. It鈥檚 kind of having the whole ecosystem of factors that makes a film and television jurisdiction strong,鈥 says Weber, an executive producer on 鈥淒iscovery鈥 and 鈥淪trange New Worlds.鈥
The local industry also has a level of depth, diversity and talent that isn鈥檛 always seen elsewhere, he says.
鈥淎 lot of jurisdictions around the world may have two or three crews and, if the fourth show comes into that town, they may not get the best crew,鈥 Weber says, referring to people like camera operators, gaffers and art directors.
Ontario鈥檚 film commissioner says the province offers a wide variety of locations.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been really excited that 鈥楽tar Trek鈥 has used so many locations across the province, including places like Stelco in Hamilton and conservation areas and quarries in search of interesting, otherworldly locations,鈥 says Justin Cutler, whose office falls under the provincial government agency Ontario Creates.
The Greater Toronto Area has played host to many major television and film productions.
The horror movies 鈥淚t鈥 and 鈥淚t: Chapter Two,鈥 based on a Stephen King novel, were shot in and around Toronto, including the nearby communities of Port Hope and Oshawa. The clown Pennywise鈥檚 sewer lair was built at Pinewood.
鈥淭he Expanse,鈥 which aired on Syfy and later Prime Video, and superhero show 鈥淭he Boys,鈥 another Amazon property, were both shot in Toronto. Roy Thomson Hall, a downtown concert venue known for its curved glass roof, appears as the United Nations headquarters in one and the Manhattan home of a powerful corporation in the other.
For Prime Video鈥檚 action crime drama 鈥淩eacher,鈥 a fake town was constructed in a field in Pickering, Ont. 鈥 complete with a diner, police station, town square and more 鈥 to serve as the fictional rural Georgia community of Margrave.
Toronto icons including the CN Tower, Royal Ontario Museum and Eaton Centre appeared in an episode of 鈥淪trange New Worlds鈥 that aired in 2023.
The province also has 3.8 million square feet of studio space, the overwhelming majority which is in the Greater Toronto Area, says a 2023 report from Ontario Creates. That number is set to grow to 6.3 million square feet by 2026.
By comparison, Los Angeles has 7.3 million square feet of sound stages, says a February 2024 report from the real estate firm CBRE.
The provincial and federal governments also offer tax incentives that Cutler says are highly competitive.
Toronto鈥檚 film office, which Chow calls a 鈥渙ne-stop shop,鈥 plays a key role in attracting productions to the city.
At the helm is Marguerite Pigott, the city鈥檚 film commissioner and director of entertainment industries.
Pigott isn鈥檛 surprised 鈥淪tar Trek鈥 has found a home in Toronto, with so many other major productions in the area, including the TV shows 鈥淭he Handmaid鈥檚 Tale鈥 from Hulu, Netflix鈥檚 鈥淭he Umbrella Academy鈥 and the 2016 superhero movie 鈥淪uicide Squad.鈥
鈥淭his is how good we are, and L.A. knows it and the world knows it, so they shoot here,鈥 Pigott says.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how much Toronto knows it, and that is part of our work.鈥
Toronto鈥檚 mayor is thrilled 鈥淪tar Trek鈥 appears to be staying in town for the long term.
鈥淚t creates a large number of jobs, economic benefits in the millions and millions of dollars, so it鈥檚 absolutely wonderful and we鈥檒l get the blessings, right?鈥 Chow says as she gives a Vulcan salute with her left hand.
鈥淲e鈥檒l all live long and prosper.鈥