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Nova Scotia Police Identity Management Act

Nova Scotia Screen Industry Health and Safety Guidelines

Canadian Creative Industries Code of Conduct

Nova Scotia Police Identity Management Act

In 2021 the Nova Scotia government enacted the Police Identity Management Act (PIMA) after the Portapique shooting in 2020.

To read the full act, please click here
Additional regulations related to the act can be found here

PIMA has an impact on the film industry only when films are using specific police items that are in use by police agencies in Canada today. This means PIMA does not apply when using fictitious police items, historical items or items from police agencies from other countries, however, it is highly recommended to at least notify local law enforcement agencies when using, transporting and storing these items, even if they are fictitious, historical or from another country.

A Notification Of Dramatic Work form should be submitted when using police cruisers/vehicles, police uniforms, police badges, weapons, decorating an exterior location as a police station, emblem designs, etc.

Please download the Notification Of Dramatic Work forms by clicking the link below.

Full PIMA Form

Download Form

Notice of the dramatic work must be provided 14 days before the first date of use to all of the following:

the chief of police or commanding officer of the police agency in the jurisdiction where the dramatic work is to be performed;
the Public Safety and Security Division of the Nova Scotia Department of Justice: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;
the chief administrative officer or clerk of the municipality where the dramatic work is to be performed.

Directories for Police Agencies in Nova Scotia can be found at the two links below:

Once the notice is complete, please email copies to the appropriate parties listed above.
It is highly recommended that the PM/Coordinator are copied on all notifications.

Please note - when submitting, the notice should be no less than 2 pages total.

Please keep a copy of the original form and email to indicate compliance if needed.

Working During COVID-19

Over the past year, countless hours have been dedicated to ensuring the safety of cast & crew returning to work in the film industry during a global pandemic. Millions of dollars are currently being spent on Nova Scotia-based productions on private testing, PPE, and preventing COVID-19 from entering the workplace/spreading.

Screen Nova Scotia - COVID-19 Page

In the spring of 2020, Screen Nova Scotia along with representatives from I.A.T.S.E. Local 849, I.A.T.S.E. Local 667, DGC-ARC, ACTRA, and local producers, a set of guidelines for the film industry to continue work during the pandemic. Though the provincial restrictions seem to be ever-changing, the film industry has been permitted to remain open and Screen Nova Scotia has coordinated how these restrictions affect how the film industry functions. Current protocols, restrictions, and guidelines as they pertain to the film industry in Nova Scotia can be found here.

IATSE Canada Resource Site

With COVID-19 (coronavirus) causing massive shutdowns of various entertainment industry jobs, the IATSE Canadian Office has put together some resources to help both members and non-members in the industry. Please click here to see the resources they have compiled.

Union-MPA Studios Covid-19 Protocols

The Motion Picture Association – Canada (MPA-Canada) serves as the voice and advocate of the major producers and distributors of movies, home entertainment, and television programming in Canada and is an affiliate of the Motion Picture Association, Inc. (MPA). The global studios they represent include Walt Disney Studios (Disney | ABC Television), Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Netflix Studios, Universal City Studios (NBCUniversal | Universal Cable Productions), and Warner Bros. Entertainment.

The major studios represented by the AMPTP and the Motion Picture Association, together with their major union partners representing cast and crew, came together at the outset of the pandemic with guidance from leading infectious disease and public health experts, epidemiologists, and a range of medical and occupational safety professionals to develop the most robust industry protocols for safe return to production. These protocols represent the minimum signatory studio productions have to do in Canada. You can find the full press release here and the infographic here.

COVID-19 FAQs

Do I have to agree to be tested as a condition of employment?

The short answer is 'yes'.

As long as the testing is not discriminatory - i.e. everyone is subjected to a test - you can be obliged to get tested prior to starting your day. You may be asked to sign a consent/release form.

Not all test types can be processed in Nova Scotia labs. Note that depending upon where the testing contractor sends its tests to, there may be language that references the Province of Ontario or British Columbia. This is standard, and legal.

Do I have to wear a mask or PPE as a condition of employment?

If that's what the production says you have to do, then yes. As the employer, it is their responsibility to make every effort for a safe workplace. They want to prevent a COVID-19 infection.

What do I do if someone isn't following the rules or the production isn't complying with the safety protocols?

Each production will have a 3rd party COVID Health and Safety Coordinator. You should be able to bring any concerns to them, including non-COVID issues. If your concerns aren't addressed or you aren't comfortable going to them, please contact the Business Agent for the union or guild you are working under.

At any time, anyone can annonomusly use the IATSE SAFETY APP (Link on production specific page) to report ANY concerns including unsafe working conditions.

What happens if someone on the crew gets infected with COVID-19?

One of the purposes of the daily questionnaire is to help with contact tracing. By law, once there is a positive case, the Provincial health authority will take over. It will be up to Public Health to determine next steps, such as if the production must shut down. Depending on who is ill, the production may decide on its own to pause, to be cautious.