How does a yellow fire hydrant turn black, like a gangrenous toe in need of amputation?
It’s not diseased, but rather a symptom of the film industry’s prolific use of Toronto streets for movie shoots.
You needn’t look far to find a film crew and its equipment occupying the streetscape to make movies or video/TV content around here. It can be an inconvenience, but Toronto would be diminished — economically and in international recognition and stature — without it.
The film industry accounts for as much as $2.6 billion annually in economic activity and supports 40,000 skilled jobs, according to the city.
Part of the bargain is that it sometimes requires the locals to stay out of the way (which can be annoying) or it makes temporary changes that help create a realistic illusion.
That includes changes to the appearance of fire hydrants. David Crawford, who keeps an eye on the downtown core and lets me know when things are amiss, sent me a note about fire hydrants that were yellow but ended up black.
His note included two photos, one of a garden-variety yellow hydrant, along with an observation: “the city paints hydrants yellow so they are easily visible to fire services.”
The other was of a black hydrant, noting that “film companies paint them black so they can more easily be removed from scenes.
“The film companies never seem to remove their black paint or repaint them,” he said, adding he spotted several along King Street.
“I see them all over the place. Filming requires a permit. Does nobody in the city check that things have been returned to normal when filming ends?”
I went to King Street and found a black hydrant on the south side, about halfway between Yonge and Bay. But it stuck out like a sore, uh, toe.
STATUS: I sent the city a note, asking it to confirm that hydrants are painted black for film production, and who ensures they’re repainted yellow. Here’s the reply:
“Fire hydrants may be temporarily painted for film productions. Any alteration to city property requires explicit approval, and productions must co-ordinate with the city before and after filming to ensure all property is restored to city standards.
“When notified that a production is complete, the city repaints the fire hydrants yellow. This identifies them as city of Toronto-owned and ensures visibility for emergency situations. Corrective action, including potential cost recovery, may be considered if the municipal property is not restored to its original state.
“The fire hydrant will be repainted this week, dependent on the weather.”