The arrival this year of Pixar and Digital Domain, the Venice, Calif.-based company behind Academy Award-winning films Titanic and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, was a major coup. Both are rolling out large studios and hiring local staff.

The hope, of course, is that once these heavy-hitters settle in, more of their kind will follow. But just as there is some momentum, there is also a mini-snag on the horizon.

In a little known move by Ottawa, slated for this fall, there is a desire to protect jobs for Canadians, but the plan could backfire and hamstring the growth of hundreds of jobs in B.C.’s economy.

Established as a means to encourage aspiring female game designers and provide them with greater opportunities for a career in the game industry, the scholarship is valued at $49,250 and covers the full tuition to VFS’s acclaimed one-year Game Design program, named by L.A. Times as a Top 10 school “favoured by industry recruiters”.

Since last year, the Island North Film Commission has been working on spreading the word that Campbell River is a great place for the digital arts and video game industry to do business. And council is preparing to raise the city’s profile.

In August 2011, Vancouver will host one of the biggest gaming and graphics conventions in the world. More than 35,000 graphic artists are expected to attend.

“One of our options we’re looking at is how can we get them up here, pre and post convention,” said Coun. Andy Adams.

The commission, which works to bring film and television productions to the North Island, was instrumental in convincing the provincial government to expand tax credits for filmmakers and now video game studios which do business in B.C. The government is now planning a new 17.5 per cent tax break on labour costs for video game studios, and studios are looking at setting up shop outside Vancouver.

Late last year, a group of representatives from game companies and animation studios visited Campbell River to talk about the possibility of operating in smaller cities. Campbell River is on their radar, said Roger McDonell, former mayor, who is now working with the commission.

“They’re very aware Campbell River lobbied very hard (for the tax credit),” he said.