The rugged hills of the Canadian Badlands, the sun-scorched barren rock and the slicker-than-grease when wet bentonite is just what the doctor ordered to put a truck through its paces.
    Ford has arranged for the trucks and a gaggle of interested journalists to let us know how the trucks do. They’ll also be telling the world a little more about the Drumheller Valley.
    Next week, Ford, along with a contingent of writers, broadcasters and bloggers, will be descending on the valley. Their goal is to see how the new F150 pick-up truck can take on what the Badlands dishes out and to tell the story of the area.
    Christine Hollander, communications manager at Ford Canada is familiar with the valley after a cross-country trip nearly 15 years ago, and hasn’t forgotten it.
    “It’s something you don’t expect to see in Canada, and I always told myself ‘this would be a great place for a truck program,’” said Hollander.
    In all, there will be 40 media personnel, including representatives from well-known outlets, including Driving Television, Motoring and MotorTrend magazine. She adds that while many on the junket are automotive journalists, there will be others who may write beyond just the truck.
 Two separate groups will be arriving on May 13 and then on May 15.
    They will be landing in Calgary and jumping aboard a new F150, and heading straight out to the Last Chance Saloon for dinner.
    The next day the journalists will get a product presentation from the chief engineer of the truck Jackie DiMarco, and then will be at Dinosaur Downs to put the truck through all its paces; everything from payload, towing, off-roading, and a fuel economy challenge. They will also get to see a little of the area.
    “Being in Drumheller ,obviously you can’t miss doing a tour of the Royal Tyrrell Museum, so part of the program is touring behind the scenes,” said Hollander.
    Last year Ford sold 106,000 trucks in Canada.

    Rowleywood has a new–old look following its transformation for a German feature film production.
    The Drumheller Mail brought readers the story of The Cut, a German film that spent time in the Hamlet of Rowley in its March 20 edition.
    Despite some weather issues, which are expected in April in Alberta, they were able to wrap.
    “We finished shooting on a beautiful day. They got the blue sky, which they really wanted, and it worked out quite well,” said Doug Steeden, who worked on the production.
    The movie centers on a family torn apart in the early 1900s in the aftermath of what is known as the Armenian Genocide. A father goes on a quest to find his family.  Rowley served as a town in North Dakota in the 1920s.

Some of the crew and cast from the movie The Cut at the Rowley Elevators last month.

    To do this, many of the buildings received a facelift and were featured in the show. Since the production some of the buildings have been returned to the look they had before the show, while others have been freshened up.  Chris Foessier of Rowley said not long before filming the post office had been painted. For the movie however, the crew set about antiquing the building, and then reapplying a fresh coat of paint before they left.
    Steeden said the crews enjoyed working in the area and were amused each morning seeing the “Rowleywood” sign on the highway. He said Rowley is an asset for the industry.
    “It is good to know that it is available in the province there’s always a call for that. It is good they have kept it up and the grain elevators are in short supply these days,” said Steeden.
    It was a welcome sight to see a local production, and Steeden said he has seen a little more work in the province lately.
    “It’s definitely not what it was before, but things have picked up the last couple years with the series in Calgary (Hell On Wheels) and Heartland is now going into its seventh year… and there is always people looking around,” said Steeden. “I’ve always said that as long as people are still looking at the province, even if they are not coming here, it bodes well for it.”
    He said a number of factors have led to the slow down in the film industry. Made for television movies are becoming more of a rarity. Tax credits also have a bearing on where crew will go.
    “Nowadays you can shoot anywhere in the world with visual effects,” said Steeden. “But it does come down to where there are more tax credit dollars available.”
    In the mean time, while the talent pool has remained relatively strong, many have left for greener pastures.
    “They have gone where the work is…but I know they would come back if they knew the work was going to be steady here.”