Given one-month notice to vacate where he has been running his business for the last four years, an Ottawa film producer was almost left out in the cold this winter for the production of his latest movie.

After the sale of Algonquin’s former Rideau campus to the University of Ottawa last month went through, the deal between the college and Neil Bregman, founder of the independent company Sound Venture Productions, was terminated.

Bregman and crew were forced to vacate the location so that the university can begin to prepare the building for short-term use to expand the University of Ottawa classes and sports. The university could not take on any new tenants because they required the space for their students, said David Mitchell, vice-president of university relations.

The school had been on the market for the last four years. “It didn’t catch me completely off guard,” said Bregman.

For the University of Ottawa, the location was a good buy because it is close to their current downtown campus and provides a lot of space for the university to continue development and expansion.

Sound Venture Productions was the only external tenant leasing space from the Rideau campus according to Udo Friesen team leader of facility operation and maintenance service.

The college and Bregman had a deal about the use of the space when Algonquin owned it. There was no fixed rent for the area. The fee would be dependant on how much the space was in use, according to Friesen. Sound Venture Productions would rent the space between two and four times a year from the college.

For Bregman, working with the college was a great experience because Algonquin was good to him and the company. Due to the flexibility of the contracts it was a good situation for everyone involved. Bregman and Algonquin had a great relationship, he said.

After Bregman found that he needed a new place to move his production too, he turned to the Ottawa-Carleton School Board to rent a location on Bronson Avenue.

The request was at first denied, however eventually the board agreed to allow the production to proceed there, however they did double the rent according to Bregman.

Production proceedings were set to start on Jan. 29, 2007. The TV movie is a romantic comedy called, Too Young to Marry.

The sale was not at a very convenient time for Bregman and the production of the TV movie. However what matters most is that the production will go on as planned.

He does not anticipate continuing to rent from the school board long-term. The plan is to only stay for a few months until the movie is nearly complete.