If you hear gunfire in Cochrane this week, it's a movie.
The Town of Cochrane issued a notice ahead of a film production running at the Cochrane Lions Event Centre on August 31 and September 1, with additional filming elsewhere in the Alberta town on September 2.
"Residents near the Lions Event Centre may hear brief periods of simulated gunfire or notice actors in tactical or police-style clothing as part of the production," the Town said. "Some actors may also be carrying firearm props. Replica emergency vehicles will also be used during filming."
"These activities are planned as part of the production and are not an emergency."
What's actually filming
The Town's notice doesn't name the production. It's Door Kicker.
The series comes from META Productions, a Calgary-based studio that CochraneNow describes as an Emmy Award-winning company producing original television series and commercial campaigns. Six episodes are planned.
Crew were spotted shooting at the Texas Gate in the Historic Downtown earlier this week.
ACTRA Alberta lists Door Kicker Season 1 as filming in Calgary and surrounding areas from August 24 through October 9.
The title explains the rest of the Town's notice. "Door kicker" is police and military slang for the person who goes through the door first on a raid.
Beyond that, little has been announced. No cast, no network or platform, and no release window have been made public.
Where filming moves next
On September 2, the production shifts to town streets.
Carolina Crescent.
Mountain Street, after 6 p.m.
4 Avenue to the Texas Gate, after 6 p.m.
Drivers in those areas should expect short, rolling traffic stops of roughly five to 10 minutes at a time. Professional traffic control personnel will be on site, and the Town is asking drivers to follow their direction and allow extra time.
What's been approved
The production has the required approvals, including a noise exemption, and RCMP have been notified.
The production company is also notifying affected residents directly and will have filming signage in place.
That signage is the practical thing to watch for. If you come across tactical gear and replica police vehicles and there's production signage nearby, that's the shoot.
Cochrane is busy again
CochraneNow describes the shoot as marking a noticeable increase in film activity in town after several quieter years, though filming has continued in the broader area, particularly in wilderness settings.
The town has hosted a lot. My Life with the Walter Boys, Joe Pickett and Tin Star have all filmed there in recent years.
So did the 1986 cult classic Rad, in which Cochrane played the fictional Cochrane, Oregon. Scenes were shot around town and at what was then Spray Lake Sawmills, now West Fraser Cochrane. Former mayor Jeff Genung appeared as an extra.
Cochrane maintains a dedicated Filming in Cochrane page under its business and economic development section, which tells you this isn't accidental. The town actively courts production work.
What else is shooting in Alberta right now
Door Kicker is one of several productions currently working in the province, according to ACTRA Alberta listings.
The Magnificent Seven, Season One is listed as filming in Calgary and surrounding areas through September 22.
Heartland, Season 20 is listed in High River and surrounding areas through September 4.
My Life with the Walter Boys, Season 4 has Calgary filming dates running through November 20.
An Untitled Brightlight Project is listed in Calgary and area through November 30, and Little People is scheduled to begin in the Calgary and Peace River area in September.
Why Alberta keeps getting these
The numbers explain the interest.
Alberta Tourism and Sport reported that in 2023 alone, the cultural film and television sector contributed $1.25 billion to the provincial economy and supported more than 9,000 jobs.
That's before counting what the industry calls film location tourism, where people travel specifically to see places they've watched on screen. Cochrane's appearances in Walter Boys, Joe Pickett, Tin Star and Rad have put it on that map.
Alberta's Film and Television Tax Credit was set at $60 million for the year in Budget 2026, a reduction of $35 million from the previous allocation.
The southern Alberta corridor around Cochrane, Canmore, High River and the foothills works because a production needing small-town streetscapes, mountain backdrops or open range can get all three within an hour's drive.
If you're in Cochrane this week
Don't call 911 for the gunfire.
Do allow extra time on Carolina Crescent, Mountain Street and 4 Avenue on Wednesday evening.
And if you're hoping to see something, the Texas Gate stretch after 6 p.m. on September 2 is where the cameras will be.
Sources
Filming taking place at Cochrane Lions Event Centre — Town of Cochrane, August 27, 2026
Filming in Cochrane — Town of Cochrane
ACTRA Alberta production listings
Alberta Tourism and Sport
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