Canada has been a quiet star of many major films and TV shows, offering the perfect filming locations for bringing stories and characters to life. The versatility of Canada’s landscape and cityscapes allows for film sets that can morph into places like New York City and Chicago or fictional places like Vaes Dothrak from Game of Thrones.

Some places on Canadian soil, like the six listed here, have become hot spots for filming crews. Let’s look at these sites more closely to see what makes them ideal for so many movies and shows (and perhaps we’ll name-drop a few of the best-known films and shows featuring the Great White North).

Vancouver, British Columbia

Considered part of “Hollywood North,” Vancouver is the third-biggest film production city in North America, and there are a few reasons for its film presence. The first is the range of options found within the city. From the cobblestone streets of Gastown and the natural wonders of nearby parks like Whytecliff Park to the skyscrapers of the downtown core, Vancouver provides sites that can travel in time, deliver outdoor adventures, or serve as busy urban cores. Adding to this is the diversity of Vancouver’s seasons, which makes it even more transformative.

The second reason is Vancouver’s affordability compared to other locations. For American productions, Canada presents savings as the American dollar outperforms the Canadian dollar. In addition, the province of British Columbia offers tax incentives to encourage film production within its borders, making its cities an enticing and more affordable locale for filming. These factors have made Vancouver’s film industry so lucrative that it brings billions of dollars to the city annually.

A few movies and shows where you can spot Vancouver include the Deadpool series, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, New Moon, Man of Steel, I Robot, Once Upon a Time, and Arrow — and that’s just the tip of the production iceberg.

Səmiq̓wəʔelə (Riverview Hospital), British Columbia

Another British Columbian locale that frequently appears on screen is Səmiq̓wəʔelə, formerly called the Riverview Hospital, in Coquitlam, just a half-hour-drive away from Vancouver. The hospital served as a mental health institution for nearly 100 years, and it has a dark history around the treatment of its patients. As the hospital downsized and eventually closed, it served as a site for various filming crews. The building primarily serves as an institutional building in shows and movies and has appeared in major movies like Deadpool 1 and 2, The Butterfly Effect, Happy Gilmore, and Watchmen. It has also appeared in many TV shows, including The X-Files, Supernatural, Netflix’s Riverdale, and the reboot of Charmed.

Calgary, Alberta

Like British Columbia, Alberta also offers tax incentives to attract film productions to its cities and towns. The city of Calgary, in particular, has benefited from this, as well as the fact that it delivers a Western look and feel. Calgary’s Western aesthetic has found its way into well-known movies like Brokeback Mountain and The Bourne Legacy, as well as TV series such as The Last of Us. Its film list may not be as extensive as other locations listed here, but the films it has played a role in have performed incredibly well, giving this city a solid reputation in the film industry.

Toronto, Ontario

Toronto is another major Canadian city that offers versatility to production crews. This has led to its appearance in many different movies and shows and to it being one of the cities referred to when the term “Hollywood North” is used. Like Vancouver, Toronto is used to depict other major cities like Chicago or New York. The province of Ontario also offers tax incentives that make the city an ideal location for its aesthetic and cost-effectiveness. 

Toronto has appeared in a diverse range of films, including Mean Girls, Chicago, X-Men, and My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The city even appears in films as itself, with stories centred around Toronto events and residents, including the gambling movie Owning Mahowny, based on the real-life story of Brian Molony, who embezzled millions to feed his gambling habit. The film took creative liberties, but Canadians can appreciate that Toronto appeared as Toronto in the film and take note of exactly what not to do by playing slots for free at sites like SlotsOnlineCanada.com.

Montreal, Quebec

Montreal has made an impressive splash in the film industry as the filming location for films like Catch Me If You Can, Blades of Glory, and Get Smart. The city is known for being the Europe of Canada, and it has gained this reputation thanks to its stunning architecture and scenic neighbourhoods, like Old Montreal. These historic sites, alongside its modern arts and culture scene, provide many options for film producers seeking the ideal film location. Like other sites mentioned here, the city is also helped by its visually diverse seasons that allow it to be shaped into a different place or time with ease.

Halifax, Nova Scotia

The east coast of Canada is known for its beauty, but many may not know that it also played a role in the film Titanic and the real event. When the Titanic sank in 1912, Halifax served as the nearest major harbour to the ship, and the city became the central response site, sending out recovery teams to bring home the bodies of the ship’s passengers and crew. Halifax became the final resting place for more than a hundred people who were aboard the Titanic when it reached its disastrous end. When the film was being created, director James Cameron paid homage to the city’s efforts by beginning the film’s production there.

Conclusion

Canada’s cities and wilderness have played an essential role in film production. The country’s versatile landscape, which shifts and changes from province to province and season to season, gives this country a leading role in transporting us into the stories and lives portrayed on screens big and small.