Hallmark TV series films final season of hit series on Vancouver Island
The feeling is bittersweet on the Mid-Island as the hit Hallmark Channel series Chesapeake Shores begins filming its final season in the region.
The project has become a success story for TV production in the remote area.
"We hate to see something that’s been so beneficial to the region and the growth of our film industry coming to an end," says Joan Miller, film commissioner for the North Island Film Commission.
When Chesapeake Shores came to the Mid-Island seven years ago, there were concerns that producing a TV series entirely in the area would be a huge risk.
"No one ever really was able to figure out how to leverage it all to make it all happen," says Miller of past film productions.
Without any official production studios on the island to shoot interior scenes, the TV crew was able to improvise and use existing infrastructure like the Parksville Curling Club, which is being used this season as a studio.
"It became pretty clear that if we wanted to base our locations here on the island that we would have to set ourselves up permanently," says Matt Drake, executive producer of Chesapeake Shores.
"You can bring what you need and you can build and augment the rest yourself," he adds.
(CTV News)
Another part of Chesapeake Shores' success is that it started to hire local film crews who have gone through North Island College’s training programs.
"They were the first ones to say, 'Anytime you have training send your people to us,'" says the North Island film commissioner.
"Because we want to see that the work that we did here carries on with other companies in the future," says Miller.
The hope for Miller and Drake with Chesapeake Shores is that they have set a foundation for future production to come to the region.
"This production has shown others that it can happen in the Mid-Island," says Miller.
"It should be a prime example of how you can shoot outside of the main area and still pull off a successful production," says Drake.
Filming of the TV series' sixth and final season is expected to finish at the end of June, with the final season slated for release in mid-August.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.