Netflix TV series boosts popularity of film locations in Greater Victoria
The Netflix miniseries Maid is earning global praise – and it appears that seemingly ordinary Greater Victoria shooting locations are quickly becoming popular tourist attractions.
At Sassy's Family Restaurant in Brentwood Bay, staff are getting a lot of reservations for one table in particular.
"That's table three, in the sunroom," said Noel Eanzer, a server at Sassy's.
It's all because the table was featured in just a few seconds of screen time in the Netflix television series.
Sassy's is just one of 160 Greater Victoria location that Netflix filmed at.
The production was a boon for businesses, which were in the grips of one of B.C.'s COVID-19 lockdowns at the time.
"They hired out the entire restaurant and paid out the staff wages," said Eanzer.
Meanwhile, a strip mall in Saanich stood in as Value Maids, the company where main character, Alex, played by Margaret Qualley, gets her job.
Value Maids is actually Tillicum Laundry near Hampton Park.
Tillicum Laundry is shown: (CTV News)
Other shooting locations include downtown Victoria, the Patricia Bay Highway, and an oceanfront mansion at Ten Mile Point.
"I watched the show in, I think, in 10 hours or something," said Katherine Gilbert of the Vancouver Island South Film and Media commission. "I just really couldn't turn it off."
Everybody and their dog is talking about the show. But amid the charm of its breathtaking and familiar scenery are subjects that can be hard to touch on.
The show focuses on a single mother who escapes from domestic abuse.
She ends up at a women's shelter, which was filmed at an apartment building in Esquimalt.
The apartment building in Esquimalt that stood in as a women's shelter in the Netflix series is shown: (CTV News)
The unit that the character lives in with her daughter, Maddy – played by young Victoria resident, Rylea Niveah Whittet – is unit 23.
The woman who lives in that unit is named Piper, and she say she's a fan of the show.
"I cried at some points," she told CTV News. "I've seen it probably three times through."
The show also employed locals for its cast and crew, including one woman who was formerly homeless, who was hired on as an extra then later offered an acting contract.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.