Regions

Canada
Canada can roughtly be divided up into five regions: The West Coast (British Columbia), The North (Yukon and Northwest Territories), The Rockies (BC and Alberta), The Prairies (Alberta, Saskatchewen, and Manitoba), Central Canada (Ontario and Québec), and the Maritimes (Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island). See our maps page for a little orientation.

The West Coast
British Columbia has it all: ocean, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, mountains, farmland, nature, skyscrapers and the warmest climate in Canada. Vancouver is the third largest production centre in North America (after LA and NY) and doubles for Los Angeles and New York. There is a tremendous ethnic diversity in Vancouver (as in most of Canada). BC is also a big destination for car commercials thanks to the huge variety of locations. One of Vancouver's greatest qualities is how close everything is. Start at the beach and 10 minutes later you're downtown. In another 20 mintues you're on top of one of the local ski hills. In Spring and Fall you can sail, swim, golf, and snowboard all in the same day.

The North
Canada's North includes the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunuvut. The North is a gigantic place with mountain ranges, rivers, frozen lakes, ice and snow (in the winter) and some beautiful roads. Yellowknife, in the NWT, has a small crew and equipment base.

The Rockies
Some of the most iconic scenery in Canada can be found in the Rockies. Mountains, rivers, snow, spectacular roads, and frozen lakes are all within an hour or so of the city of Calgary. You can source most of your crew and equipment in Calgary.

The Prairies
Stretching for thousands and thousands of hectares the Canadian Prairies are sometimes thought of as one giant wheat field. But there's more. Drumheller in southern Alberta is a rugged, desert-like country full of gulches, hoodoos, and dinosaur bones. You will also find symbols of the Old West like barns, buffalo, corrals, forts, and cowboys. The small towns are right out of a Sam Pekinpah movie.

Central Canada
Encompassing Ontario and Quebec, the founding two provinces have the largest populations in Canada. Central Canada has skyscrapers, historical buildings, quaint towns, beautiful farms, and huge tracts of forest. Toronto, the largest city in Canada, has the skyscrapers to prove it. French speaking Montréal and Québec City have a wonderful European charm.

The Maritimes
Canada's four most easterly provinces have a mixture of farmland and coastline very similar to the UK and France. Great fishing villages, rolling hills with stone fences, lighthouses and wild, rocky coast.

For more information check out the links page for Film Commissions and Tourism Associations.