Make a Scene

CANADA IS NICKNAMED Hollywood North for good reason. As versatile stand-ins for locales worldwide, Canada’s cosmopolitan cities and stunning natural landscapes are ideal for both the big and small screens. No need for Canadians to transport themselves virtually. You can visit these cool cinematic sets, in-person, in your own backyard. The Rockies are a location scout’s go-to, easily doubling as the Swiss Alps or, in the case of Brokeback Mountain, as western Wyoming’s mountain range. Film locations were set up in the Kananaskis and its surrounding areas. For the movie’s Signal Bar, crews painted the local Blue Saloon, in the hamlet of Carseland, an earthy brown (which was returned to its original royal blue hue, post-filming). Scenes depicting the Twist family’s homestead in disrepair were shot in the village of Beiseker, at a house dating back to the 1930s or 1940s, which provided an ideal rustic dilapidated look.

But it’s not all about magnificent mountains. Alberta exudes a U.S. Midwestern vibe, which is ideal for the TV series Fargo. The Calgary Public Library doubles as the local FBI headquarters while set decorator magic transforms Smokehouse Diner on Ogden Road SE into Lou’s Coffee Shop. Leroy’s Motel in Strathmore, which was recently demolished, was featured in the series, as was the Gas Bar. Locals were a tad panicked, momentarily, when signs posted gas prices at $233.9 per gallon on the day of the film shoot.

More recently, the HBO series The Last of Us was filmed extensively across the province. In Edmonton, the Alberta Legislature Building stood in for the Massachusetts State House. Stephen Avenue in downtown Calgary was converted into a post-apocalyptic world, and Canmore became the fictional Jackson settlement.

Wyoming mountains, U.S. Midwest town, dystopian city — Alberta brings them all to cinematic life.