Shuvrajit Das Biswas
‘Virgin River‘ is the new romance drama on Netflix that sees the platform’s shift to yet more Hallmark-like content, designed to draw in larger numbers of viewers. The series is based on the ‘Virgin River’ novels by Robyn Carr. The premise basically follows Melinda Monroe, a woman who decides to move to the Californian town of Virgin River as a nurse practitioner. The idea is to start afresh, leaving behind the traumatic past. However, Melinda quickly realizes that she must heal herself fully as she struggles with small-town living before she can call Virgin River her home.
Carr’s ‘Virgin River’ novels have become the subject of sociology studies, focusing on the utopian vision of the town. In fact, the author has commented on the same, saying that people keep asking where the town is, wanting to go there. Obviously, the town exists in our hearts and minds, according to Carr, but that does not mean that we cannot offer you the next best possibility. Even if you cannot go to the town of Virgin River itself, we can tell you about the locations where the show was filmed so you get a better sense of the place. With that in mind, we bring you the filming locations for ‘Virgin River’.
Virgin River Filming Locations:
Principal filming for ‘Virgin River’ has taken place in Vancouver, British Columbia, in Canada. The series has mostly been shot in and around Vancouver, including places like Snug Cove on Bowen Island. Notably, filming started in December 2018, wrapping up by March 2019. It is one of the many projects that has been shot in Vancouver since the city supports student films and big projects.
Some of the other notable movies and shows that have been shot in Vancouver include, ‘Riverdale‘ and ‘Always Be My Maybe‘. Apart from Vancouver, Burnaby and Port Coquitlam have been used as filming locations, though the latter was only used for its establishments, while many of Burnaby’s areas have been extensively filmed for the series. Without further ado, let us look at the specific locations where ‘Virgin River’ was filmed.
Snug Cove on Bowen Island, British Columbia
Filming took place in Snug Cove and Artisan Lane. Filming crews could be seen near the library parking lot of Snug Cove, as the place was transformed into the fictional Virgin River town. According to the filming notice put out, the crews were there just for a day, opting to shoot some short establishing shots of the streets, and buildings located in and around Snug Cove. They started from the library, working their way up the street. The notice stated that there would be some background performers who would be walking along the sidewalks.
Apart from that, some cars have been driven on the Bowen Island Trunk Road as well as on Orchard Lane, since motorists and pedestrians in the area had been informed of possible delays and inconveniences that might be caused due to the shooting.
While the previous filming took place on March 14, 2019, on March 19, 2019, the crews started filming from Artisan Lane, before heading to the intersection of Bowen Island Truck Road, and the Dorman Road/Miller Road. Following that, the crew worked their way down the street, heading towards the ferry.
Burnaby, British Columbia
Burnaby saw its bit of ‘Virgin River’ when crews shot at the intersection of Northbrook Court and North Fraser Way. You can check out the official report here. Furthermore, some parts of the filming have been at the Burnaby Fraser Foreshore Park. The filming notice reads that the crew planned to shoot a dialogue scene at a food truck located by the river, and in the gravel parking lot.
Apart from that, the crews headed to Deer Lake Park in Burnaby for quite some time to capture some of the scenes for ‘Virgin River’. Having obtained permission, the crew apparently set up in the early morning, trying to make the best of time, since they wanted to refrain from nighttime shoots. According to reports, filming took place in the Community Picnic areas behind Hart House and Deer Lake Park. You can check out the crew’s entire Deer Lake Park filming schedule, here.
Port Coquitlam, British Columbia
Port Coquitlam is a city in British Columbia, which is located around 17 miles east of Vancouver. The crews of ‘Virgin River’ headed to this city, filming some scenes inside business establishments. These include Samz Pub, where the crew shot inside and outside. Following that, the crew headed to In a Wink Beautique on Shaughnessy Street. Filming took place inside and outside this establishment as well, according to the filming reports.
According to the story, the pub in Virgin River plays quite an important role since most people in the small town hang out there, turning it into a space that witnesses most conversations. Since the bar in the story is run by the man who the protagonist starts to fall in love with, Samz Pub could stand-in for one of the most important locations in the series.
Other Locations in and around Vancouver, British Columbia
‘Virgin River’ has smartly filmed at several other locations in and around British Columbia. Various reports have come in about these filming locations. Apparently, Murdo Frazer Cabin in North Vancouver was also the location where some scenes were filmed and might be seen in the movie. The movie also set up on Cheakamus Lake Road in Whistler for some scenes, according to reports.
In conclusion, it is evident how ‘Virgin River’ has smartly used the areas in and around Vancouver in British Columbia to portray the utopian small town, and the idyllic life led by people there.
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