Get ready to catch Canada on the big screen this holiday season! Nothing feels more like Christmas than snuggling up on the couch and binge-watching a few festive flicks.
From newer releases to traditional classics, these movies bring that holiday cheer year after year. But did you know that some of your Christmas favourites were actually filmed right here in Canada?
So, grab your favourite cozy blanket, a hot cup of cocoa, and some freshly popped popcorn, and let’s go down memory lane with some of the best Christmas movies that were filmed in Canada. Forget the 12 days of Christmas, these 12 holiday movies are definitely worth watching!
DECK THE HALLS
Back in 2006, the holiday comedy Deck the Halls was filmed in Canada in the Metro Vancouver area. Starring Matthew Broderick, Danny Devito, Kirsten Davis, and Kristin Chenoweth, this movie brings some serious laughs for the holidays! The storyline follows two neighbours who battle over Christmas lights when one decides to decorate his house with over-the-top bright lights.
Filming for Deck the Halls mostly took place in Vancouver, Surrey, and White Rock. Locations like Holy Trinity Cathedral in New Westminster were used to film the comical scene where Broderick and Devito are seen washing out their eyes with holy water. Mundy Park in Coquitlam was also used to shoot some of the outdoor scenes.
Since it was summertime when the movie was filmed, the fictional houses were built on a sound stage in White Rock, which allowed them to create a snowy backdrop and shoot at all times of the day!
ELF
Buddy may have travelled through the seven levels of the candy cane forest, past the sea of twirly-swirly gumdrops, and somehow ended up right here in Canada! In case you didn’t know, filming for the popular holiday movie Elf took place in Metro Vancouver back in 2003.
Starring the one and only Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf, the movie is set in New York City, and filming took place there for some of its production. However, scenes from the North Pole and Santa’s workshop were actually filmed on sound stages in Vancouver.
Filming locations include the Pacific Coliseum, which was used to create the iconic winter wonderland in the film that we all know and love. Shooting also took place at Riverview Hospital in Coquitlam, which was transformed into NYC’s Central Park.
THE SANTA CLAUSE
For some, it simply wouldn’t be Christmas without watching the holiday classic The Santa Clause that many of us know and love! Starring Tim Allen as Scott Calvin, who transforms into Santa Claus, this festive favourite was filmed back in 1994. But did you know that most of the filming took place in the Greater Toronto Area?
Lakeshore Road East in Oakville was used for the opening credit scenes, and who could forget when they show up at Denny’s after “Dad burnt the turkey,” which was shot at 2141 Ellesmere St. in Scarborough. The scenes for Charlie’s school were filmed at John Ross Robertson Junior Public School located in Toronto, and the Canada Permanent Trust Building in downtown TO stood in as the law office.
Looking for Scott’s house in the movie? It’s located at 17 Chisholm St. in Oakville, and 1173 Carey Rd. is the fictional home of Charlie’s mom, Laura. And of course, the scene at the polar bear exhibit where Scott tries to convince Charlie it was all just a dream was filmed at the Toronto Zoo.
THE SANTA CLAUSE 2
For the second movie, filming was moved to Metro Vancouver for The Santa Clause 2, which is the second instalment of the trilogy. This time around, Scott Calvin (aka Santa Claus) is on a pursuit to find his very own Mrs. Claus, and the movie features quite a few filming locations in the city.
Remember Charlie’s high school? How about when he breaks in only to get caught by his principal? Kitsilano Secondary School was the main location used for Charlie’s school, along with Miller Park Community School in Coquitlam and xpey’ Elementary on Hastings Street. Other filming locations include Port Moody, New Westminster, and Mammoth Studios in Burnaby.
LOVE HARD
Not your typical holiday classic, but still a great watch at Christmastime, nonetheless, Love Hard was also filmed in Canada in the Metro Vancouver area.
Released in 2021 on Netflix, this festive rom-com stars Canadian actress Nina Dobrev as Natalie Bauer and comedian Jimmy O. Yang as Josh Lin. After meeting on a dating app, Natalie travels 3,000 miles to surprise her online crush, Josh, for Christmas, only to realize she’s been catfished. Things get even more interesting as the story progresses — but we’ll save the spoilers and let you enjoy it for yourself instead!
A few noticeable filming locations to look out for include the Billy Miner Alehouse in Maple Ridge — which stands in as McGregor’s Bar and Grill — as well as Boundary Bay Airport in Delta and Stanley Park. Another familiar location is The Hive in North Vancouver, where the rock climbing scenes were filmed, and the Whistler Sliding Centre for the hilarious bobsledding scene. Also, the fictional Lin household is located at 322 Sixth Ave. in New Westminster, which is seen numerous times throughout the holiday flick.
THE CHRISTMAS CHRONICLES
Released on Netflix in 2018, The Christmas Chronicles has quickly become a new holiday classic! This festive flick stars none other than Kurt Russell as a new-age Santa Claus, along with a cameo appearance from his longtime partner Goldie Hawn as Mrs. Claus.
The Christmas Chronicles follows two kids, Kate and Teddy, attempting to catch Santa in the act on Christmas Eve. It seems nothing goes as planned, and instead, they embark on a magical journey to save Christmas alongside Santa.
The Netflix film has quite a few filming locations, including Chicago, San Francisco, Mexico City, and Toronto. Many scenes were shot at Pinewood Studios in Toronto, and the downtown neighbourhood of Leslieville was used for most of the residential street scenes. In fact, the fictional home for Kate and Teddy is located at 18 Coady Ave. in Leslieville, which is captured in the final scene when they land Santa’s sleigh.
THE CHRISTMAS CHRONICLES 2
It seems that people just can’t get enough of Kurt Russell as the (not so) jolly old Saint Nick! With approximately 20 million streams of The Christmas Chronicles within the first week of its release, Netflix decided to move forward with a sequel to the popular Christmas movie.
Production for The Christmas Chronicles 2 took place from October 2019 to February 2020, and was released on Netflix almost two years after the first installment. However, this time around, filming was moved to Vancouver, where most of the shooting took place at Mammoth Studios in Burnaby. Other filming locations included Cancun, Mexico, which is seen at the beginning of the movie, along with Chicago, Illinois.
I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
Who knew that a young Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Jessica Biel were the Christmas duo we never knew we needed in our lives?! It may be cheesy, and it may have totally tanked at the box office, but there’s just something about I’ll Be Home for Christmas that brings that ’90s magic during the holidays.
In case you missed it or haven’t watched it in a while, I’ll Be Home for Christmas follows a California college student named Jake (played by Thomas) who winds up stranded in the desert a few days before Christmas. When everything goes wrong, Jake embarks on a cross-country road trip trying to make it home in time for Christmas — especially since winning his father’s 1957 Porsche is on the line.
Production took place all over Metro Vancouver, including Richmond, Fort Langley, Port Coquitlam, and North Vancouver, which stood in for the towns that Jake travels through. Fantasy Gardens in Richmond was used as the Edelbruck Bavarian village in the film, and filming for the Santa Claus marathon scene was shot in Fort Langley.
Filming also happened at Edgemont Village in North Vancouver, and Canmore, Alberta, was used for a few scenes and principal photography.
CHRISTMAS WITH THE KRANKS
From Santa Claus to Luther Krank, another Tim Allen holiday classic that filmed some scenes in Canada is Christmas with the Kranks. The movie is based on the novel Skipping Christmas by John Grisham and follows a couple who decide to completely boycott Christmas one year.
While Christmas with the Kranks was mostly filmed in Chicago and California, you can catch Vancouver on the big screen during one particular scene. Pacific Centre mall was used to shoot the hilarious scene where the Kranks head to a tanning salon — so keep an eye out next time you watch it!
Starring Allen alongside Jamie Lee Curtis, this holiday flick is laugh-out-loud funny and brings that nostalgia year after year. I mean, who could forget “Free frosty, free frosty!” If you know, you know.
A CHRISTMAS STORY
“You’ll shoot your eye out!” Another longtime classic that was filmed in Canada is A Christmas Story. While some filming took place in Cleveland, Ohio, a lot of the movie was shot in Toronto and the GTA back in 1983.
The schoolyard scene where Ralphie’s pal Flick gets his tongue stuck to a flagpole was filmed at Victoria School in St. Catharines, and the Christmas tree lot was once located at 232 Queen St. W. in Toronto. After their neighbour’s dog ruins their turkey, Ralphie and his family head to the Chop Suey Palace, located at 744 Gerrard St. E. in downtown Toronto. Since then, the restaurant has been transformed into a French bistro called Batifole.
A CHRISTMAS STORY 2
Known as the sequel to the beloved cult classic, A Christmas Story 2 was filmed in Canada. Set six years after the original, the movie picks up where the first one left off and follows 15-year-old Ralphie’s pursuit of a new car for Christmas.
Filming for the sequel took place in downtown Vancouver, New Westminster, and Burnaby. Locations you may recognize while watching include Riverview Hospital, Pacific Central Station, the streets of Gastown, or perhaps the vintage diner Save On Meats located on Hastings Street.
A Christmas Story 2 saw mixed reviews, and many were disappointed that the actor who played Ralphie did not return in the second film. But for those die-hard fans, the story continues with A Christmas Story Christmas, where Peter Billingsley reprises his role as Ralphie from the original. Set 33 years after the original, the newest movie was released on HBO Max in 2022.
NOELLE
Disney’s Noelle was filmed here in Canada a few years ago. Filming took place in Vancouver from October 2017 until January 2018, and the festive comedy was released in 2019.
Starring Anna Kendrick in the lead role, Noelle is a different take on a holiday classic where Santa’s daughter is suddenly called upon to take over the family business. While filming took place in Phoenix, Arizona, for some parts of the movie, Vancouver and Whistler were also used for some shots and principal photography. Locations like Whistler’s Olympic Park can be spotted in the film, along with Saint James Music Academy on East Cordova.
This article was originally published on Dec. 22, 2023. It has since been updated.
