Downtown Qualicum Beach will become the Atlantic coast of the United States this summer.
Preliminary work has started for filming the upcoming Hallmark TV show Chesapeake Shores in downtown Qualicum Beach.
At a town council meeting on Monday, April 25, CAO Daniel Sailland said film crews have started communication outreach with local businesses.
“There’s a number of locations in and around town that will be set for filming this summer, so we do ask that people be patient because it will mean some alteration from time to time as film crews set up,” Sailland said.
He said filming will be taking place throughout the summer until September.
One of the primary locations for filming is the Leigh House which was the Qualicum Beach Chamber of Commerce building until recently. The Leigh House is also a heritage building.
“Today (April 25), they actually set up and started preparing the site for film. There will be some alterations to the inside of the building, no alterations on the outside as it is a heritage building,” Sailland said.
Sailland said the crews are making some changes on the inside, such as opening up walls so cameras can get in because it is “a rather small space.”
Sailland added that any changes will be put back to their original state.
Chesapeake Shores is based off of a series by author Sherryl Woods. The series follows Abby O’Brien Winters (Meghan Ory) as she moves back to the town of Chesapeake Bay to deal with her family’s inn that is facing foreclosure. While in her hometown she is forced to face a former love interest (Jesse Metcalfe).
Filming started last September in Steveston for a movie pilot, and will continue in Qualicum Beach this summer to film for the follow-up TV series.
Coun. Barry Avis said the TV show could be promising for the town.
“It’s extra promising because when there actually has been a movie made, and it has had great acceptance, it’s showing that there is a need for a spin-off. So it could be the first year of many years,” Avis said.