Where is “Maid” filmed?
FIlming for Maid took place in Victoria, British Columbia, which is on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Victoria’s serene and natural beauty stands in sharp contrast to Alex’s tumultuous life. She draws inspiration from the Pacific Northwestern beauty around her, hoping for better things to come. The setting’s powerful presence almost made it feel like a supporting character.
“We didn’t have sets,” said series creator Molly Smith Metzler. “We were a location shoot. That comes through. Victoria is such a character on the show.”
Apart from a few shots of Montana at the end of the series, they filmed the series exclusively in the greater Victoria area. Here are a few key Maid filming locations you might recognize around Vancouver Island.
Where is “Maid” filmed in Victoria?
They filmed scenes for Maid at more than 160 locations throughout Greater Victoria and Vancouver Island. The production took place over nine months, with the series creator even relocating her family to Victoria during filming.
Many of the outdoor street scenes were also filmed in downtown Victoria. The farmer’s market, where Alex’s mother Paula works, is located on Gladstone Avenue. The Swan, where Sean works as a bartender, is a real restaurant known as The Guild on Wharf Street.
The Value Maids HQ, which is located inside a laundromat, is located in Saanich, a town that sits just north of downtown Victoria.
Where is “Home and Away” filmed? We answer that question right here!
Is Fisher Island a real place?
Fisher Island was a fictional creation for the show. But while the luxurious community itself might not exist, the opulent filming locations are very much real.
Regina’s oceanfront home, where Alex gets her first job as a maid, is on Ten Mile Point, a peninsula overlooking the Haro Strait in Saanich. The oceanfront cabin that Alex rents is a real rental cabin in East Sooke.
The ferry terminal is the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal in Sidney and connects Victoria Island with others in the region. It also leads to the Patricia Bay Highway, which was also a filming location.
“Maid” helped the Victoria Island community
Alex’s harrowing story didn’t just touch viewers’ hearts; it also made an impact on the greater Victorian community.
According to Times Colonist, the production hired an estimated 200 new crew members between September 2020 and April 2021, creating a significant amount of new jobs during the pandemic.
“As far as direct-spending, it’s definitely been the biggest that we’ve had in Victoria,” said Kathleen Gilbert, commissioner for the Vancouver Island South Film and Media Commission. “A lot of people got their start in the industry on that show. They trained a lot of production assistants who are now working full-time, saving taxpayers money because they are not on any kind of social assistance [due to the COVID].”
“Maid”’s production supported local charities
Creating new jobs isn’t the only way that “Maid” helped the Victoria Island community. According to Newsweek, the production donated its leftover wardrobe and set decoration pieces to women’s charities across Victoria. Some of the charities chosen included The Victoria Women’s Transition House (VWTH), The Y’s Young Moms Program, and the Women in Need Society.
“A big story component of the show is talking about the single mom and the lack of resources that she has in trying to provide for her daughter on minimum wage,” said Metzler. “There are people who are out there who are looking to help, so the least we could do was give back. It was very inspiring for us to put our money where our mouth is.”
But while Metzler loved filming in Victoria, she says that she’s hesitant to share the location with others in the industry. “I’ve been reluctant to tell too many people about Victoria, because it is such a wonderful place to shoot… I don’t want to contribute to it blowing up as the new Vancouver. But frankly, it has everything you want when you’re shooting, plus that feeling of being somewhere very warm and special.”
Curious to see more productions with Vancouver as a backdrop? Then you need to also check out where was “The Adam Project” filmed!
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