For years the Gibsons’ area was synonymous with the CBC-TV show The Beachcombers. Read More
The FOX/Global production Murder in a Small Town, starring Kristin Kreuk and Rossif Sutherland, is back shooting in the coastal B.C. area and locals are happy
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The FOX/Global production Murder in a Small Town, starring Kristin Kreuk and Rossif Sutherland, is back shooting in the coastal B.C. area and locals are happy
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For years the Gibsons’ area was synonymous with the CBC-TV show The Beachcombers.
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While the series, which aired on CBC for 19 seasons, from 1972 to 1990, will always be part of the local lore, there is a new show in town. And it’s making a big impact on the area.
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Now shooting its second season, the FOX/Global mystery series Murder in a Small Town has had a strong economic impact on the Sunshine Coast community. Sepia Films, the Vancouver production company behind the show, estimates Season 1’s production contributed $4 million in wages, rentals and purchases to the local economy.
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Having a production of this size is a big deal when you consider that since the halcyon days of endless streaming content production has slowed, not just here, but around the globe. According to the Tourism Ministry, the B.C. TV and film industry contributed $2 billion to the provincial GDP in 2023 and employs around 26,000 full-time workers. Those numbers are down from 2022 when the industry employed close to 50,000 full-time workers and contributed $4.4 billion to the B.C. economy.
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Based on the late B.C. writer L.R. Wright’s Sunshine Coast-set series of mystery novels, Murder in a Small Town follows cop Karl Alberg (Rossif Sutherland) who moves from the big city to the quiet coastal town of Gibsons (in this case it’s Gibsons, U.S.A.) looking for a little less action. However, as it happens in the land of murder mysteries, small towns can be dangerous places. Joining Alberg in the mystery-solving is Cassandra Lee (Kristin Kreuk), a local librarian who becomes an investigative partner, foil and romantic interest.
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“It really captured the feeling of the books. And we looked at a lot of locations,” said Kim Roberts, a Sepia Films’ producer. “Of course, there’s always going to be places that are easier for accommodation and where crew live and that sort of thing, but when we looked at Gibsons, it was so beautiful … The series is really very much about the Sunshine Coast as a character as well.”
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The series came back to the area in late February to begin shooting Season 2. And, not surprisingly, the area locals were happy to see its return.
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“There’s absolutely 100 per cent support and excitement about it, which is a bit of a surprise to me. I’m, of course, always open to hearing complaints and negativity, and I do every day, but nothing about this filming, despite the fact it does cause a bit of noise, sometimes at inconvenient hours, and may backup traffic and cause it to be a little bit busier in town. But people are generally very excited and supportive of it,” said Gibsons Mayor Silas White.
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Sunshine Coast Tourism is also happy for its return, not just for the local economy, but also for the free publicity that a popular TV show offers the area.
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“Gibsons has long been known for the Beachcombers, and it’s exciting to see another series that showcases our community. And so having a production of this size returning provides more stability for local business and film industry workers and really helps put the Sunshine Coast back on the map for future filming opportunities,” said Annie Wise, executive director of Sunshine Coast Tourism.
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While Gibsons has had other productions — Hallmark likes it there — over the years, Murder in a Small Town is a big one. Last year, it shot from the end of January to the middle of May, logging 73 days. This year, the production began rolling cameras at the end of February and expects to spend 80 days shooting 10 episodes in the area. That, of course, means an injection into the local economy at a time of year when things tend to be a bit on the slower side.
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“When we talk to our partners in Sunshine Coast Tourism, and talk to the chamber of commerce, really, everyone agrees that the best thing for economic development and Gibsons is to have year-round visitors and year-round activity. And having this (production) at this time of year really secures that,” said White.
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There are between 150 and 200 cast and crew on the payroll for Season 2. About 50 of those are local-hires.
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According to the production’s line producer, Crystal Remmey, about $800,000 in wages were paid to crew with local Gibsons or Sunshine Coast addresses. The production also paid out about $300,000 in wages to the over 400 locals who were hired as background actors.
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“All of our crew became very involved in the community because they were there for four or five months,” said Tina Pehme, a producer from Sepia Films, adding that the show’s script supervisor bought a house and moved to Gibsons. “So, the meat draw, they were going to the Legion. They went to the grocery stores, restaurants.”
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Local establishments have embraced the production.
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“We’re so excited that they re-signed for the second season because they have a large crew and they definitely spend time at all the local establishments eating, dining and coming in after work,” said Chris Greenfield, partner at the 101 Brewhouse and Distillery in Gibsons. “So, we get that benefit, which is great. And they’re also hiring locals too, as extras. So, it kind of helps boost the morale and gives the locals a little bit of employment too.”
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Last fall, the 101 Brewhouse and Distillery hosted a screening party when the series went to air and Greenfield expects they will do the same next fall when Season 2 bows.
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“It was great, a lot of people from the production and the actors showed up for that event,” said Greenfield.
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Yash Bareria, regional general manager for the Evergreen Hospitality Group, which runs five hotels on the Sunshine Coast, sees the benefits daily with accommodation bookings. The series has also shot at locations within the chain.
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“With the cast and crew staying here for a few months, local hotels, restaurants and other businesses are seeing a direct benefit, which … creates a positive ripple effect on the local economy,” said Bareria. “Plus, we are excited that the Sunshine Coast will once again, be showcased on TV, which … brings even more attention to this beautiful region.”
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Having a production of this size meant city hall had to make some adjustments. But those adjustments, it turns out, will be helpful going forward for the area as a production site.
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“Having a production for such an extended period was something new to us last year, considering the Beachcombers happened so long ago,” said White, referring to the increase in permitting and road closures. White added that, since last season, city hall has made some policy changes that will make relationships with productions run “a lot smoother.”
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Despite being ‘Gibsons U.S.A.’ in the series, it’s still very much Gibsons, B.C., as local areas keep their names and the locations are always a big part of the narrative. For instance, the famed Molly’s Reach restaurant that played prominently in the Beachcombers is used in Murder in a Small Town.
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“We talk about specific locations, and they are the actual locations,” said Vancouver’s Kreuk. “If you’re from the region, or you’ve spent any time there, you know exactly what we’re talking about, where we are going, what the parks are, what the beaches are, what the restaurants are — even maybe a house that you recognize. It’s very much about the region. It is a part of the show.”
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Kreuk says she loves being on the West Coast working on a Canadian production.
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“I value the Canadian kind of ideologies. I mean, not that there’s a super-consistent across-the-board sensibility, but I feel like, especially right now, we’re feeling that cohesion, that coming together,” said Kreuk.
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Before shooting Season 1, the production, in partnership with the North Island Film Commission, also launched a five-week production assistant course to help locals gain skills for working on a film set. The program included online and in-person learning. Thirteen students from the course ended up working on the show, including local Michelle Simpson.
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“It was quite comprehensive,” said Simpson.
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Once on-set, Simpson worked within the locations department and, through that, met members of other departments.
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“The nice thing about starting there, which most people have to start in locations, is it allows you to meet almost absolutely everybody, because you’re kind of, you’re touching all the departments,” said Simpson, who had moved to the Sunshine Coast with her daughter in 2023.
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While working on Season 1, Simpson, who has a background in makeup artistry, got to know those in the makeup department and soon she was able to work within that department. For this season, she was asked back for locations and the makeup team.
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“The feedback I was getting along the way was that (members of the production) absolutely loved it here,” said Simpson. “Not only is it just generally a beautiful location, but the locals were very welcoming.”
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