The dance sequence was filmed at Central Park Burnaby 3883 Imperial St, Burnaby V5S 3R2. We visited there unsuccessfully. This is a fairly large park and with no other information, it was not possible to work out exactly where in the park it was filmed. That sequence would have been filmed in 2019, so there is 6 years of growth in the trees and bushes.
So, on to the Burnaby Art Gallery. This was the location for the outside of Memorial Hall and some of the Beltane scenes.
This is what it looks like in real life.
The interior scenes for Memorial Hall were filmed at Gabriola Mansion 1523 Davie St Vancouver V6G 3A2. But that building is not open to the public, so we had to settle for the outside shots.
Burnaby Art Gallery is a free to all art centre, set in its own gardens. Some Beltane scenes were filmed in those gardens. I was able to get hold of some production notes for this location. This one shows where they filmed.
The wisteria covering the trellis was added specially for the filming.
The bush was a very identifiable location marker. It was possible to match up Anacostia and Berryessa Tansey talking about Beltane with the scene at the exact spot.
The trellis is also visible when Anacostia and Berryessa saw the fruit turn rotten and start to fall from the trees, when one of the Biddies was taken ill and Alder became ill too.
The Beltane lacrosse pitch was at a different location nearby.
When we got there, the field was obvious from the location of the roads and tent.
The single bench was where the bleachers for the soldiers were. The bleachers were brought in for the occasion. So were a lot of ‘greens’ giving a lot more tree and bush thickness, to hide the rest of the location buildings behind them.
Looking at the site now, without the production notes, there would be nothing to suggest that Motherland ever filmed here. But this is where Tally met Gerit Buttonwood and Raelle met Byron. I know which of those I found more entertaining!
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