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The garage at the end of 3.01 is Cloverhill Market at 5996 184 Street, Surrey, BC V3S 4N4.
The bar used for much of the filming of 3.03 is Ladner’s Sundance pub at 6574 Ladner Trunk Rd, Delta, BC V4K 3N3
MOTHERLAND: FORT SALEM Is Filming at Ladner’s Sundance Pub & Inn This Week (hollywoodnorthbuzz.com)
The hotel where the Marshall holds the Unity is Foxglove Farm at 6471 224 Street, Langley, British Columbia
The Community Centre where the Cession council met in 3.07 is Camp Howdy at Unnamed Rd, Belcarra, BC V3H 4S3
The Slaughterhouse in 3.08 where Scylla is being held after being captured and where the Rayla rescue scene takes place is Windermere Secondary School, 3155 E 27th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5R 1P3
The site of the double wedding in 3.09 is at 21122 12 Avenue, Langley, British Columbia, V2Z 1T2
There is an interesting BTS shot taken at the back of the house, showing the location a little more recognisably.
Something was filmed at Panther Paintball, 19022 16 Ave, Surrey, BC V3S 9V2. Photo courtesy of @YVRshoots. This was late January 2022. I don’t know what was filmed there, but it was a night shoot and, I believe, Taylor was not yet back filming. Anyone got any information?
Another location I can’t identify is Campbell Valley Regional Park at 20285 8 Ave, Langley Twp, BC V2Z 1W5. They filmed there on March 29th 2022, so it was late in season 3. I believe it was a daytime shoot. My best guess would be the razor hail / death of Lupe scene and / or the engagement / surrender scene at the end of 3.08. Anyone got any information?
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Address: Matteo’s Gelato, 2615 Mary Hill Rd, Port Coquitlam BC V3C 3A9
In episodes 2.06 and 2.09 we see filming of two key scenes take place at City Hall, Port Coquitlam. Later in each episode Edwin visits the same café. In reality Matteo’s Gelato is just two streets away from City Hall, so it makes logistical sense to film there on both occasions. The film crew did make an effort to make the two places look different – with mixed success.
Episode 2.06 is the only one of these two episodes that has an outside shot.
There is a behind the scenes shot from the outside too.
The noticeboard that Raelle and Tally discuss is not there in real life.
When Edwin first visits the café there are no curtains at the window, so we can see the army surveillance truck parked across the street. The is the view they would have had of the café.
In 2.06 there were no curtains at the windows. In 2.09 there were curtains. It niggled me as to which was ‘real’. There are curtains. Really.
Inside the café Tally, Edwin and Raelle are sitting at the second booth from the end wall.
The same booth used by Edwin and Scylla in 2.09.
The booths are no longer there and have been replaced by tables.
I may not have been able to sit in their actual booth, but I could have the table at the right spot and look out the window and imagine an army surveillance truck parked across the road.
The serving area was filmed quite creatively, to give different looks.
The TV is fake, it is not really there. It is possible that, with the extra shelving, that an actual TV was placed there, but it is definitely in the ‘coffee’ area.
The noticeboards are giving the prices of the various gelatos and coffees. Yes, they did do tea as well, so I was happy to sit there and eat gelato and drink a pot of tea.
If you look at the end wall, you can see two different colour schemes. When they filmed Edwin, Scylla and Quinn there is 2.09, they tried to film it differently and focused on the blue area rather than the red area.
The curtains and the gelato serving area are exactly as we see in this screengrab. But when I visited the lights behind the counter were switched on, even though it was bright sunshine. On screen the lights were switched off, to de-emphasise that area, so the focus was on the filming. Intelligent use of lighting was a real feature of several filming shoots.
When you order a gelato, you get a choice of a waffle cone or a cup, with a small plastic spoon. I chose the waffle cone. We didn’t get the choice of a glass and metal spoon, like Scylla had.
And she left most of her gelato uneaten. To go off with Quinn.
To watch the Morrigan’s Whisper dance at City Hall a couple of streets away.
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Season 2 locations
The production for season 2 began on October 9, 2020, and concluded after nearly six months on April 1, 2021. Since the filming was done during the global coronavirus pandemic, the cast and crew had to first quarantine for two weeks before the filming for season 2 started.
In 2.02 Scylla revisits the scene of the mall attack at Vancouver Public Library, located at 350 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6B 6B1
The army testing centre, which the Camarilla attack in 2.04, is at the Plaza of Nations. Address: 750 Pacific Blvd, Vancouver, BC V6B 5E7, Canada. This is a few streets south of the Vancouver Public Library.
There are three entrances to the Orpheum Theatre, which was used in 2.05 for the rescue of Tiffany by Scylla and Anacostia. They entered from the inner door at the north entrance on Granville street, went up the stairs, collected their masks at the mezzanine and then took the stairs down to the foyer. You can see into the foyer and see Scylla’s staircase from the entrance in Seymour Street.
The Orpheum Theatre is at 601 Smithe St, Vancouver, BC V6B 3L4, which is a few streets north of Vancouver Public Library.
Veterans Park, City Hall, Port Coquitlam. Address 2580 Shaughnessy St, Port Coquitlam, BC V3C 3G3. This is where two key scenes in 2.06 and 2.09 took place. The scene where Tally and Raelle decide ‘That’s a lot not to talk about’ and the Morrigan’s Whisper dance scene witnessed by Scylla and Quinn.
A couple of streets away from City Hall is another location that was used in both 2.06 and 2.09. Matteo’s Gelato at 2615 Mary Hill Rd, Port Coquitlam, BC V3C 3A9. This is where Edwin met Tally and Raelle and told the story of Raelle’s birth. It was also the location where Edwin and Scylla took Tiffany to meet her new dodger foster parents.
The Camarilla headquarters in episode 2.07 is at 6900 256 Street, Langley, British Columbia V4W 1T9
The Delusional cabin in 2.08 is Caretaker’s Cottage, Address: 2720 Pemberton Avenue, North Vancouver, V7R 3X5 We only see the outside in 2.08, but we see the interior in 2.06, 2.07 and 2.08, where Nicte carries out the attacks on General Alder.
It is likely that the interior was also used for Alder’s cabin where she kept the Stewards and for the site of President Wade, The Marshall and M after the car crash.
The scene in 2.09 where Alder attempts to execute Nicte was filmed at Harbour air hanger at Vancouver International Airport. The address of the airport is 3211 Grant McConachie Way, Richmond, BC V7B 0A4
This is a behind the scenes shot from the filming of 2.09 that shows the hanger from the outside.
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Season 1 locations
The filming of season 1 commenced on April 22, 2019, and wrapped up a few months later, on August 16, 2019.
The bulk of the filming was carried out at Riverview Hospital.
The opening scene of 1.01 was filmed at Vancouver Public library.
In 1.01 Tally trying to get a flight to Boston was filmed at Boundary airport. The address is 7800 Alpha Way, Delta, BC V4K 0A7 This is not open for the public to visit.
The episode 1.01 scene in which Anacostia Quartermain introduces herself in the mess hall was filmed in Cecil Green Park House located at 6251 Cecil Green Park Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1X8.
In 1.01 the first scene with General Alder was filmed in the concert hall of The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at University of British Columbia 6265 Crescent Rd, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1,
The harmonics scenes from 1.01 were filmed at the Telus Studio Theatre, also at the Chan Performing Arts Centre.
The Rough Room scenes in 1.01, for example the scene where Abigail and Raelle have a fight, were filmed in the gymnasium at Norma Rose Point School. Address: 2896 Acadia Road University Endowment Lands, British Columbia, V6T 1S2
In episode 1.02, the pizza parlour scenes were filmed at The Vault Restaurant. 5764 176 St, Surrey, BC V3S 4C8, Canada.
The lighthouse scene in 1.06 was part fake and part real. The lighthouse is not really there. It might be a real lighthouse somewhere that was added to the photo.
The bay is real. It is not at Lighthouse Park itself. I have seen a couple of vague references to ‘Horseshoe Bay’, but checking photos, it is not Horseshoe Bay itself – too big and has a ferry terminal and buildings. I suspect it is one of the bays between Lighthouse Park and Horseshoe Bay. It needs someone with a car to investigate those bays. If it was me, I would start investigating around the Eagle Island area coves and bays.
The citydrop location in 1.08 was at the Young Offenders Centre. Address: 3655 Willingdon Avenue, Burnaby, BC V5G 3X1
It is currently a building site and nothing to see.
Libba’s funeral in episode 1.09 was filmed at Van Dusen Botanic Gardens. Address: 5251 Oak St, Vancouver, BC V6M 4H1 It was filmed in the Great Lawn area.
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There are three significant multi season locations. All easy to access and a trip to see all three can be done in a day.
Vancouver Central Library , which was the site of the Shopping Mall blue balloon attack. It is at 350 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6B 6B1 This is in downtown Vancouver and very easy to visit.
Fort Salem. This would need half a day to itself. It is built on a hillside, you need good walking boots and an ability to handle hills. Or a good mobility cart.
Fort Salem is Riverview Hospital, at 2601 Lougheed Hwy, Coquitlam, BC V3C 4J2
The map has east at the top and west at the bottom.
Crease Building, at the right of the map, is Circe Barracks.
East Lawn Building, at the top of the map, is General Alder’s Office.
Centre Lawn Building, in the middle on the left of the map, is the Operations building.
The West lawn area, unlabelled at the bottom of the map, is where the Raylla trees are as well as the Samhain procession and campfires, the salva scene and the Witchplague / Hearst.
The other major location is Vancouver film studios. A lot of filming was done there in season 2 and 3. Some filming was done there in season 1. It is not possible to go into the studios, but they can be seen from the outside.
Vancouver Film Studios is at 3500 Cornett Road Vancouver, BC V5M2H5
If you are travelling on the Millennium line trains between Rupert station and Gilmore station, the train passes very close to the studio and you can get a good view from the south side of the train.
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Address: Caretaker Cottage, 2720 Pemberton Avenue, North Vancouver V7R 3X5
I am very grateful to @gwyviel for the information about this location. I didn’t know where it was. We didn’t have that conversation until I was already in Vancouver, so I didn’t have any printed screengrabs to take with me.
The cabin is in Murdo Frazer Park.
Using Google Maps and public transport, I arrived at the north entrance to the park. There were a lot of steps down to get in.
You need to be very fit and with good walking boots for this entrance. And, this being Canada, there were wild animal warnings.
I approached the cabin from the lakeside, which we don’t actually see in Motherland.
When I got round the front, the building was being renovated.
I couldn’t get close enough to get a look inside.
They filmed scenes inside the cabin in episode 2.08 Delusional. They probably filmed there in season 3 too. Possibly the scenes with Alder, Khalida and the other Stewards. Also, possibly the scene with President Wade, M and the Marshall after the crash. But until anyone can see inside, we can’t be sure.
The interior on screen view.
This is what it looked like when the Unity visited it.
We only saw them at the front of the cabin.
This is what it looks like in real life. Clearly the tree has been removed, that is where the fencing is.
There were a lot of woodland scenes filmed in that episode. With good screengrabs and helpful dog walkers, it might have been possible to look for some of those. But with all the woodland trails and no good images to guide the search, I didn’t go hunting for woodland clearings.
Having got there, I discovered the south entrance. This is the one that goes to Pemberton Avenue. This is the way the film crew would have come.
Despite it being flat, it was nowhere near the bus stops, so I had to head back up all those stairs to get the bus back.
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Libba’s funeral was staged at Van Dusen Botanical Gardens
Address: 5251 Oak St, Vancouver, BC V6M 4H1
@bentayman (Bennet Taylor who played Byron in season 1) did a short video from the botanic gardens, remembering filming this scene at the gardens.
With a lot of trees and bushes, all of which grow and change in the 3 – 4 years since filming, I wasn’t too optimistic about finding exactly the right place.
From the map, the only place it could be would be in the area of the Great Lawn. So, I set off to investigate.
The correct area had to have shadows going in the right direction. It also had to be fairly flat and not have great trees or massive statues in the middle of the flat area. It quickly became clear that only one area of the Great Lawn fitted all the requirements.
Anyone wanting to find the place should find the red statue.
Then you are in the right area.
Background vegetation will never match up perfectly unless you are there very soon after the filming.
Once you have seen this, the rest of the botanic gardens are worth exploring and there is a nice café there too.
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Address: Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, 6265 Crescent Rd, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1
The first time we meet General Alder is when she is addressing the new recruits who have just arrived at Fort Salem for the first time.
This was also the first time we met the Biddies. This, I discovered was filmed at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, which is part of the University of British Columbia in West Vancouver. I believe the Alder speech to the graduating students at the end of S1 was also filmed in the same hall.
I also discovered that the unit harmony scenes were filmed there too.
With such dark filming, it was not always possible to get a feel for the exact nature of the space, so much is unseen.
So I packed my screengrabs and got the bus and went to UBC (University of British Columbia).
There are maps everywhere, so things are easy to find. I discovered that I was there during ‘Rush Week’, which I think is the equivalent of the UK’s Fresher’s Week. Lots of new students buying all the things they need to start their courses.
I had arrived before it opened. Of course, this being something to do with Motherland Fort Salem, it ‘opened at 12’.
I had time to kill. After I had photographed the Rose Garden….
…and visited the bookshop – where not only did I buy another armful of books, but I had to check out the labcoats…
Those who know me from Watch Partys on Twitter know I have a real thing about how inappropriate the necro lab coats are. These lab coats had pop fastenings and Velcro, so I was happy. I was tempted by the Witches calendar, which was on sale.
Eventually I got back to the Chan Centre, after 12! There was only one employee on duty at the front, so I was able to have a long talk. There are actually 3 performance spaces. I got shown pictures and was allowed to take photos.
The Unit harmony scenes were shot at the Telus Studio Centre. The Alder scene was shot at the Chan Shun Concert Hall.
Telus Studio Theatre.
Chan Shun Concert Hall.
I had permission to go into the building and take as many photos as I wanted. She did tell me that the performance spaces were locked.
Having talked myself into the building and got permission for photos, so far so good. I found the performance spaces, and the doors were locked – you can’t blame a girl for trying! So, I tried to find someone else who worked there who I might try to persuade to let me into the performance spaces to take photos. Not a soul around. How can I talk my way into places, when there is nobody to persuade?
I just needed to get through those doors.
So close, but no entry.
But these are performance spaces, so I had a last throw of the dice. I went back to the person at the entrance and we checked for any performances happening in those spaces in my remaining days in Vancouver. If the only way in was to buy a ticket, that would be an option. Nothing in the Telus Studio all month. The one performance in the Concert Hall was sold out.
A locked door was as close as I was going to get. But looking online, there was a shot of the concert hall that lined up nicely with the opening Alder scene, giving a better view of how it looks.
From there I took the bus to Van Dusen Botanic Gardens.
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The Vault Restaurant. 5764 176 St, Surrey, BC V3S 4C8
Cloverhill Market (Garage) 5996 184 Street, Surrey, BC V3S 4N4
I knew from my research that they filmed at the Vault Restaurant ‘May 8 2019’ & May 9 – 11. But no more information than that, so I wasn’t exactly sure what was filmed there, it had to be something early in season 1, but there were a few possibilities. An online image search didn’t help much. My best guess was the pizza scene from 1.02 My Witches.
Only thing for it was to go there. The good thing about it being a restaurant was that I knew there would be no problem about getting into the place. So, I took a bus ride to get there. I deliberately arrived early so I could get some outside shots.
From my web research, I expected it to open at 11, but this is Motherland, so, of course, it ‘opens at 12!’.
I already knew that the garage from 3.01 Homo Cantus was in the area and planned to visit there before opening time. So, I set off.
It looks almost identical in real life. I took my shot standing in front of the bush on the bottom left of the screengrab.
Clearly it was filmed from almost ground level. On screen we see Abigail get out and run round to the left side of the building to find a mirror so she can contact Petra. Sadly, what is round to the left in reality is a car park.
But, while I was there, I went into the shop anyway. Got a bottle of water and a packet of Gummy Worms.
I had plenty of time to kill before the restaurant opened. I spotted the Museum of Surrey a couple of streets from The Vault and that proved to be a delight.
They even had a visiting exhibition about Magical Creatures. The staff were lovely too. The museum was also free, which was an added bonus.
I got to The Vault a few minutes after it opened. At first I didn’t recognise it as familiar. But the staff were great, I ordered a pot of tea and a menu and asked for permission to take photos. They were happy to give me all three. I took some photos and ordered food and sat at a table and got my screengrabs out of the folder. From that angle it started to make sense.
I was sitting by the arch where Abigail orders food.
It actually leads straight into the kitchen. They brought food out through that arch.
This was next to the railing where Raelle caught up with Abigail and they talked, see the first picture at the top of this post.
The far end of this railing, far left in the photo, is the railing Scylla emerges round when she enters.
Now, the railing from that side is covered with wallpaper. What it looks like is
The reverse view shows it better.
The other memorable event that happened there was when Tally windstruck a civilian.
The background here is really
Which was very carefully framed in filming as there is a motorbike on top of it.
We can also see this behind Glory and Abigail as they were eating after Scylla and Raelle had left.
Then there was the window that got blown out.
This is the real window. The patio area that we see on screen was, presumably, a safety feature to ensure that explosive debris didn’t go onto the street and endanger the locals.
I really liked The Vault. If it was local to me, I would be a regular. The food is good, the tea is good, so is the lager. The staff were really nice and happy to explain the quirks of the building and even took a couple of photos of me there. It is called The Vault, because it used to be a bank and the bank vault is still there, just now it is part of the dining space.
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Address: Lighthouse Park. 4902 Beacon Ln, West Vancouver, BC V7W 1K5
The Lighthouse has become an iconic image for Motherland Fort Salem fans. It started as Scylla’s childhood safe place, but came to represent a place of safety more generally. We see it for the first time in episode 1.06 Up is Down, when Raelle takes a lot of Salva and goes to the Lighthouse to try and find Scylla.
Researching for my trip to Vancouver, this was somewhere I wanted to find. Despite a lot of internet searching, I couldn’t find an exact match. The lighthouse at Lighthouse Park looked close, but not exactly right. But there was almost no decent photos of it. There was only one option – I had to go there and see for myself.
Lighthouse Park is not the easiest place to get to by public transport. Initially Google Maps couldn’t even find a way to get me there by public transport. But I managed to sort it out eventually and arrived there. I love the way Vancouver numbers the bus stops, you know exactly where you are and when your stop is approaching. It is quite remote and I was the only person who got off the bus there. Admittedly, it was raining.
North Vancouver has a lot of hills, some of them very steep hills. Lighthouse Park is a place where you need good walking boots, good mobility and lots of stamina. You will be climbing and going over very uneven ground. Not for the faint hearted.
They even warn you what to do if you come across bears. Luckily I didn’t, but I had photographed the advice, just in case.
You can’t actually get to the lighthouse, but there is a look out point where you can see it. So, that was where I headed first.
The sign posting is very good. Otherwise I would have been hopelessly lost.
Look what I found.
You couldn’t get any where near it and couldn’t get a full length shot. I imagine you could get a shot from a boat. But this was the best I could actually do.
Fortunately, there was a sign that showed what it really looked like.
This may be an old photo – and you can see the rain – but it shows that this is not OUR Lighthouse. I don’t know if the lighthouse used in the screen version of Motherland Fort Salem is a real lighthouse or something created specially, but it is not in Vancouver.
However, the beach where Abigail and Tally found Raelle is real, and the geology and vegetation matched up, so I went to hunt for that. From the on-screen filming, if it was one of the bays at Lighthouse Park, it would have to be one of the bays to the east of the actual lighthouse. So, I had a snack, drank water and set off for a climb through the woods.
There were black squirrels. In the UK we have lots of grey squirrels and some red squirrels, and even the occasional albino squirrel, but not black ones. I took lots of photos of squirrels, actually more than of the lighthouse. Having an adventure.
More local hazards. Personally I think broken legs and sprained ankles were a bigger danger. I was very glad I had good walking boots.
I visited the beaches at Eagle Point and Starboat Cove.
The black sand in the area is evidence that the sand is iron based, which comes from volcanic activity in the past. There is evidence of the volcanic past all around North Vancouver.
So, I ruled out the Lighthouse and didn’t find the bay. But that beach in 1.06 is around there somewhere. It needs someone with a car to go bay hopping, probably starting with the bays in the direction of Horseshoe Bay Park. If I could be trusted to drive on the wrong side of the road, I would start investigating around the Eagle Island area coves and bays. Or track down the person responsible for location filming on Motherland Fort Salem!
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