Aahana Swrup
The titular island in ‘Sterling Point’ establishes itself as the heart and soul of the teen drama series from the get-go. The story revolves around a pair of deuteragonists, Annie and Ramona. The former grew up in New York with her single adopted father, Steven, and her twin brother, Connor. Therefore, she’s surprised to receive a huge inheritance from her estranged grandfather, Gordon, who left her part ownership of an island off the coast of Lake Muskoka.
However, it’s nothing compared to the groundbreaking revelation that awaits her on the island. As it turns out, Annie’s mother had a biological daughter, Ramona, who was born and raised in Sterling Island, equally in the dark about their shared mother’s complicated past. Thus, Annie’s impulsive trip to the Canadian islands ends up setting the stage for some tense family drama alongside a whirlwind coming-of-age tale. The authenticity of the setting and the island’s backdrop play a huge role in imbuing a grounded realism to Annie and Ramona’s narratives.
Sterling Point is a Fictional Town Based on Canada’s Real Cottage Life Culture
Created by Megan Park, ‘Sterling Point’ is an entirely original work of fiction with no pre-existing roots in reality. Similarly, the titular and central setting in the show also sports a fictitious origin story. The location was conceptualized and brought to the screen in service of the narrative. No identical Canadian lake town exists in real life. However, the idea of the town and its unique culture in itself isn’t a fictionalized concept. Lake towns and the vacationing conventions built around them remain a crucial aspect of Canadian culture. As a result, the show’s authentic depiction of the same allows the narrative to tap into something real despite penning an otherwise fictional tale.
In a conversation with The Nightly, Park spoke about the same. She shared, “We knew we wanted it (‘Sterling Point’) to be a summer show set in Canada, and cottage life in the summer is a really huge part of Canadian culture. We can really show Muskoka (the lake) for what it really is, and talk about some of the things that are happening up there affecting the locals and the community. People coming in and destroying the land because they don’t care about the trees, and building these $50 million mansions and buying properties.” Thus, the on-screen Sterling Point and the storylines explored through the island find tangible, if indirect, basis in real life.
Sterling Point Was Filmed at Lake Muskoka
In the show, the island of Sterling Point is located at Lake Muskoka. Unlike the island, the lake itself is a real-life location in Southern Ontario, Canada. The chain of lakes is a major vacation hotspot in the area and houses many cottages. The show’s creator, Megan Park, has been frequently visiting the lake area since the 1990s, during her own childhood. Consequently, Sterling Point’s setting in the Muskoka Lakes region adds a sense of authenticity and connection to the series as a whole. Additionally, the project’s decision to film on location further heightens this effect. ‘Sterling Point’ was notably shot in Toronto, Canada, wherein the Muskoka Lakes region became a crucial filming location for the production. Ultimately, the reality of Lake Muskoka balances out the fictionality of the Sterling Point island.
Read More: Scary Movie 6: Is Woodsville a Real Town? Is Woodsville High School a Real Place?
You must be logged in to post a comment.