Naman Shrestha
Winnifred Jong dons the director’s hat for OWN’s ‘The Christmas Detective,’ a Christmas romantic mystery film that follows a former beauty queen named Kate Bennett who moves out of the field of pageantry to follow her dreams of making it as a private investigator. When a valuable painting is stolen from a local art gallery just before its grand opening, she takes this opportunity to showcase her skills as a detective by trying to restore the painting as well as the holiday spirit to her neighborhood. In order to get to the bottom of the case and uncover the identity of the thief, she enlists the help of an established detective named Derek “Oak” Oakley and tries to prove to everyone that she has what it takes.
Where Was The Christmas Detective Filmed?
‘The Christmas Detective’ was filmed in its entirety in Ontario, particularly in Ottawa. The principal photography for the romantic film reportedly took place in June 2023, over the course of a few weeks. So, let us get a detailed account of all the specific locations that make an appearance in the OWN production!
Ottawa, Ontario
Situated in the southern part of the Canadian province of Ontario, the city of Ottawa and its surrounding areas served as the primary production locations for ‘The Christmas Detective.’ The filming unit reportedly utilized the premise of the Cours Bayview Yards at 7 Bayview Station Road in Ottawa to tape several pivotal sequences of the mystery film. In addition, they set up camp in and around Union Local 613 at 315 Somerset Street West in the O-town. One of the highly rated and most popular restaurants in the city, Union Local 613 is a rather stylish and old-timey hangout place that is famous for its Southern-inspired dishes.
During the production process, the cast and crew members of ‘The Christmas Detective’ were also spotted in the ByWard Market area, which is considered Ottawa’s topmost tourist attraction and the one-stop destination for shopping, dining, arts, entertainment, and professional services for the locals as well as tourists. The Tin House Court is one of the prominent filming sites that appears in the movie. Furthermore, Wellington Street West was turned into a film set, with Christmas decorations on various parts of the street, to make it a suitable backdrop for the holiday-based film. All these locales and more have been featured in other Christmas movies over the years. Some of the notable ones are ‘Catch Me If You Claus,’ ‘Hotel for the Holidays,’ ‘Christmas by Design,’ and ‘Christmas Around the Corner.’
The Christmas Detective Cast
The German-born actress, Javicia Leslie, headlines ‘The Christmas Detective’ by donning the garb of Kate Bennett, the former beauty queen-turned-private investigator. After making an instant mark with her portrayal of Samantha Morgan in the TV film ‘Swim at Your Own Risk,’ she landed key roles in several other films and TV shows, including ‘Always a Bridesmaid,’ ‘We Are Gathered Here Today,’ ‘Something From Tiffany’s,’ ‘Double Life,’ ‘Chef Julian,’ ‘God Friended Me,’ ‘Batwoman,’ and ‘The Family Business.’ Portraying Derek “Oak” Oakley, Kate Bennett’s love interest and police detective, Brad James also has plenty of projects to his name, over the course of his long acting career.
You might be familiar with some of Brad James’ popular movies and shows, such as ‘Parental Guidance,’ ‘Prisoners,’ ‘Computer Love,’ ‘What Love Will Make You Do,’ ‘The Choice,’ ‘The Love We Had,’ ‘Dashing Through the Snow,’ ‘A House Divided,’ ‘For Better or Worse,’ and ‘Superstition.’ Moreover, while Arnold Pinnock portrays Gunner Fisk, Kimberly Huie steps into the role of Sue Carnegie. Other cast members who play supporting yet important roles in ‘The Christmas Detective’ include Maia Alvina as Leilani, Monica Rodriguez Knox as Maggie Boon, Stephanie Herrera as Megan, Ronda Louis-Jeune as Tara, and Yanna McIntosh.
Read More: OWN’s Christmas of Yes: Filming Locations and Cast Details Explored
