Stuti Gokhale
OWN TV brings Christmas early to the viewers, with a series of touching and feel-good Christmas movies every year. Directed by Roger M. Bobb, A ‘Christmas Stray’ is a heartwarming treat, especially for animal lovers. The storyline revolves around Ethan, a workaholic businessman, who is run off the road by a cute stray dog while on his way to a meeting. He gets stranded in the charming village of Beacon Hills, where he bumps into Foster, the local veterinarian. As Ethan has no choice but to remain in the village till Christmas due to heavy snow, he is livid as this means he won’t be able to work.
But gradually, Ethan finds a lovable companion in the adorable stray dog, and he also gets closer to Foster. He must now choose not to let his addiction to work take over the possibility of finding true love. Set in the backdrop of a beautiful Christmas village, the movie depicts the importance of compassion and what is truly important in life. You must be wondering about the serene locations where ‘A Christmas Stray’ was filmed. If so, let’s find out together!
A Christmas Stray Filming Locations
‘A Christmas Stray’ was entirely filmed in Ontario, particularly in Ottawa and Almonte. Principal photography for the movie most likely took place in July 2021, when most of the holiday movies were filmed in the region. Ontario is a geographically abundant province, with diverse landscapes such as arable lands, thick forest covers, and major rivers and lakes. Additionally, it is technologically well-equipped for television and film production and has an available network of talented crew and artists.
All these factors, as well as the considerable tax concessions on filming provided by the authorities, make Ontario a highly sought-after production location. ‘It,’ ‘Let It Snow,’ and ‘Christmas Inheritance’ are some of the movies that were filmed in the province, apart from TV series like ‘The Boys‘ and ‘Titans.’ Here are more details of the exact filming sites for ‘A Christmas Stray.’
Ottawa, Ontario
Ottawa, the capital city of Canada, serves as an important filming location for ‘A Christmas Stray.’ This riverside city is known as the Christmas Movie Capital of the World, as most Christmas movies are filmed in the region. The city’s picturesque heritage buildings and neighborhoods, as well as lush forest areas, help create the feeling of Christmas even in summers.
Some of the popular filming locations for Christmas movies in Ottawa are ByWard Market, Cumberland Heritage Village Museum, Elgin Street, and Chateau Laurier. Movies such as ‘Let’s Get Merried,’ ‘A Christmas Village Romance,’ and ‘Boyfriends of Christmas Past‘ were also filmed in the city.
Almonte, Ontario
Some portions of ‘A Christmas Stray’ were filmed in Almonte, a quaint town in Lanark County, just about 29 miles from Ottawa. The former textile mill town is rich in 19th-century historical sites and a 1950s diner, making it a prominent filming location for holiday movies in the region. The festive-looking town is also the filming site for movies like ‘Fatman,’ ‘A Cheerful Christmas,’ and ‘The Christmas Setup.’
A Christmas Stray Cast
‘A Christmas Stray’ features Andra Fuller as the cynical businessman Ethan, who finds himself stuck in Beacon Hills during Christmas with a stray dog. Some of Fuller’s notable works are the TV show ‘The L.A. Complex,’ as well as the movie ‘A Stone Cold Christmas.’ Rhyon Nicole Brown plays Foster, a beautiful veterinarian who teaches Ethan a thing or two about kindness and life’s higher purpose. Brown is known for her work in the TV series ‘Empire‘ and ‘Lincoln Heights.’ Moreover, she appears in the movie ‘Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge & Michel’le.’
Apart from the lead pair Fuller and Brown, ‘A Christmas Stray’ stars the adorable canine as the principal character that brings Ethan and Foster together. Other cast members in the film include Melissa Murray-Mutch (Connie), Chris Shields (Howard), Mikael Conde (Wallis), Michèle Kaye (Helen), Mylène Nadeau (Charlotte), and Fane Tse (Bob). Maggie Cassella (Dixie), Tim Progosh (Fred), Sarah Ruest (Rose), and Greg Campbell (Mr.Bellington) also portray pivotal roles.
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