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Netflix horror series begins shooting in Port Stanley

A revolving harbour light simulating a lighthouse at night, and traffic disruptions, are the tell-tale signs that the small screen has returned to Port Stanley as the Lake Erie village serves as the backdrop for another television series.

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A revolving harbour light simulating a lighthouse at night, and traffic disruptions, are the tell-tale signs that the small screen has returned to Port Stanley as the Lake Erie village serves as the backdrop for another television series.

Central Elgin officials won’t say much about the series being shot there, or who stars in it, trying to safeguard the details. But images shared on social media of some of the props indicate the series is Locke & Key, a horror drama produced by Netflix and now entering its second season.

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One image shows a mural for the fictional town of Matheson, Ma., where the story, based on a comic book, takes place.

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Toronto and Lunenburg, N.S., have previously been locations for the series.

The show, which stars Connor Jessup, Emilia Jones and Jackson Robert Scott, tells the story of a woman and her three children who move into a spooky, ancestral family home in Matheson after her husband is murdered.

In the grand old mansion, the kids discover magical keys that can unlock hidden powers and secrets.

A crew from Maine Street Productions arrived Monday and will be filming in the lakeside village over the next few days.

“They asked us not to provide any details of what the TV show is,” said Geoff Brooks, director of infrastructure and community services for Central Elgin, which includes Port Stanley.

Residents can expect traffic disruptions through Thursday from night filming along Colborne Street between Matilda and Charlotte streets, and the closing of Bridge Street between Colborne and Colonel Bostwick streets for four hours late Thursday.

Equipment staging may cause minor disruptions Thursday and Friday on the west end of Edith Cavell Boulevard near Erie Rest Beach, officials said.

How fun and fabulous is this folks? Port Stanley is being transformed into the village of Matheson, Massachusetts for...

Posted by Magical Port Stanley on Tuesday, October 6, 2020
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Port Stanley has become a hotspot for film productions in recent years.

“The economic spin-off from the filming industry is terrific for our local business community,” said Alan Smith, general manager of economic development for Elgin County.

Brooks said the CBC show Still Standing just wrapped up filming on Friday.

“They go to smaller towns in Canada and do a half-hour show based on the town,” he said, adding five people from the area were featured.

“I think it’s the nature of the small village – it’s the harbour (that) Still Standing was particularly interested in,” Brooks said.

“It was the changing use of the town – it had different themes. It was more of a tourist centre back in the ’40s and ’50s – then it changed into a commercial harbour fishery. Now, it’s starting to veer more toward the tourist side.”

Brooks said the production crew in town this week has to follow all COVID-19 safety precautions, including rules restricting gatherings.

“They have to follow all the same safety protocols as everyone else,” he said.

Earlier this year, Hollywood superstar Jason Mamoa of Aquaman fame was in the St. Thomas area on the set of the second season of the big-budget Apple TV series See before filming was shut down due to COVID-19.

Four years ago, Port Stanley was the backdrop for filming of the pilot episode of NBC Universal’s television series Taken.

hrivers@postmedia.com

jjuha@postmedia.com

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