08/21/2026
Some neat history of our beautiful town! Check out that extensive list!
🎬 Did You Know? Parry Sound Has Been a Movie Set for Decades?
You may not realize it, but some of the places we pass every day have been seen by audiences across Canada and around the world.
Parry Sound and the surrounding area have a surprisingly impressive film and television history — dating back decades and featuring some pretty recognizable names.
One of the most notable productions is Dance Me Outside (1994), directed by Canadian filmmaker Bruce McDonald and executive produced by legendary Canadian filmmaker Norman Jewison. Starring Adam Beach, Michael Greyeyes, Jennifer Podemski and Hugh Dillon, the film was shot in the Parry Sound area, including on the Shawanaga and Wasauksing First Nations. The film went on to inspire the CBC television series The Rez (1996–1998).
Then there’s Hockey Night (1984), the beloved CBC television movie starring a young Megan Follows, Rick Moranis and Yannick Bisson. Filmed primarily in Parry Sound, the community wasn’t just a backdrop — Parry Sound was actually part of the story.
And the list kept growing.
🎬 Productions filmed in Parry Sound
1984
* 🏒 Hockey Night
1994–1998
* 🎥 Dance Me Outside (1994)
* 📺 The Rez (1996–1998)
2010–2014
* 🎥 The Dogfather (2010)
* 🎥 The Entitled (2011)
* 🎥 Against the Wild (2013)
* 🎄 Pete’s Christmas (2013)
* 🎥 And Now a Word From Our Sponsor (2013)
* 🎬 Stage Fright (2014)
* 🌊 October Gale (2014)
* 🎥 People Hold On (2014)
* 🎥 Dead of Winter (2014)
* 🎄 A Very Larry Christmas (2014)
* 🎄 Shelby: The Dog Who Saved Christmas (2014)
2015–2019
* 🎥 The Steps (2015)
* 🏝️ Island Hunters (2015)
* 🎥 Country Crush (2016)
* 👁️ Eyewitness (2016)
* 🎥 American Hangman (2017)
* 🔪 Slasher: The Executioner (2017)
* 🎥 The Dark (2018)
* 🎥 Riot Girls (2019)
* 🎥 Happy Place (2019)
* 🚨 Northern Rescue (2019)
2022–2025
* 🎥 Wickensburg (2022)
* 🎥 The Breach (2022)
* 🎥 The Fight Machine (2022)
* 🎥 My Old Ass (2024)
* 🎥 Return to Wickensburg (2024)
* 🎥 Secrets of Wickensburg (2025)
💰 It’s more than just a cool story
Film and television production can also be a significant economic opportunity for our community.
According to Invest West Parry Sound, 19 productions have been hosted in West Parry Sound since 2010, generating approximately $64.7 million in economic spinoff.
Think about where that money goes: local accommodations, restaurants and catering, transportation, trades, equipment rentals, security, fuel and other local suppliers.
The 2016 television series Eyewitness is a great example. The production created approximately 75 crew jobs and 640 opportunities for local extras, while generating more than $15 million in regional economic activity.
And when Wickensburg filmed here in 2021, a crew of approximately 40 people contributed an estimated $1 million to the Town’s economy, through local actors, trades, caterers, equipment rentals, accommodations and transportation.
The economic impact is also continuing. In 2024, the Ontario government provided $500,000 through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation to support Secrets of Wickensburg, with the province specifically noting the production’s contribution to growing Parry Sound’s film industry.
🎥 So why Parry Sound?
Maybe the answer is pretty simple:
We already have the movie set.
Georgian Bay. The Thirty Thousand Islands. Canadian Shield. Forests. Lakes. Islands. Waterfronts. Historic buildings. A picturesque downtown.
It’s scenery that filmmakers don’t have to create — they just have to point a camera at it.
And there’s something pretty special about knowing that the places we see every day have been transformed into fictional towns, movie locations and television sets.
The next time you see a film crew setting up around town, take a second look.
You might just be watching the next chapter of Parry Sound’s film history being made.
Because when the cameras come to Parry Sound, they’re not just capturing our scenery.
They’re bringing jobs, spending, attention and another little piece of Parry Sound to audiences around the world.
