Cowichan Gets A Double Shot Of Movie Magic

Love’s lessons and sasquatch legends are the subjects of two separate movies being shot this week in Cowichan.




Louise McMurray of Film Cowichan said the made-for-TV flick Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow was being filmed at various locations, as was a global documentary about the hairy critter also called Bigfoot or Tthamuqwus in the Hul’qumi’num language.



“Apparently there’ve been quite a few sightings around here,” McMurray said of the elusive sasquatch, a creature called the yeti in Asia.



One episode happened in June 2003 when the News Leader Pictorial reported what some locals said where bigfoot tracks in farmland soil on reserve land near the Cowichan River.



McMurray said sasquatch documentary crews were shooting in the Mesachie Lake, Chemainus River and, Mount Sicker Road and Quw’utsun’ Cultural Centre areas.



McMurray’s heard of sasquatch sightings in the Quamichan Marsh area too.



Meanwhile, producer Paul Raymond of Vancouver’s Front Street Pictures said his “low-budget” romance flick — starring Richard Thomas, alias John Boy of TV’s The Walton’s fame — found the right atmosphere in downtown Duncan for Hallmark Network’s project under director Gary Harvey.



“Duncan has that small-town look. This picture’s set in a small town that’s almost a character in the story.”



Yesterday’s other local sites include the Cowichan and Cairnsmore lodge areas, Quamichan Inn, Genoa Bay Road and near Just Jake’s bistro.



“We could shoot this in Victoria but we’re always piecing together small towns.



“Duncan’s like a back lot to us. The community’s been very supportive,” Raymond said.



Marvelous, hinted McMurray.



“It’s a pretty major production for our area,” she said.



Yesterday’s plot sees Thomas as a small-town reporter who heads to the big smoke to work on a daily where he writes a controversially tragic story.



“He runs back to the small town and discovers his roots, and how much he missies the small town,” Raymond said.



“He also recaptures his love,” he said of Thomas’ lover, portrayed by Christine Chatelaine.



It was unknown when Yesterday would air in Canada but it will be screened in early 2011 stateside.



He said more Front Street pictures could come to use Cowichan’s various rustic locations.



“We hope to be back