Crews back in town to film ‘Christmas Homecoming’* with Taylor Cole, Steve Lund.
**The film is now titled “The Key to Christmas”. It previously had a working title of “Christmas Homecoming”
You may just bump into actress Taylor Cole on the streets of Almonte these days. The star of Dumbbells and The Green Hornet is in town filming a Hallmark Channel movie called, The Key to Christmas.
While others may be thinking of ghosts and goblins as Halloween approaches, Almonte’s looking ahead to the holidays thanks to another Christmas movie being shot in the area.
Film crews are back in town for the next few weeks to shoot “Christmas Homecoming.” According to the Municipality of Mississippi Mills, they will be using private homes and buildings in town, but no road closures will be required for filming.
“Big news! Christmas is coming early to Almonte,” noted an Oct. 22 Facebook post by the municipality. “Hollywood is back in town. Watch for snow blankets and festive Christmas decor.”
The Superior Restaurant on Mill Street had its close-up on Thursday, Oct. 22 while crews adorned the stone façade of the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum with some Christmas cheer on Saturday, Oct. 24. Other locations to be used include LG Lee & Sons Hardware Store, private residences on Elgin and Perth streets and the vacant Ultramar lot on Mill Street will be transformed into Santa’s Village.
Some residents expressed concern over filming due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however in a statement by the municipality, the crew is under strict guidelines and have provided details of their protocols to Mississippi Mills.
“They rent their locations out and will not be sharing space with any regular customers, etc.,” the statement read, which added everyone involved is tested. “ … We trust the industry’s strict COVID plan and precautions combined with our public health unit’s guidelines will keep everyone safe. Also important to remember sets are closed …”
Lead actors Taylor Cole and Steve Lund star in “Christmas Homecoming.” Lund made several guest appearances on the acclaimed Canadian show “Schitt’s Creek,” and Cole is no stranger to the Almonte area, having filmed the Hallmark movie “Christmas Festival of Ice” here back in 2017.
The description of the movie follows heiress Jessica Morgan (Cole), who decides to take in a more relaxed Christmas holiday in a small town, where she meets a handsome firefighter (Lund).
Smyth Casting of Ottawa is handling casting for background opportunities. To appear as an extra, watch for further details on their Facebook page. The film is being directed by Don McBrearty and is written by Joey Elkins and Blake Silver and is also being shot at locations in and around Ottawa.
