The movie was shooting at Memorial Peace Park Tuesday and will continue shooting all week through the Maple Ridge downtown. (Screenshot/Special to The News)

Memorial Peace Park decked up for white Christmas in September

A new holiday movie filming begins in Maple Ridge

Christmas has come early to Maple Ridge once again this year with the filming of a new movie Secret Santa.

The film, starring Jennie Garth and Cameron Mathison, has a filming schedule in Maple Ridge this week, said executive producer Tara Cowell-Plain on Tuesday.

The crew was filming an outdoor Christmas scene at the Memorial Peace Park despite the rains, followed by night scenes at the same location.

ALSO READ: A busy year is expected for filming in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows

“We are so excited about this shoot and just a big thank you to the community for supporting and tolerating such productions in the community,” she said.

In a social media post, Mathison said, “Lots of laughs working with the awesome @jenniegarth on a sweet Christmas movie called Secret Santa right now:)”, while Garth wrote, “So excited to bring this fun Christmas movie to life! #SecretSanta @gactv

The movie is through the new production house GAC Media and set for a December 2021 release.

“It has been a challenging year and a half but the industry is motivated to make it work; there are so many people sitting in front of their TVs and we are motivated to make content for them,” said Cowell-Plain, for whom, this will be her third production since the pandemic.

“It has been so great to be back on sets; everybody works together, does their best to stay socially distant, it works. We also try to support and go to as many local businesses as we can,” she said.

ALSO READ: Vancouver director explores cultural identity in latest film now shooting in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows


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Tara Cowell-Plain, executive producer with the movie, is excited to shoot in Maple Ridge. (Priyanka Ketkar/The News)