Woman Wanted Location

I loved the Winnipeg shots. Train station, Exchange District; great stuff! "The Peg" provides lots of opportunities to shoot 'period' films; I wish more were made there. Fort Rouge and its leafy streets (reminiscent of Chicago suburbs like Oak Park), the mansions of Tuxedo, Osborne Village and its flair, St. Boniface -- its all good!

Canadian filmmakers usually argue only Toronto or Montreal can provide those "turn-of-the-century" neighbourhoods and 'loft' buildings needed for this type of movie, but this film having been shot in Winnipeg proves them wrong. The Peg's a wonderful city for filming, with an incredible diversity of filming locations; you just have to look for them.

And the other nice thing? It makes business sense. Winnipeg is easy to get around in, locations are close to each other, and every aspect of production is a lot cheaper in Winnipeg than in Toronto or Montreal.

Mr. Sutherland has to be given enormous credit for deciding to shoot it in Winnipeg. He could have taken the easy way out by filming in Toronto, but he took a chance on The Peg and I think the movie is the better for it. Many of the locations convey to the film a relaxed pace and gentleness -- playing off against and enhancing the tension between father and son -- that is a signature of Winnipeg, and something you wouldn't achieve had you chosen frenzied Toronto or Montreal, or even Vancouver.

On a final note, there are also a number of neat small towns in Southern Manitoba (e.g., Steinbach) that could be considered for movie shoots, if one is trying to achieve that little town Mid-Western USA look.

PS: Winnipeg is not my hometown, so I am not biased. I just love the Peg every time I visit, that's all.