Hallmark "Navigating Christmas"
The Hallmark Channel’s newest Countdown to Christmas movie, “Navigating Christmas,” premieres on Friday, November 17, at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central. The movie stars Chelsea Hobbs and Stephen Huszar. Read on to learn all about where the movie was filmed and other behind-the-scenes cast stories.
‘Navigating Christmas’ Was Filmed in the Vancouver Island Region of Canada in August
Hallmark“Navigating Christmas”
“Navigating Christmas” was filmed mostly in the Vancouver Island region of British Columbia, Canada. One of the main filming locations was Victoria, according to Front Street Pictures. The movie was filmed from August 7 through August 25, according to UBCP/ACTRA.
During the August filming, the movie was called “An Island Light.” It was later renamed to “Navigating Christmas,” shared Autumn St. Cyr.
A casting call was shared in the Victoria Film Industry Facebook group, noting that it was going to be filmed the last part of August.
Everett Andres, who plays Jason in the movie, wrote that it was filmed “in beautiful Victoria, BC from one breathtaking location after another.”
Hobbs gave a sneak peek of some of the filming locations in a video.
The movie was also partially shot at The Rocko’s Diner in Mission, British Columbia. It was used to film cafe scenes, Castalkie reported.
It was predominantly shot in the Victoria region of Vancouver Island, and key filming spots featured Fort Rodd Hill and the Fisgard Lighthouse. In a reply to her own Facebook post, Victoria Clements confirmed the Fort Rodd filming location.
Located at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Fort Rodd Hill is a national historic site and encompasses 60 acres of coastal headlands, including the Fisgard Lighthouse. The lighthouse has been in operation since 1860, making it the oldest surviving lighthouse on the West coast of Canada.
The Inner Harbour in downtown Victoria is also the location of some of the movie’s scenes, Castalkie reported. It’s a stand-in for the fictional St. Nicholas Island, where the movie takes place.
Hobbs shared a picture of her trailer door in this Instagram post filled with pictures and captioned “✌️ ☀️ hello 🍂”
Meet the Cast
Hallmark’s synopsis reads: “Recently divorced Melanie and her son Jason visit a remote island for Christmas, only to find themselves running a real working lighthouse where she connects with the curt but cute owner.”
Chelsea Hobbs, who plays Melanie, began acting at the age of 8, according to her bio. Throughout her childhood, she was in more than 80 commercials. Her breakthrough moment arrived when she starred alongside Bridget Fonda in Hallmark’s mini-series “Snow Queen” in 2002, securing a Leo award nomination. Following this success, she landed a lead role in Fox’s “Save the Last Dance.” She graduated from high school early through homeschooling and moved to Los Angeles at the age of 17. She also starred in last year’s “The Holiday Sitter,” along with “The Picture of Christmas” in 2021, “Marth’s Vineyard Mysteries,” and more.
Stephen Huszar plays Peter. According to his bio, his credits extend to feature films like “Milton’s Secret,” where he starred alongside Donald Sutherland and Michelle Rodriguez and had a producer role. His filmography also includes “30 Days of Night: Dark Days,” “Faces in the Crowd,”and “Ferocious.” In the realm of TV, Huszar played the role of Plunder in The CW’s “The Flash” and has made appearances on “Continuum,” “Supernatural,” and “Letterkenny” (which Tyler Hynes also stars in.) Additionally, Huszar is known for his role on Hallamrk’s “Chesapeake Shores,” along with “Love in Glacier National,” “A Royal Christmas Crush,” “Christmas in Rockwell,” “Undercover Holiday,” “Cooking Up Love,” “Time for Us to Come Home for Christmas,” and more.
Also starring in the movie, according to Hallmark’s press release, are:
- Everett Andres (Jason)
- Bobby L. Stewart (Earl)
- Tanja Dixon-Warren (Ruth)
- Lindsay Gibson (Mayor Katie)
- Nahanni Mitchell (Sara)
- Katherine Haysbert (Claire)
- Lochlyn Munro (Ray Schultz)
- Laura Lyall (Ellie)
READ NEXT: Hallmark’s Full Christmas Lineup for 2023
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Where Was ‘Navigating Christmas’ Filmed? See Cast Stories & Locations