One of the most important elements of Every Year After is Barry’s Bay itself. The lakeside town serves as the backdrop for Percy and Sam’s story across multiple summers and different stages of their lives. While the series stays faithful to the Canadian roots of Carley Fortune’s novel, the production ultimately had to recreate Barry’s Bay somewhere else.
Although Fortune’s Every Summer After was inspired by her own experiences spending summers in Ontario cottage country, filming did not take place in the real Barry’s Bay. Instead, the production found its version of the beloved lake town on Bowen Island, British Columbia.
Located just a short ferry ride from West Vancouver, Bowen Island became the primary filming location for the series, with additional scenes shot around the Vancouver area and on studio sets for interior locations.
Why Bowen Island Was Chosen
Producer Grace Gilroy, whose credits include projects such as The X-Files, Alien vs. Predator, and The Edge, immediately thought of Bowen Island after reading the scripts for Every Year After.
Having lived on the island for more than two decades, Gilroy believed Bowen offered the right combination of small-town charm and natural scenery needed to bring Barry’s Bay to life. The production transformed parts of Snug Cove and surrounding areas into the fictional lakeside community seen throughout the series; it chose to set Barry’s Bay in British Columbia.
Several local landmarks appear prominently on screen, often with subtle changes that help sell the illusion. In some cases, signs were replaced and visual effects were used to help turn a coastal setting into a freshwater lake destination.
According to Gilroy, the goal was to showcase the island at its best while preserving the intimate atmosphere that sits at the heart of Percy and Sam’s story.
Filming took place during the summer and early fall of 2025.
The Real-Life Tavern
One of the most recognizable locations in the series is the tavern that is first owned by Sue Florek and later taken over by Percy Fraser.
In reality, the building is Doc Morgan’s Pub & Restaurant, a well-known Bowen Island establishment. Fans familiar with the books will immediately recognize how important the tavern becomes within the wider story, making it one of the easiest filming locations to spot.
Stedman’s General Store
Readers of both Every Summer After and One Golden Summer will know that Stedman’s General Store is a recurring location within Carley Fortune’s fictional world.
For the television adaptation, the production used the Union Steamship Company Marina on Bowen Island as the stand-in for the store.
Rooster Bar
The bar known as Rooster, where Sam finds himself after Charlie’s betrayal leaves him heartbroken and betrayed, was filmed at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch on Bowen Island.
The location underwent the usual television transformation, but fans comparing screenshots from the series to real-life photos can still identify many of the building’s features.
Bowen Island Lagoon
The natural beauty surrounding Barry’s Bay is one of the defining visual elements of the series, and several outdoor scenes were filmed around the Bowen Island Lagoon.
These locations help establish the lakeside atmosphere that plays such an important role throughout Percy and Sam’s story.
The Bay Breeze Motel
The Bay Breeze Motel appears multiple times during the series and serves as a temporary home for characters including Chantal, Percy, and later Delilah. In the series, the motel is owned by Jordie.
The real filming location is the Classic Horseshoe Bay Motel in Horseshoe Bay, West Vancouver, British Columbia.
The production transformed the Classic Horseshoe Bay Motel into the Bay Breeze Motel through a series of visual updates designed to better match the lakeside setting of Barry’s Bay. The most obvious change is the color palette. The motel’s original burgundy-red roof trim was replaced with soft blue tones, creating a brighter, more waterfront-inspired look. The production also changed the doors in matching blue shades, giving the entire property a more cohesive appearance. Decorative breeze-block-style concrete panels were added between sections of the building, introducing a mid-century resort aesthetic that is absent from the real motel. Combined with updated signage and landscaping touches, the changes helped turn a roadside West Vancouver motel into the welcoming lakeside retreat seen throughout Every Year After.
Leaving a Positive Impact on the Community
Once production wrapped, the team behind Every Year After contributed to the completion of the Bowen Island Community Centre. According to Gilroy, supporting local communities after filming is something she regularly encourages on productions.
For residents, the series brought more than cameras and production crews. It also left behind improvements within the community while putting several local landmarks on screen for audiences around the world.
As viewers compare scenes from Every Year After with their real-life counterparts, it becomes clear just how much work went into transforming Bowen Island into the fictional Barry’s Bay that fans know from Carley Fortune’s novels.
FAQ
- Where was Every Year After filmed? Most of Every Year After was filmed on Bowen Island, British Columbia, with additional filming taking place around Vancouver and in studio locations for interior scenes.
- Was Every Year After filmed in the real Barry’s Bay, Ontario? No. Although the story is set in Barry’s Bay, Ontario, the series recreated the town using locations on Bowen Island, British Columbia.
- What real location was used for the tavern in Every Year After? The tavern owned by Sue Florek and later Percy Fraser was filmed at Doc Morgan’s Pub & Restaurant on Bowen Island.
- Where is Stedman’s General Store in the TV adaptation? The production used the Union Steamship Company Marina on Bowen Island as the stand-in for Stedman’s General Store.
- What motel was used as the Bay Breeze Motel? The Bay Breeze Motel was filmed at the Classic Horseshoe Bay Motel in Horseshoe Bay, West Vancouver, British Columbia.
Key Details
- Series: Every Year After
- Based on: Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
- Streaming On: Prime Video
- Main Cast: Sadie Soverall, Matt Cornett
- Primary Filming Location: Bowen Island, British Columbia, Canada
- Additional Locations: Vancouver, British Columbia, and studio sets
- Filming Period: Summer and early Fall 2025
- Real-Life Barry’s Bay Stand-In: Bowen Island, British Columbia
- Notable Locations: Doc Morgan’s Pub & Restaurant, Union Steamship Company Marina, Royal Canadian Legion Branch, Bowen Island Lagoon, Classic Horseshoe Bay Motel