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Vancouver filming locations trivia: what US quiz writers get wrong about BC sets
US quiz writers misplace Vancouver and BC filming facts. This guide gives verified BC-only sets, contrasts Ontario and Alberta, and lists checkable steps.
What to take away
- Vancouver and British Columbia hosted the first five seasons of The X-Files, not Los Angeles.
- Supernatural filmed all 15 seasons in Vancouver, despite being set in the United States.
- Once Upon a Time used Steveston Village in Richmond, BC as Storybrooke, Maine.
- Deadpool and Deadpool 2 shot in Vancouver, including the Georgia Viaduct.
- Ontario productions like The Handmaid's Tale and It are often wrongly labeled BC.
These facts matter for celebrity trivia and pop culture quizzes because players often know the cast but miss where a scene was filmed. A question can look right and still mark a correct team wrong if it names the story setting instead of the BC location.
The notes below help quiz fans and quiz hosts keep movie and TV rounds fair. They also make better celebrity trivia questions for anyone building a pop culture quiz night.
Why US quiz writers misplace BC sets
US quiz writers often default to Los Angeles for any Hollywood production. They also treat "Hollywood North" as a single city. In fact, Vancouver and Toronto both use that nickname. The result is questions that fail in both countries. For a side-by-side breakdown of tax credit context and crew names, see the BC and Ontario credits page.
Another error is assuming that all Canadian filming happens in Vancouver. Alberta hosted Interstellar, Brokeback Mountain, and The Bourne Legacy. Ontario hosted The Handmaid's Tale, It, Orphan Black, and Schitt's Creek. A quiz question that says "Vancouver" for those titles is wrong.
Verified BC filming locations by production
Verified BC filming locations
| Production | Common quiz answer | Verified BC location |
|---|---|---|
| Deadpool (2016) | Los Angeles | Vancouver, BC |
| Once Upon a Time | Maine | Steveston, Richmond, BC |
| Supernatural | Various US states | Vancouver, BC |
| The X-Files (seasons 1-5) | Los Angeles | Vancouver, BC |
| Riverdale | A US town | Vancouver, BC |
| Smallville | Kansas | Vancouver, BC |
| The 100 | A US wasteland | Vancouver, BC |
| Bates Motel | Oregon | Aldergrove, BC |
| The Good Doctor | San Jose | Vancouver, BC |
| Juno | Minnesota | Vancouver, BC |
| The Twilight Saga: New Moon | Washington state | Vancouver, BC |
| I, Robot | Chicago | Vancouver, BC |
| Watchmen (2009) | New York | Vancouver, BC |
| Godzilla (2014) | San Francisco | Vancouver, BC |
| 2012 | Los Angeles | Vancouver, BC |
| The A-Team (2010) | Various US cities | Vancouver, BC |
The table shows a pattern. US-set stories often shot in BC. Quiz writers who answer with the setting instead of the filming location get the question wrong.
BC Filming Locations vs Quiz Answers
Production
- Deadpool (2016)
- Los Angeles
- Once Upon a Time
- Maine
- Supernatural
- Various US states
- The X-Files (seasons 1-5)
- Los Angeles
- Riverdale
- A US town
- Smallville
- Kansas
Common quiz answer
- Deadpool (2016)
- Vancouver, BC
- Once Upon a Time
- Steveston, Richmond, BC
- Supernatural
- Vancouver, BC
- The X-Files (seasons 1-5)
- Vancouver, BC
- Riverdale
- Vancouver, BC
- Smallville
- Vancouver, BC
Verified BC location
- Deadpool (2016)
- Once Upon a Time
- Supernatural
- The X-Files (seasons 1-5)
- Riverdale
- Smallville
Ontario and Alberta facts that get pulled into BC quizzes
Ontario and Alberta facts
| Production | Province | Common wrong answer |
|---|---|---|
| The Handmaid's Tale | Ontario | BC |
| It (2017) | Ontario | BC |
| Orphan Black | Ontario | BC |
| Schitt's Creek | Ontario | BC |
| Interstellar | Alberta | BC |
| Brokeback Mountain | Alberta | BC |
| The Bourne Legacy | Alberta | BC |
These titles are Canadian productions, but they are not BC productions. A quiz that labels them Vancouver is mixing up provinces. The Ontario sets comparison page covers which credits belong to Toronto rather than Vancouver.
Ontario and Alberta Productions
Production
- The Handmaid's Tale
- Ontario
- It (2017)
- Ontario
- Orphan Black
- Ontario
- Schitt's Creek
- Ontario
- Interstellar
- Alberta
- Brokeback Mountain
- Alberta
Province
- The Handmaid's Tale
- BC
- It (2017)
- BC
- Orphan Black
- BC
- Schitt's Creek
- BC
- Interstellar
- BC
- Brokeback Mountain
- BC
Common wrong answer
- The Handmaid's Tale
- It (2017)
- Orphan Black
- Schitt's Creek
- Interstellar
- Brokeback Mountain
BC versus Ontario tax credits and crew unions
BC offers the Production Services Tax Credit for foreign and domestic productions. Ontario offers the Ontario Production Services Tax Credit. Rates and eligibility differ, so a question written for one province may not apply to the other.
Crew unions also split by province. IATSE Local 891 covers BC, while IATSE Local 873 covers Ontario. A quiz that names the wrong local is wrong. Toronto is Ontario's production hub, so questions about Ontario sets should start there.
Example: Deadpool and the Georgia Viaduct
Deadpool (2016) filmed in Vancouver, including the Georgia Viaduct for the opening sequence. US quiz writers often place it in Los Angeles. The verified answer is Vancouver, BC.
How to verify a BC filming location
Vancouver trivia nights often use the standard pub quiz format, so a wrong location costs a team points. Writers can use a simple four-step check before publishing a question.
- Check the production's official press kit or studio release for filming locations.
- Cross-reference with Creative BC or the BC Film Commission production list.
- Confirm the crew union local. IATSE 891 means BC, IATSE 873 means Ontario.
- Use fact-checking methods to resolve conflicting claims.
BC location checklist for question writers
- Does the question name a specific BC municipality?
- Does the answer match the province's tax credit and union local?
- Have you checked whether the production moved between seasons?
- Is the location Alberta or Ontario rather than BC?
Use this checklist before writing a final answer. It prevents the most common BC misattributions.
A BC-only fact set means the answer names a British Columbia municipality, not just "Canada" or "Hollywood North."
