A section of the Pat Bay Highway in Saanich was closed last night and will be again overnight today for the filming of an upcoming Netflix series.
Filming is scheduled to take place on the highway between the McKenzie Avenue exit and entry ramps between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. on Oct. 14 and Oct. 15.
A detour is in place during production and there will be signs and traffic control personnel will be in the area to direct drivers.
Additional filming will take place on the Pat Bay Highway in Sidney between McDonald Park Road and Lands End Road on Oct. 17 or 23. According to the B.C. Ministry of Transportation said, there will be rolling closures from 12 a.m. until 6 a.m. on Oct. 17.
The film being produced is a new Netflix adaptation of a bestselling memoir that began filming at Colwood’s Royal Beach in September.
“Maid” is a new series from Warner Bros/Netflix based on the memoir “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive” by Stephanie Land.
The City of Colwood says that the series will have a limited run of 10 episodes, filmed exclusively in the Victoria area between September 2020 and March 2021.
The series tells the story of a single mother who turns to housekeeping to make ends meet, battling poverty, homelessness, and bureaucracy.
Netflix announced Maid in November 2019. LuckyChap Entertainment, a production company founded by actress Margot Robbie in 2014, will be producing the series. Robbie is also listed as an Executive Producer on the show.
“Stephanie Land’s book is a powerful and necessary read, with incredible insight into the struggles people face whilst just trying to get by,” LuckyChap Entertainment said in a statement.
The City of Colwood says that the film industry sees dollars spent in the community for other businesses outside the film industry, multiplying the financial benefit for the region.
“Showcasing Colwood’s beautiful west coast waterfront location at Royal Beach to national and international audiences through film is an exciting way to promote our City and attract new investment in our community,” the City said.
A premiere date for Maid has not yet been announced on the Netflix website.
With files from Tim Ford
