Right outside of Quebec sits a small city that just so happens to be the background to a lot of Hallmark and Netflix Christmas movies. If I'm being completely honest, I hate the winter. It's cold, I constantly find myself slipping on patches of ice, and my cute outfits are always covered by a big winter jacket. However, the one thing even I can admit about the winters in Eastern Canada is its incredible romance.
This city in Ontario called North Bay, which is right across the Quebec border, is where a lot of the cheesy yet addictive Hallmark Christmas movies are filmed. So, this year, instead of sitting inside, watching one of the films on your couch, why not go out and take this cinematic scenery in for yourself?
Some of the most loved Hallmark originals like Christmas in Love, Christmas With Tucker, Christmas In Angel Falls, The Holiday Calendar, and A Song For Christmas have been filmed in the small and charming city, and once you lay your eyes on it, you'll know exactly why it's such a film destination.
Although Hallmark movies make up perhaps the majority of Christmas cliché films, other, non-Hallmark films also made use of North Bay. The Christmas Inheritance and Love On Ice both have scenes that were filmed in this quaint city.
North Bay not only makes for a picture-perfect movie setting but also a pretty romantic weekend with the one you love.
According to the municipal website, the city is a wintertime sports destination with a "vibrant" downtown that "offers one of a kind shops, restaurants, and cafés."
Getting there from Montreal involves a 6-hour drive, which may seem like a long commute if you don't like driving in the winter.
But, there are also trains that go from Montreal to North Bay via Toronto, so you don’t need to worry about those slippery roads.
Plus, you can stop at Ottawa's popular holiday market along the way!
Christmas is proposal season and what could be more romantic than asking the love of your life to marry you right in the heart of a corny Hallmark movie?
But no worries if you're not at the marriage stage yet, it's also just a lovely place to explore with anyone whose company you enjoy!
Although Montreal has a lot of locations that can easily fool you into thinking you're living out a rom-com scene, this city is part of some of those movies, so why not check it out for yourself?