The Location Managers Guild International (LMGI) is the largest organization of Location Managers and Location Scouts in the motion picture, television, commercial and print production industries. Their membership plays a vital role in the creativ
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24 • LMGI COMPASS | Summer 2023 MUST-SEE PLACE: Victoria's famed Inner Harbour and any beach you have time to visit, they're all spectacular. Fort Rodd Hill is an historic 19th-century west coast artillery fortress which boasts the Fisgard Lighthouse, the oldest lighthouse on Canada's west coast. This cinematic lighthouse is film-friendly and has provided the back- drop for projects from Spooksville to Maid. FAVORITE RESTAURANT: At Boom + Batten, you have to try the crispy cauliflower. The restaurant is quite new and was built in the Inner Harbour at the International Marina and sits on pilings out over the water. You can't get much more waterfront than Boom + Batten unless you're on one of the 65-plus-foot yachts the marina welcomes. Q at the Empress; this restaurant was recently renovated and turned into quite the place to sit and have a drink and watch the float planes and activity in the Inner Harbour. Tucked into Victoria's downtown core, Wind Cries Mary has some of the best cocktails in town and an incredibly cool subterranean "speak easy" feel. PLACE TO SEE BY NIGHT: The Inner Harbour, the BC Parliament Buildings and the iconic Fairmont Em- press Hotel. Situated on the harbour and built in 1908, the Empress is a National Historic Site that has been providing legendary hospitality for more than 110 years. Its neighboring buildings are the architecturally stunning BC Parliament Buildings. BEST DAY TRIP: Drive north up Vancouver Island into the Cowichan Valley and visit Duncan and the wineries in the area. Standing on Cowichan First Nation territory and known as the "City of Totems," Duncan is famous for its distinctive hand-carved cedar poles from local native artisans on public display in parks and downtown streets. FAVORITE NEIGHBORHOOD: Uplands is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Victoria and has some of the largest homes and estates in the area. The neighborhood has always been extremely film-friendly and the variety Paul's Private Tour of homes is second to none. From large Tudor-style mansions from the early 1900s, to impressive modern builds, the treelined street and the well-established greenery is all within a cart push. FAVORITE LOCAL ARTIST: Stephanie Prest is a young up-and- coming local artist whose love of nature, particularly the sea, can be seen in many of her painting series. Tom La Fortune is a veteran First Nation carver and has created some of the more dominant totem poles on the South Island. BEST BAR/CLUB: Tora Tiki a tucked away little bar with a great cocktail menu and a real authentic "tiki vibe." St. Franks, punk rock, hot dogs and draft beer. This is the place to go if you want to feel a bit dirty. BEST VANTAGE POINT/SCENIC VIEW: Cattle Point in Oak Bay feels like you are on the end of the island. The views looking east into the archipelago of the San Juan and Gulf Islands are breathtaking. Mount Tolmie sits in the municipality of Saanich, the largest municipality on the southern island. A quick drive from downtown Victoria to the top of the hill provides a spectacular view of the South Island and Olympic Peninsula. The ease of access for trucks and equipment and the relative isolation that can be achieved on Mount Tolmie makes it one of my favorite spots to take directors and designers. The Empress Hotel. Photo: Paul Russell/LMGI The Parliament Building. Photo: Stevie Nelson/LMGI