The new Prime Video romance series Every Year After dropped on June 10, 2026. The show follows Percy and Sam as they spend summers together in a small lake town called Barry’s Bay. The water views, the small shops and the quiet streets make the town feel like a character of its own.
Many viewers want to know if Barry’s Bay is real. The short answer is yes, but the show was not filmed there. Here is the full breakdown of where the series was shot and the real places that inspired the story.
Barry’s Bay Is a Real Town in Ontario
Barry’s Bay is a real community in Madawaska Valley, Ontario, Canada. It sits on the shore of Kamaniskeg Lake. The town had about 1,084 residents in 2021. Author Carley Fortune, who wrote the book “Every Summer After,” grew up in this small town.
Fortune spent her summers swimming in the lake and working at her parents’ restaurant. She said the town was very quiet in winter, but every summer it became full of kids and activities.
“I grew up on the lake in Barry’s Bay, and our house was kind of on a dirt road in the bush. There were only three permanent residences on the road,” Fortune told Decider in an interview published June 10, 2026. “The other houses were cottages, and every summer — it would be very quiet in the winter — and then every summer it was full of action and kids.”
The Show Was Filmed in British Columbia
Even though the story takes place in Ontario, the production team filmed Every Year After in British Columbia. The main filming location is Bowen Island, located about six kilometers west of Vancouver in the Howe Sound.
The producers chose Bowen Island because of its small-town feel and natural beauty. Showrunner Amy B. Harris said the place gave her goosebumps when she first saw it.
“It literally had like a little ice cream counter,” Harris told Entertainment Weekly. “There was nothing that I wanted that it didn’t have.”
Specific Locations Used on Bowen Island
Bowen Island Tourism confirmed several spots in Snug Cove were used during filming. These locations appear in different scenes throughout the 8 episodes:
- Union Steamship Marina Resort – Used for marina scenes where characters go fishing
- Doc Morgan’s Pub and Restaurant – Transformed into the local Tavern for Sue’s memorial scene
- Tippy’s Cookhouse – Seen in multiple background shots
- The Lagoon Causeway – Used for lake scenes (with clever editing to make the ocean look like a lake)
The production team also placed a sign on the Causeway welcoming people to “Barry’s Bay.” This confused some local tourists who thought they had arrived in a different town.
Vancouver and Studio Filming Locations
The cast and crew also filmed in Vancouver and North Vancouver. Interior scenes were shot at North Shore Studios, located at 555 Brooksbank Avenue in North Vancouver.
Outdoor swimming scenes were filmed at Minaty Bay, a glacier-fed lake location. Actor Sadie Soverall, who plays Percy, told Decider the water was very cold.
“It was a beautiful, glacier fed lake. So it was cold. But I’m really proud of us. We mastered the skill of outside swimming,” she said.
Additional filming happened in Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver and Deep Cove in North Vancouver.
Why the Show Didn’t Film in the Real Barry’s Bay
Many fans wonder why the production did not shoot in the actual Barry’s Bay, Ontario. The main reason is logistics. The real Barry’s Bay is very small and far from major production resources. The team also needed specific looks that were easier to find in British Columbia.
Carley Fortune, who served as an executive producer, had strong feelings about the setting. She did not want the show to pretend to be American. She also did not want the filmmakers to hide the mountains just to make British Columbia look like Ontario.
“The thing I felt most strongly about was the setting and making sure the book was set in Canada,” Fortune told Decider.
She also told Publishers Weekly in 2025: “I’m so sick of Canadian places in film and TV standing in for other locations, usually American. We’re filming in British Columbia, which does not look like Ontario. I didn’t want them to crop out the mountains. It’s just so beautiful.”
So the show does not pretend to be Ontario. The welcome sign in the series actually says “Barry’s Bay, British Columbia”.
Real Barry’s Bay Locations That Inspired the Book
Even though the show was not filmed in Ontario, many places in the book are based on real spots in the actual Barry’s Bay. Fans who visit the real town can recognize these locations:
- The Tavern – Based on the real-life Wilno Tavern, known for Polish food including pierogi
- Madawaska Coffee – A real coffee shop in Barry’s Bay that is mentioned by name in the book
- Steadmans – A real store in Barry’s Bay that was recreated on the Bowen Island set
Carley Fortune also made a small cameo appearance in the series. She told Just Jared that seeing the set for the first time was a big deal for her.
“Seeing Steadmans, which is a real store of Barry’s Bay, there on set. The Tavern — that was very, very special,” she said.
Also Read:
Other Shows Filmed at These Locations
Bowen Island has been used for many other TV shows. Past productions include Riverdale, Supernatural and Virgin River.
Filming for Every Year After took place between June and October 2025. After filming ended, the production team helped complete work on the Bowen Island Community Centre as a way to give back to the local community.
Also Read: ‘The Madison’ Cast Explains Why Taylor Sheridan’s Script Is the Real Star of the Show
For the latest updates on streaming series and location guides, stay connected with VvipTimes.
