The CBC and Netflix comedy North of North takes viewers to the fictional Arctic community of Ice Cove, a place where everyone knows your business and the winter cold is a character of its own. What makes the show look so real is not a computer-generated backdrop. The production went to the actual Canadian Arctic to film, becoming the first major television series of its size to shoot in Nunavut . The first season was filmed almost entirely in Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut, while the second season split its time between Iqaluit and a soundstage in Toronto . Here is a detailed breakdown of where the show was filmed and how the production pulled it off.
Iqaluit: The Real Heart of Ice Cove
Iqaluit served as the primary filming location for North of North . The city sits on the edge of Frobisher Bay, surrounded by the Everett Mountains and the rugged land of Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park . The landscape has no trees, so the horizon stretches for miles, and in winter it turns into a frozen white desert .
Co-creator and showrunner Stacey Aglok MacDonald described the location as a natural set that needed no decoration.
“Filming in the Arctic is beautiful, wonderful and absolutely spectacular. Everywhere you turn is another set because everything is just absolutely stunning.”
The production worked closely with the community. More than 500 local residents appeared as background actors, including Iqaluit’s mayor, Solomon Awa . Lead actress Anna Lambe, who plays Siaja, is originally from Iqaluit, and she has said that shooting in her hometown was a dream .
“With this show being so huge, you would see the crew everywhere and they became a new part of the community. It was crazy to see the local crew and the people I grew up with come together to bring Ice Cove to life.”
The Curling Rink That Became a TV Studio
Nunavut has no permanent film studio, so the production had to get creative . The team rented the Iqaluit Curling Club and turned it into a temporary soundstage for interior scenes . The sets for Ice Cove were built in Toronto, then taken apart, flown to Nunavut, and rebuilt inside the curling rink .
Co-showrunner Alethea Arnaquq-Baril explained how unusual the process was.
“We had to build it in the South — see it, tear it down, put it in a plane, fly it up to Iqaluit. It was like planning to shoot on the moon.”
Working inside the curling rink came with its own problems. The power went out multiple times, and the space was not designed for a television production . For Season 2, the production moved half of its interior filming to a proper soundstage in Toronto’s Leslieville neighbourhood, where the Ice Cove community centre and the home of main character Neevee were recreated .
Apex: The Small Community That Became Ice Cove’s Main Street
Apex, a small community about 3 miles southeast of downtown Iqaluit, was a major filming location for the show’s exterior scenes . The residential surroundings helped the production capture the close-knit village feel of Ice Cove .
For Season 2, the production transformed Simonie Michael Lane in Apex into Neevee’s Survival Shop, a fictional store named after Siaja’s mother . The City of Iqaluit announced road closures on Simonie Michael Lane and Jack Anawak Street on March 2 and 3 to allow safe filming . Apex Beach was also used for scenes during the first season .
Filming at -40°C: What It Took to Shoot in the Arctic Winter
Season 2 of North of North was filmed during the Arctic winter, and the crew faced temperatures that dropped to -40°C and sometimes -45°C . The extreme cold affected every part of the production.
Actor Jay Ryan, who plays Alistair, said even something as simple as makeup became a challenge.
“Everything freezes very quickly, so, not only does the makeup artist have to make you look pretty, they have to take your ice down on your beard. That’s a new one for me.”
The cold also forced changes to daily routines. The pipes on portable washrooms would freeze, so the production hired extra drivers to take crew members back to their hotel bathrooms . Metal and plastic equipment froze, and the crew used homemade fur coverings to protect their gear . Strap-on ice cleats were mandatory to keep from falling on the ice .
“Everything takes 10 times as long. I told the crew, ‘This may be the hardest thing you’ll ever do, but you’ll never forget it.’” — camera operator Jay Callan
Why the Show Moved Half of Season 2 to Toronto
The move to Toronto for Season 2 was a practical decision. Co-showrunner Alethea Arnaquq-Baril said the curling rink was “not a space we can commandeer year after year,” and a hotel that had housed cast and crew during the first season was being renovated . A permanent studio is being built in Iqaluit, but it was not ready in time for the second season .
Anna Lambe admitted that filming in Toronto felt strange at first, since she was used to the rhythm of working in Iqaluit. But returning to the world of Ice Cove on a soundstage also brought a sense of comfort.
“It feels so good. It’s like coming back to summer camp.” — Zorga Qaunaq, who plays Millie
The production still returned to Iqaluit for exterior filming. Toronto shooting ran from January 10 to February 12, 2026, and the Iqaluit portion of the schedule ran from March 2 to April 2, 2026 .
A Made-in-Nunavut Story With a Global Reach
North of North is a co-production between CBC, Netflix, and APTN, and it holds the distinction of being Netflix’s first Canadian original series . The show debuted in Canada on CBC and APTN in January 2025 and launched globally on Netflix in April 2025 . It debuted at No. 9 on Netflix’s global top 10 for English-language series and reached the top 10 in 33 countries, with nearly 9 million views between April and June 2025.
You May Also Like
The production also left something behind in Nunavut. The creators launched a mentorship program that trained local residents in different production departments, and drama workshops led to roles for local actors, including the mayor . The sets, the costumes, and the local crew all helped turn a fictional Arctic town into a place that feels lived-in and real.
Also Read: ‘Every Year After’ Filming Locations: Where Was the Prime Video Romance Series Actually Shot?
Keep exploring the stories behind the screen with VvipTimes.
Leave a Reply