TV SERIES · 2019– · CANADA
Northern Rescue
39 archived facts 3 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (39)
- #001
The bear used in the series is a real 27-year-old Kodiak bear (native to Alaska) named Ursula. It has appeared in numerous television and film productions.
- #002
The penguins in the series fly on West Jet airlines, traveling accompanied by their trainers.
- #003
Tux was played not by one but by two African penguins, named Dayo and Skadu. The pair of penguins was borrowed from Sea Life Caverns at West Edmonton Mall and brought in by plane.
- #004
Shortly after filming began, Spencer Macpherson (Scout), Amalia Williamson (Maddie) and Taylor Thorne (Taylor) moved into the same house for the duration of the shoot. The living arrangement helped create an organic sibling dynamic.
- #005
The series was filmed in the town of Parry Sound, Ontario, including scenes set in Boston. All 10 episodes were shot over a four-month period.
- #006
North of Parry Sound, a large 17,000-acre forest fire caused by a decommissioned ATV unrelated to the series kept residents, tourists, and the cast and crew on alert throughout the shoot. It was later announced that the fire was extinguished in the fall.
- #007
During filming of the series, the population of Parry Sound rose from 6,000 to 60,000 because the area is known as a summer getaway for Ontario residents. This annual population surge made it somewhat difficult for the crew to navigate local planning, locations and resources.
- #008
For the role of Scout, Spencer Macpherson had to learn wrestling and to play the guitar. He continued: "Wrestling was the hardest because I am completely devoid of athletic ability, but I really enjoyed everyone's passion for the sport."
- #009
Kathleen Robertson is a five-time Canadian Screen Award nominee.
- #010
Spencer Macpherson (Scout West) admitted he was initially a little nervous about working with a bear, but he was given the chance to meet the bear a day before filming.
- #011
The African penguin is also known as the Jackass Penguin or the Black-footed Penguin. Penguins are flightless birds and are currently on the list of endangered species.
- #012
There were only three standing sets built for the series. The largest was the interior Aquaverse set, built in the local curling arena in Parry Sound. The second was the hospital room shown in episode 9. The third was the burning cabin shown in episode 3. Every other location in the series was a natural environment found in Parry Sound and dressed by the art and set decoration department.
- #013
Before filming the series, Baldwin had faced a real-life danger when a massive fire known as the Thomas Fire burned his neighborhood in southern California, then triggered a mudslide that destroyed his home and forced his family to leave the devastated area.
- #014
During filming, Amalia Williamson was studying for a bachelor's degree in film and television at Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario.
- #015
Northern Rescue was the first regular role in a series for both Taylor Thorne and Amalia Williamson.
- #016
Playing the role of Charlie Anders was a breath of fresh air for Kathleen Robertson. "I'm really offered dark and really deeply flawed characters," she said. The actress is known for her roles in Bates Motel, Beverly Hills, 90210 and Maniac Mansion.
- #017
Alongside Northern Rescue, Spencer Macpherson has been a series regular on several shows, including the role of the French Charles XI in The CW's historical drama Reign and the role of Hunter Hollingsworth in Degrassi: Next Class.
- #018
Taylor Thorne (Taylor West) worked and rehearsed most with the penguins, which are allowed to work a maximum of six hours a day. Although the penguins are incredibly cute, working with them proved very difficult because of the challenge of training them to carry out written tasks. As a result, the writers greatly scaled back the scenes requiring penguins and, according to some of the cast, their expectations of what would be possible in the scenes where the penguins would be used.
- #019
The Wildflour Baking Company in Parry Sound was transformed into "The Slice," the local coffee shop in Turtle Island Bay owned and run by the series character Charlie (Kathleen Robertson).
- #020
Like his character in the series, William Baldwin was a high school wrestler. He later attended Binghamton University, where he continued to wrestle. In 2003 he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. He regularly appears as a guest announcer and provides color commentary at wrestling competitions in the United States.
- #021
While pitching the series to executives at CBC and Netflix, William Baldwin shared stories from his own family to connect with the journeys of the characters in the show.
- #022
According to William Baldwin, he is the only American in the main cast. Sarah, Kathleen, Maddie, Scout and Taylor are played by Canadian actors.
- #023
Executive producer David Cormican was so impressed by Amalia Williamson's performance while watching audition footage for the role of Maddie that he immediately called his production partner Dwayne Hill to tell him they had found their perfect Maddie West.
- #024
Taylor Thorne (Taylor) is the only member of the main cast who was still in high school during filming of the series.
- #025
In addition to starring in the series, William Baldwin is also credited as an executive producer.
- #026
Spencer Macpherson, Andre Kim and Devyn Nekoda all appeared in Degrassi: The Next Generation.
- #027
CGI was used sparingly in the series (one such instance came in the second episode, when we meet the penguin Tux). Other examples include removing wires for acrobatic scenes and enhancing fire and char for burned and post-fire scenes.
- #028
During development and writing of the series, the creators drew inspiration from the majestic and awe-inspiring Parry Sound in Northern Ontario. The town later became the fictional Turtle Island Bay for filming.
- #029
Baldwin was brought onto the project by his longtime friend Bradley Walsh, who also directed four episodes and served as an executive producer on the series.
- #030
The series' opening song is titled "Family" and comes from the Canadian indie-rock band Mother, Mother.
- #031
William Baldwin is no stranger to first responder crews. In 1991 he played a firefighter alongside Kurt Russell and Robert De Niro in Ron Howard's hit film Backdraft. In real life he supports charities such as Toronto's Sick Kids Hospital and helps raise funds for the charity every year.
- #032
Scout's return trip from Turtle Island Bay (Parry Sound) to Boston to visit Alison would take about 18 hours by bus or 11 hours by car, and as a minor would also require a border crossing. The distance itself is 1,100 km or 683 miles.
- #033
According to casting director Jason Knight, the role of Rick Walker (played by Alan Van Sprang) was the hardest to cast. He explained: "That role needed someone who could toggle between being charismatic and being the bad guy you love to hate, much like Ben Mendelsohn's character in Bloodline. It's a bit of a balancing act, but I think we ultimately made the right choice."
- #034
The series was a joint commission between Netflix and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).
- #035
Northern Rescue was the first original series to premiere on CBC Gem, the online streaming platform and subsidiary of CBC television.
- #036
John West saves a total of 10 people over the course of the series (not counting his children emotionally).
- #037
Maddie West is arrested a total of two times in the series. Once for assaulting a classmate and once for theft.
- #038
Composer Ari Posner and showrunner David Cormican had previously worked together on the Dutch/Canadian feature film Tulipani: Love, Honor, and a Cycling.
- #039
In addition to Northern Rescue, Spencer Macpherson (Scout) and Evan Marsh (Henry) collaborated on the American Gothic TV series and the Canadian feature film drama Brotherhood.
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