Palm trees on Montreal's Ste-Catherine Street as film crew takes over the Village | CBC News

· Posted: May 03, 2024 12:18 PM EDT | Last Updated: May 3

What's with the palm trees in Montreal's Village?

Palm trees bearing coconuts are livening up Montreal's Ste-Catherine Street in the Village as film crews busily dress the commercial artery up to look like retro San Diego for a Hollywood feature film.

"Watching them do up all the store signs to make them look very 1950s is very fun," said Francis Gaudreault, who owns Armada, a retail store. "Plus it adds a nice touch to the Village."

Three feature films are being shot in the city currently, including one by Skydance Media. Skydance is behind an upcoming film with Apple Original Films staring Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh.

CBC News attempted to confirm more information about the production, but a non-disclosure agreement prevents many of those involved from talking about it.

The filming is taking place between Panet and Visitation streets, and will be ongoing until May 10.

There will be some intermittent street and store closures during filming, but business owners are being compensated.

Notices are hanging on surrounding residences and have been handed out to business owners, warning everybody of a plan that will involve temporary street closures and the elimination of curbside parking in some areas. 

Storefronts are being transformed and the plant life is exotic for Canada's climate, but the community is welcoming the production.

Citizens and business owners alike have been asking if the palm trees can stay, said Gabrielle Rondy, executive director of the local merchants' association, Société de développement commercial du Village.

There has been a full street transformation, with some businesses even shutting down for a week so filming can be done inside, said Rondy.

"It's quite exciting," she said. "It's changed the mood of the neighbourhood."

For the last two weeks, it's all everybody has been talking about, she said.

WATCH | Montreal often stands in for other cities in movies. Take a look 

CBC arts reporter Nantali Indongo shows us some hot spots in Montreal that film studios love to use in their blockbusters.

The Quebec Film and Television Council (QFTC) said in a statement that there was a slowdown in filming and production in the province following last year's writer and actor strike in the United States.

The QFTC has been working to attract more projects to the province, the statement says, and this year there are a few in the works. 

In March 2024, the Quebec government  announced new tax incentives and with that, the QFTC hopes to see more films and TV series in the province, the statement says.

Until then, passersby like Osama Shamala can enjoy a retrofitted Ste-Catherine Street. He said it has a "real vacation vibe."

Standing in front of a store made to look like an old Kodak camera shop, Christian Harris-Mungo said it's "pretty remarkable, actually, how they have transformed Montreal into San Diego."

With files from Paula Dayan-Perez