Our Westerns Look, Ranches, Sets & Communities
ABOUT OUR 'WESTERNS' LOOK
Thompson-Nicola's ranches and ranching heritage continue to provide movie locations for feature films, television episodes and commercials. We have historic ranches such as Historic Hat Creek Ranch, a western town called Wildhorse Town & Rose's Cabin and a dedicated western themed ftp site.
Rustic ranches, modern ranches, and equestrian centres pepper the landscape and are situated within a stone's throw from small towns and city infrastructure.
Guest (or Dude) Ranches have provided film locations, and the backdrops for numerous commercial and stills shoots in campaigns for JC Penny, Toyota, Hyundai, Chevy Silverado. Ford 150 and Cowboy Country TV.
Many projects have filmed at Douglas Lake Ranch, Quilchena Ranch Cattle Company ranches and townsite, Big Bar Guest Ranch, and Echo Valley Ranch and Spa, to name a few.
WILDHORSE TOWN (Movie Set)
Wildhorse Town is an isolated western town movie set that is moveable and can be made to be your own. It is situated half way between Kamloops and Cache Creek (a half-hour drive from either direction on the Trans Canada Highway #1), and is near rodeo grounds, a river and wild pristine landscapes. It also has a historic cabin/ranch nearby.
Wildhorse Town – Church and Livery Stable in the foreground
Wildhorse Sherriff's Office and Bank
Wildhorse Town Hotel, Saloon and General Store
Rose's Cabin (named after Reba McEntire's character Rose Cameron in "Secret of Giving")
HAT CREEK RANCH (Historic)
Historic Hat Creek Ranch is situated 5 minutes north of Cache Creek where the Cariboo Highway #97N and #99 meet. Historical Hat Creek Ranch consists of an 1860's Roadhouse which catered to miners, pack-train operators, stagecoaches and wagon trains right up until 1916. It is fully intact with an historically accurate downstairs and upstairs. The Roadhouse comprises a living room, dining room, and kitchen plus a saloon, interpretation room for lectures and tourists. The upstairs has several bedrooms where tired travellers used to sleep. There are barns, blacksmith shops, an orchard plus the Wild McLean's cabin and a Native Village with a pit house (underground) and other Shuswap Nation artifacts.
MERRITT
Merritt is a western-styled town, recognized for its "Walk of Stars" featuring pictures and handprints of famous country music stars, the numerous Country Music Singer murals and Merritt Mountain Music Festival, which explains why Merritt is "The Country Music Capital of Canada". Merritt is located where the Coquihalla Highway #5 and the Connector #97 meet, just a 3-hour drive North-East from Vancouver.
Coldwater Hotel
Merritt is surrounded by mountains of Ponderosa Pine and is the gateway to Nicola Valley and endless grasslands. Merritt's high profile ranches include Douglas Lake Ranch of more an ½ million acres, Quilchena Ranch with many smaller ranches in the area, Chutter Ranch, Nicola Ranch, and Frolek Ranches situated between Merritt and Kamloops along the Old Nicola Highway #5A.
Historic Quilchena Hotel
Douglas Lake Ranch
CLINTON
The Village of Clinton is the "Guest Ranch Capital of Canada". It is surrounded by rich pine forests and mountains. To the west of Clinton are the vast desert valleys called Big Bar and High Bar, popular for horse riders and ranchers alike.
