Where was Love Under the Mistletoe (Operation Mistletoe) Filmed?

Snowy storefronts, an old family home and a charity event designed to reunite two former sweethearts give Love Under the Mistletoe its Hallmark glow. The film follows Grace, an interior designer whose life changes when Ryan, her former high school crush, returns from New York to sell his grandmother’s house. Their work on Ivy Glen’s Ribbons and Bows fundraiser soon develops into a second chance at romance.

Directed by Bradley Walsh, the movie was produced and released in 2024 as Operation Mistletoe. It is now being presented by Hallmark as Love Under the Mistletoe, with Jen Lilley and Nick Bateman leading the cast.

Love Under the Mistletoe Filming Locations

Love Under the Mistletoe was filmed in Northern Ontario, primarily in North Bay, with additional confirmed shooting in nearby Powassan. North Bay served as the production centre and supplied much of the small-town scenery used to create fictional Ivy Glen.

IATSE Local 634 lists Operation Mistletoe as a North Bay production, while an Ontario funding announcement confirms that it was shot in and around the city. The project received $500,000 through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation.

Downtown North Bay, Ontario

Downtown North Bay has the right scale for a Hallmark hometown. Its low-rise commercial blocks, older storefronts and walkable streets can be dressed for Christmas without losing the feeling of a real community. Published location reports identify Main Street in downtown North Bay as one of the areas featured in the movie.

The setting suits Grace’s story. She runs a local design business and becomes involved in a fundraiser with deep roots in town. Ivy Glen needs to seem intimate enough for familiar faces to keep crossing paths, but large enough to support shops, offices and a public holiday celebration. North Bay provides both.

The city is no stranger to seasonal filmmaking. Northern Ontario Travel reports that around 30 made-for-television Christmas movies have been filmed locally since 2018, with Main Street West among North Bay’s recognizable screen backdrops. Operation Mistletoe is specifically included among the productions made in the area.

Powassan, Ontario, Canada

The most precise public filming record comes from Powassan, south of North Bay. A municipal notice issued by HP Christmas Mistletoe Productions confirmed filming at 262 Edward Street and 227 Edward Street.

Production at those addresses took place on August 1 and 2, followed by further filming from August 6 through August 9, 2024. The notice also warned residents about temporary traffic interruptions along Edward Street and Clarke Street.

The document does not assign fictional names to either property. However, the number of filming days suggests these were important locations rather than passing background shots. Since Ryan’s grandmother’s St. Nicholas House is central to the plot, one of the Edward Street properties may have provided its exterior, interior or both. That remains a reasonable conclusion, not an officially confirmed scene match.

The neighbourhood’s older homes also suit the story. St. Nicholas House must feel connected to Ryan’s family history, giving weight to his plan to sell it and to Grace’s work restoring its festive character.

Downtown North Bay’s Main Street

Downtown North Bay’s Main Street is widely reported as part of the Ivy Glen setting, although the producers have not released a complete scene-by-scene location list. It would be unwise to identify every shop in the movie as a particular real business without further confirmation.

What is certain is that North Bay was the principal filming area and that its downtown is actively promoted for film production. Its heritage facades and independent businesses can be converted into a Christmas shopping district with lights, wreaths, fictional signs and artificial snow. The city’s official filming guide highlights downtown North Bay and neighbouring communities, including Powassan, as available production locations.

The result feels more convincing than a backlot. Ivy Glen may not exist on a map, but its streets retain the irregular architecture and lived-in details of a real Northern Ontario community.

When did filming take place?

Principal photography began on July 31, 2024, and ended on August 17, 2024. Pre-production had started on July 15, giving the locations, art and construction teams a little more than two weeks to prepare before cameras rolled.

The Christmas romance was therefore filmed during an Ontario summer. The snow, garlands and seasonal shop displays were created for the production. The cast may look comfortably wrapped up for December, but those coats were doing acting of their own.

Who stars in the movie?

Jen Lilley plays Grace, the interior designer drawn back toward an old love, while Nick Bateman portrays Ryan, the New York financial adviser returning to settle his grandmother’s property. Hallmark officially credits the pair as the movie’s stars. The wider cast includes Steve Belford, Melanie Leishman and René Escobar Jr.

FAQs:

What was the movie’s original title?

The film was made and first released as Operation Mistletoe before being presented by Hallmark under the title Love Under the Mistletoe.

Where is Ivy Glen located?

Ivy Glen is not a real municipality. North Bay and Powassan, Ontario, supplied the principal real-world settings.

Which houses were used?

A municipal filming notice confirms production at 262 and 227 Edward Street in Powassan. It does not specify which address portrayed St. Nicholas House.

Was it filmed at Christmas?

No. Principal photography ran from July 31 to August 17, 2024. The winter atmosphere was created with decorations, costumes and artificial snow.