Christmas films with connections to Waterloo Region, Guelph and Brant County

A woman watched a Christmas movie in this undated image. (Gülşah Aydoğan/Pexels.com)

Avid Christmas movie lovers may already know Ontario has been featured in many holiday flicks over the years. From St. Catharines’ claim to fame in A Christmas Story, to Oakville’s role in Tim Allen’s The Santa Clause, it’s not hard to find parts of the GTA that are featured in some beloved movies.

But if you’re looking to get into the holiday spirit and do some scene-spotting closer to home, Waterloo Region and the surrounding areas also have some Christmas connections.

Here is a look at a few of the films to watch out for.

Jingle All the Way

The Arnold Schwarzenegger Christmas romp was released in 1996 and features a familiar face for the people of Brantford.

Phil Hartman, who is also known for his work on The Simpsons, plays the neighbour, Ted Maltin, who has a penchant for Schwarznegger’s wife’s cookies. He was also born in Brantford and a mural honouring his life now adorns the side of The Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts on Dalhousie Street.

Hartman leaves an impression as the can-do neighbour who maybe does a little too much as Schwarzenegger crashes through a series of holiday hijinks to try to find the perfect Turbo Man gift for his son.

The Magical Christmas Shoes

Watchers looking for something sweet to snuggle up with can look for an iconic Cambridge confectionary while watching The Magical Christmas Shoes. It was partially filmed in Galt, with several scenes taking place inside Reids Chocolate, Candy and Nut Shop. In fact, one of the characters even bares the Reid name; actor Damon Runyan plays John Reid in the 2019 flick. He teams up with Noelle, played by Erin Karpluk, to rediscover the magic of Christmas and find love along the way.

The Enchanted Christmas Cake

Reids has made more than one Christmas movie appearance. The shop in Guelph was also featured in a movie called The Enchanted Christmas Cake, although this time it was redressed to look like a cake store. Crews were spotted filming along Old Quebec Street for a few days in 2020. The film follows a woman who is struggling to run her bakery and find her Christmas spirit following the death of her grandmother.

Let It Snow

The Brantford and Paris, Ont. area was also transformed for a little holiday magic in the film Let It Snow. A diner, Johnny Be Good, got a makeover for the movie about a snowstorm that hits a small midwestern town on Christmas Eve, forcing a group of high school seniors to come together.

Uncover Holiday

Dalhousie Street in Brantford also got its Christmas closeup when a film crew rolled into town in October 2022. They were filming Undercover Holiday. It’s about a pop star who returns home for the holidays and rebuilds lost friendships, discovers love and evades an unwanted fan.