The Sudbury Blueberry Bulldogs will play again, with the streaming service Crave ordering a second season of Shoresy, a locally filmed television series set in the Nickel City.
A spinoff of another Sudbury-filmed television series, Letterkenny, Shoresy has been billed by Crave as the most-watched Canadian debut in the streaming service’s history.
Shoresy follows the story of the fictional Sudbury Blueberry Bulldogs hockey team, whose foul-mouthed players chirp and fight their way through a season of hockey.
References to the Greater Sudbury area are peppered throughout the first season, with the team meeting for food at Peppi Panini, hanging out at The Coulson, The Dog House Sports Bar, Caruso Club and The Grand, and playing games at the Sudbury Community Arena.
Series creator Jared Keeso, who also serves as its creator, writer, executive producer and star, has made Sudbury a home after filming several seasons of Letterkenny in the region, Shoresy executive producer Kara Haflidson said by emailed correspondence.
“When setting out to write Shoresy, he wanted to actually base it in Sudbury, to really celebrate and champion the city he genuinely loves, which has been so good to him and New Metric Media (production company) throughout Letterkenny,” she said.
“Season two starts shooting this spring. Another season absolutely means more opportunities to showcase as much of Sudbury and its sites as we can. Our hope is to show off as many local businesses as possible. No spoilers, viewers will have to watch and see.”
The first season of Shoresy’s production contributed $4.8 million into the regional economy, city tourism and culture manager Lara Fielding told Sudbury.com. This includes $2.3 million in labour and the balance spent on accommodations, rentals, suppliers and catering.
Shoresy is “a love letter to our community, so it’s great to see so many of our local businesses and establishments showcased in the show,” Fielding said. “It’s really relatable to Sudbury.”
In late 2021, Greater Sudbury city council voted to halve Sudbury Community Arena rental rates to accommodate the show’s filming. Last year, city council agreed to a three-year lease of Capreol Arena pad No. 1, which was closed early in the pandemic, to serve as a film studio.
“It’s very positive for the community,” Ward 7 Coun. Natalie Labbée said of local filming, adding that it’s nice to see an otherwise unused section of the Capreol Arena serving a purpose.
“It creates a little bit of a buzz in the community,” she said, adding that Shoresy has joined various other film productions throughout the community, including some others in Capreol.
Shoresy is a series Labbée said she’s confident Greater Sudburians will look forward to watching to see what local sites and references show up.
It’s exciting to see local landmarks celebrated on screen, Mayor Paul Lefebvre said in a written statement provided to Sudbury.com.
“The announcement that Shoresy will be getting a second season is good news for our local economy, the television and film sector, and all the talented individuals who contribute to the production of the show – from those behind the scenes to those who take centre ice,” he said. “Go Bulldogs!”
Shoresy was created by Jared Keeso, who also plays its namesake character. The lineup for the second season also includes Tasya Teles (The 100) as Nat; Harlan Blayne Kytwayhat (Prey) as Sanguinet; Blair Lamora (Paranormal Nightshift) as Ziigwan; Keilani Rose (Flimsy) as Miigwan; Rapper Jonathan-Ismael Diaby as Dolo; former Montréal Canadien, author, and actor Terry Ryan as Hitch; Ryan McDonell (The Crossing) as Michaels; Max Bouffard (Letterkenny) as JJ Frankie JJ; former Kahnawake Condor and MMA fighter Andrew “The Canon” Antsanen as Goody. The characters of Jim, Jim and Jim will again be played by tough guy Jon “Nasty” Mirasty, former ‘Canes centre Brandon Nolan, and three-time Stanley Cup winner Jordan Nolan. Listowel’s Keegan Long will play Liam, and North Bay’s Bourke Cazabon will play Cory.
Like the first season, the second season is anticipated to include six half-hour episodes following “foul-mouthed, chirp-serving, mother-loving, fan favourite character, Shoresy (Keeso), and the embattled Sudbury Blueberry Bulldogs as they continue their quest to never lose again,” according to a media release issued by Bell Media.
There were 19 film/television productions in Greater Sudbury in 2022, which Fielding said brings the municipality back to where they were pre-pandemic. The city is currently in talks with people behind a few productions for 2023, and Fielding said they are receiving inquiries on a nearly daily basis for other potential productions.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
