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WATCH: Scenes of Chilliwack in a new Christmas commercial

Denbow Transport helps to make holiday magic close to home in Chilliwack with snow blowing truck

A huge hay field in Chilliwack was transformed into a winter wonderland.

It wasn’t an early snowstorm, but a Christmas commercial being filmed for U.S. retail giant, Kohl’s.

The holiday magic was enhanced on film with snow from a Denbow blower truck, said Willetta Les, Denbow Transport Ltd. marketing official.

Denbow has been hired quite a bit to blow snow for commercials, movies and television shows. They do about a half a dozen projects every year across Greater Vancouver.

“It was really great for once to be able to do it right here in our backyard,” said Les, about the Chilliwack film shoot.

The Kohl’s ad, ‘Give Joy, Get Joy’ about mammoth task of gift-giving for the 2017 Christmas season, containing shots of a snow-filled field in Chilliwack. The premise has an army of gift-givers lined up in a row on a mock battlefield, with Kohl’s holiday gifts galore being catapulted to loved ones across the field.

The commercial shoot took place over a few days last September, in a farmer’s field, near Prest Road and First Avenue.

Although Denbow typically delivers bark mulch, soil or livestock bedding with a fleet of blower trucks, a specialty market for snow has emerged for companies shooting productions in Hollywood North.

But this was the first film shoot Denbow crews had ever assisted on in Chilliwack, where the company is based. Other recent locations in B.C. have included filming on location for the Netflix show, Riverdale, and commercials for Mercedes, and Coors.

To create the snow-blowing effect they use the same type of ice chips used to pack fresh fish. The ice is fed through a blower truck and that in turn creates the special effects on film. It makes realistic, pristine snow, that looks natural.

The best part? Cleanup is a breeze, Les said. All they have to do is just let it melt.


 

@chwkjourno
jfeinberg@theprogress.com

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The holiday magic for a Christmas commercial in Chilliwack was enhanced with snow from Denbow blower trucks. (Submitted photo)
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The holiday magic for a Christmas commercial in Chilliwack was enhanced with snow from Denbow blower trucks. (Submitted photo)


Jennifer Feinberg

About the Author: Jennifer Feinberg

I have been a Chilliwack Progress reporter for 20+ years, covering the arts, city hall, as well as Indigenous, and climate change stories.
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