Cross One Location Off the List

I wish I could say that the title of the blog post means we’ve found another site we’ve been looking for (I’ve been too busy enjoying our late arriving summer to actually BSG location scout!) Sadly, I’m going to recommend that fans do not venture out to one of the locations we spent some effort tracking down.

In “Litmus” from Season One, Helo is on the run from the Cylons on Caprica and unbeknownst to him, he is being watched from above by his pursuers as he climbs down a fire escape and walks down a graffiti-covered alley. The actual shooting location is near the cenotaph on East Hastings Street in Vancouver. Originally, the actors playing Sharon, Six and Doral were standing on the roof of the old Woodwards building, which has been torn down to allow construction of a new building.

The construction project has turned that alley into a dead end, and with no through traffic, it has become a popular spot for drug deals, addicts shooting up and prostitution. And that’s just based on what I saw in the few minutes we were there last week. It was never the nicest place in town by any means, but it has undergone a big change, even from a year ago. There is blood, urine, broken needles and used condoms. It really is worse than the post-apocalyptic scenario you saw on TV.

Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside can be exciting, full of history and creativity. But for many it is a place of poverty, misery and violence. I thought I should caution any visiting Battlestar Galactica fans thinking of venturing down there. It is the roughest edge of our beautiful city.