TV show Corner Gas puts small Saskatchewan town of Rouleau on the map
ROULEAU, Sask. (CP) – Of the thousands of Canadians who tuned in to Corner Gas during its first season, none are more loyal to the show than the 400 or so that live in this dusty rural crossroads just south of Regina.
It’s been more than a year since the people of Rouleau and the producers of the hit CTV sitcom entered into a relationship that has taken the town into living rooms across the country each week. As the backdrop for the comedy, Rouleau – or Dog River as it is known to fans – has enjoyed the boost that has come with the show’s critical acclaim and surprise success.
“I think just the traffic – the fact that we are getting more people through the town – has been good,” said Mayor Ken Hoff. “It is fun to see the actors and the crew and the whole works … It makes for a lot of excitement and activity.”
Created by and starring Saskatchewan-born comedian Brent Butt, Corner Gas takes a lighter look at the little things that happen in a place where everybody knows everybody else.
Audience numbers were phenomenal during the first season and the reviews were flattering. It’s been picked up by the network for season 2, and new episodes begin airing in October.
Hoff points out that, when filming is under way, as many as 85 people come to Rouleau to work on the show – roughly one-quarter of the town’s permanent population.
A mock gas station/cafe – the centrepiece of the show – has been built from scratch on the outskirts, and a handful of buildings downtown have been refurbished to be used for shooting.
There has not been much of an economic benefit for the town, Hoff said. But it has sure kept things from stagnating.
“A big increase in spending I would not say is there. But they contribute to our school, they contribute to the rental of the hall, they contribute to the rental of the rink and that has helped immensely.”
Most of those who live and work in the town have enjoyed all the action.
Louise Huxley minds the till at the local liquor store/car-insurance outlet – a contradiction so odd that it has made its way into the script.
“It’s been good,” Huxley said. “My husband or daughter have been on the Internet and they have met quite a few people on the Corner Gas site.”
At one point, Huxley said, her family hosted a gathering of out-of-town fans at their house so that everyone could come and see the set.
“It’s brought a whole bunch of different people together,” she said.
To say that Corner Gas has created a tourism industry in Rouleau is a bit of a stretch, but curious outsiders definitely make their way into town as they pass.
Fans Lynn and Barb Laski, from Kenora, Ont., were holidaying on the Prairies, and said they couldn’t help but stop off in Rouleau for a look.
“We love the show,” Lynn said. “It’s so downhome and real. We just love that.”
Those who work on the show appreciate the warm reception they have received.
“The nice part about doing it here is it is not like fans in L.A.,” said Janet Wright, a veteran Canadian actress who plays the matriarch Emma on the show. “People here get really excited.”
There’s no telling how long Corner Gas will run, but the people in Rouleau have their fingers crossed.
“I’m sure the town would be happy if it would run for 10 years,” Hoff said.
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