Hit TV show takes over Port Colborne downtown for filming

Port Colborne will have a work of famed Canadian author Margaret Atwood come to life in their downtown on July 7 and 8.

While the author won’t be on hand (we assume), the TV show, “The Handmaid’s Tale” will be shooting on King Street for those two days.

Although the production is officially listed as “Ruby Road,” that’s long been the code name for “The Handmaid’s Tale” in past seasons.

For the uninitiated, The Handmaid’s Tale, Atwood’s 1985 novel, tell the dystopian story of people following the second American Civil War wherein a totalitarian society forces fertile-aged women, now called handmaids, into child-baring slavery.

Many observers consider it an allegory for America in the post-Trump years and in recent days have made the undeniable comparison to the Roe vs Wade decision made last week by the American Supreme Court.

The series, created by Bruce Miller, is now entering its fifth season.

Port Colborne officials say the city will be giving location support at 11 and 12 King Street in the downtown core.

Preparation is already underway and after the filming, the wrap-up is expected by July 14.

Heavy traffic is expected in the area, and the public is asked to avoid the area unless access to a home or business is needed.