Anthony Cauchy, the producer on Surf Bay, côte Ouest, fell in love with British Columbia and its surf community. When it came time to lend his vision to this project, he knew the balance he had to strike between what is often portrayed in pop culture versus the realities of surf culture. In this article, he talks about that and the challenges they faced in making this project. Surf Bay, côte Ouest launched nationally on TV5+ on April 25th, 2025, and will be available for streaming on Crave in 2027.

1. What was the original spark for Surf Bay, côte Ouest? Anthony, you mentioned wanting to avoid “surf clichés” – what clichés were you consciously rejecting?

The original spark for Surf Bay, côte Ouest came from wanting to tell a story rooted in the real culture of Vancouver Island. Surf culture is often portrayed through a very idealized lens, where everything is beautiful and sunny, everyone is perfect, and surfing feels almost inaccessible or exclusive. We wanted to move away from those clichés because, in reality, surfing is often the opposite of that.

Vancouver Island is a perfect example. People surf there year-round in a cold, wild, rugged environment that is surprisingly accessible and deeply community-driven.

2. Why was it important that the environmental activism in the series feel active and hopeful rather than defeatist?

It was important for us that environmental activism felt active and hopeful because younger generations are not simply passive observers. They are organizing, resisting, and trying to redefine their relationship with nature.

It was also important for us to dive into the personal convictions of our main character, Margot, who is deeply driven by hope. Throughout her journey, she makes mistakes, sometimes radical ones, but she is ultimately motivated by love for her community and her environment

3. What challenges came with building a truly bilingual production environment? What was the collaboration like with the French and English-speaking cast and crew?

There were no major challenges, as we were fortunate that about sixty percent of our cast and crew could speak or at least understand French. We had people moving constantly between French and English on set, which naturally reflected the reality of Western Canada.

That bilingual dynamic became part of the identity of the show itself. It also reflects our reality as Francophones living outside Quebec, where switching between languages is part of everyday life.

4. Was there resistance in the industry to the idea of a bilingual BC drama? Were there challenges in funding the series?

Financing a regional bilingual drama came with additional complexity because we were building something that doesn’t fit a traditional model. We also had the particularity of being the first French-language drama series produced in British Columbia, which naturally brought some challenges during the development and preparation stages.

It often felt like assembling a puzzle, we had to carefully put together piece by piece. In the end, we hope this “first puzzle” can help open doors for more regional bilingual series in the future.

 5. Were there real environmental conflicts on Vancouver Island that influenced the story? Did you consult activists, surfers, or local communities during development? Were you concerned about political backlash around the development-versus-conservation theme?

Absolutely. Vancouver Island has seen many real environmental conflicts involving old-growth logging, tourism development, land access, and conservation. We consulted local surfers, members of Tribal Parks, as well as residents of Tofino and Ucluelet in order to stay as authentic as possible.

While the story is fictional, we weren’t interested in taking a simplistic political stance, but rather in exploring how environmental conflicts affect friendships, families, and small communities.

6. Surf dramas are rare in Canada. What were the biggest production challenges? How difficult was filming surf sequences on Vancouver Island? Did weather and ocean conditions force major creative changes?

The ocean is unpredictable. Weather changes constantly and surf conditions rarely cooperate with a production schedule.

It created some continuity challenges between shots, as we could experience fog in the morning, full sunshine at midday, and heavy rain by the end of the day. We had to stay flexible and adapt constantly, but those shifts in weather ultimately gave the series a very real, textured and visually rich atmosphere.

The challenge was also to make the surf sequences both realistic and safe. We were fortunate to have the support of incredible local professionals from Tofino, including Tammy Shymko and her amazing team, Mathea Olin, Ocea Green, Nate Laverty, and Marcus Paladino, whose expertise was essential in achieving both authenticity and safety in the water.

7. Do you feel Francophone communities outside Quebec are still underrepresented onscreen? What kind of response have you received from Western Canadian Francophone audiences?

The response from Francophone audiences in Western Canada has been very positive, as many people rarely see their realities reflected in this kind of cinematic way. We also felt a strong sense of pride from the entire team, as well as from Francophone associations and communities across Western Canada.

Since its launch, the series has also ranked among the top-viewed programs on the TV5+ platform, which we see as a strong sign that content from the West Coast can find its place to resonate with Francophone audiences from east to west.

Speaking from my own experience in the industry, I have often compared our work to Québec productions, which are of extremely high quality. For a long time, I thought the goal was to replicate that model. However, after my experience on Surf Bay, I truly believe that we have our own way of producing French drama in Western Canada, and that we should instead lean into what makes us different – for example, our landscapes, and the ability of our actors, creators, and technicians to elevate and shape the natural environment that surrounds us.

8. Did you always envision this series having international appeal? How do you make a story deeply rooted in BC feel universal?

From the beginning, we believed the series could resonate internationally because it is deeply rooted in British Columbia, but the themes are universal: sport,  friendship, environmental anxiety, identity, love, and resistance.

Our distributor, Attraction Distribution, is currently working to make the show available to international audiences, with the goal of bringing the series beyond Canada.

9. How difficult was financing a bilingual regional drama in Canada? What role did partnerships with TV5 and Bell Media play in making the series possible?

The project required partners who understood both its artistic ambition and its cultural importance.

It also involved a significant amount of writing and rewriting over nearly two years, as we refined the story and structure to reach its full potential. We were fortunate that TV5 and Bell Media (Crave) supported us throughout this process and remained committed to the project as it evolved, as well as the Canadian Media Fund and BC Creative.

Their collaboration was essential in helping bring the series to life. They recognized the value of telling stories from Western Canada through a bilingual lens and helped create space for a project that sits outside conventional formats.