One of Canada’s most successful sitcoms, Corner Gas ran from 2004 to 2009, followed by a movie and an animated series. Corner Gas tells the story of the residents of small town Dog River, a fictional town in Saskatchewan. While much of the story is centered around the gas station and diner, we see much of the town throughout the series.
While Dog River is fictional, the town used for filming is very real. Rouleau, Saskatchewan is located about an hour south of Regina, and was home to location filming for the entire run of Corner Gas as well as the movie. The town still offers a map of filming locations, as well as plaques in front of important locations from the show.
Below I will share the Corner Gas locations that I visited in September 2021. Sadly, several locations no longer exist. I’m glad I visited before the grain elevator burned down, and it appears that the Police Station will soon be torn down as well.
Oscar and Emma’s House
Perhaps the most recognizable location still standing in Rouleau is Oscar and Emma’s house. This single-family home was used for exterior shots in almost every episode. Unlike many sitcom houses that are only used for establishing shots, this house was used to film many exterior shots with the cast and crew on location.
When I stopped by, the owner of the house was sitting on his porch. He invited me up to chat, and we ended up visiting for a couple hours. He has owned the house for years, well before the show debuted. After he showed me around the property and allowed me to take lots of photos.
Even though interiors were filmed on a soundstage, he brought me in to show me a wall featuring signatures from the entire cast, including the late Janet Wright.
Although the owner was very friendly and kind, please remember not to trespass or go onto private property unless invited.
The Police Station
Many of the locations from Corner Gas are found on Rouleau’s Main Street. The building used for the Dog River Police Station is the first place I stopped, and sadly, it looks like the building is in bad shape. There is a construction fence surrounding the front of the building, and the bricks lining the southwest-facing wall have collapsed, leaving the wooden frame exposed. The rest of the building looks like it’s in bad shape as well, and it’s possible it will have to be torn down sooner than later.
The Dog River Hotel
Continuing down Main Street, we come to the Dog River Hotel. This exterior was used often in the show, where the locals would go for a drink. In actuality, it is the Rouleau Bar and Grill, where you can stop in for a bite to eat. Fortunately for fans, the owners have kept the Dog River Hotel sign out front.
The Foo Mar T
Across from the police station is the spot where the Foo Mar T (Food Market with letters missing) used to stand. It was the local grocery store that appeared from time to time during the series. Sadly, the building burnt down in a fire in 2014. It was never rebuilt, but there is a plaque commemorating the location.
The Town Hall
Next to where the Foo Mar T used to stand is the Rouleau Community Complex, which was also used as the Corner Gas town hall. It wasn’t seen often in the show, but did appear a few times, often with Mayor Fitzy.
The Howler
Continuing down Main Street, we get to the building used as the office of the Howler, Dog River’s local newspaper. On the side of the building is a mural with face cut-outs to take some photos.
The Insurance Store
Just a little further down is where we find the building housing Dog River’s Insurance store. This location is an actual insurance store in real life as well.
The Fire Station
Right passed the insurance store is Scott Avenue, which also has a number of Corner Gas locations. First is the Rouleau Fire Station, which was used as the Dog River Fire Station several times through the series.
The Dog River Post Office
Next on Scott Ave is the Dog River Post Office. This Canada Post location is the actual Rouleau Post Office, and at one point you could mail a postcard and have it postmarked from Dog River. Not sure if they still offer this service, but you could always ask if you are there.
Brent’s House
At 809 Scott Ave, you’ll come across the house used for exterior shots of Brent’s house. This location doesn’t appear very often on the show, but did pop up a couple times.
The Dog River Church
Right across the street is the local church. This church popped up several times during the series and the Corner Gas movie.
The Curling Rink
On Drysdale Street you’ll find the local curling rink. For those of you unfamiliar, curling is a very popular sport here in Canada. Most towns have at least one curling rink. This local rink didn’t appear often on Corner Gas, but was often used to house the cast and crew. They used the rink facilities for a number of production needs, including catering.
The Basketball Court
Next to the rink but facing Ansley Street is a basketball court that appeared a few times throughout Corner Gas.
The Water Tower
The Rouleau Water Tower is often seen throughout the series, often in the background of exterior shots. The water tower was repainted with the name Dog River for any close up shots.
The Corner Gas and Ruby location
If you enter town from the west along Highway 39, the first thing you’ll see is the location where the Corner Gas Station and the Ruby Diner once stood. The building was used for exterior shots and also the interiors of the gas station (interiors of The Ruby were filmed on a soundstage).
The building stood throughout the filming of the show and later the movie. It was a very popular location for tourists to visit, and at one point housed a souvenir shop as well.
Sadly in 2016 the decision was made to demolish the building. They said it was due to the building being unsafe, but I still think it’s a shame there wasn’t some way to safely keep the building, or maybe move it to a new location for fans to visit.
While there is no more building to see, there is still a sign marking the location, with a map showing the Dog River locations as well. This sign is still a popular spot for fans to visit.
The Grain Elevator
The Grain Elevator was the last surviving of seven elevators that once stood in Rouleau. The name Dog River was added during filming and was kept afterwards. Sadly, the grain elevator burnt down on November 5th, 2021, becoming another Corner Gas location that is gone. I am very fortunate to have visited just a couple months before the fire.
Regina International Airport
While not seen in the series, the Regina International Airport does make an appearance at the start of The Corner Gas Movie. Brent goes to the airport to pick up a reporter who is doing a story about Dog River.
The Saskatchewan Film Centre
The Saskatchewan Film Centre is located in Regina, and was used for almost all the interior filming on Corner Gas. Some of the sets here included the Ruby, Oscar and Emma’s house, and the Police Station interiors. Sadly, the Saskatchewan Government does not offer the same tax incentives that it used to, resulting in a lot less filming in the province. This means the facility is not used as much as it used to be.
