Home Town Takeover Canada

Home Town Takeover Canada is a community revitalization television series that spotlights Canadian towns through renovation, storytelling, and local partnerships, and Port Alberni has been chosen for season one! This means we get a town makeover from their team of renovation experts and designers—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our town.

Hosted by Bryan and Sarah Baeumler, the show is set to air this fall on HGVT, and will follows improvement projects, resident stories, and community-focused transformations that celebrate local identity and pride.

Over the course of the show, the hosts will work with residents, local leaders, business owners, and other partners on a range of improvement projects of their choosing. These projects are designed to showcase the character of the community and support its long-term vibrancy. The show's format is based on surprise renovations, so we'll all be watching together this fall for the great reveal!

Home Town Takeover Canada will be filmed in various locations throughout Port Alberni from June 10, 2026 - August 28, 2026.

Please follow this page for updates and opportunities to get involved.

Got a great story for the show? Want to volunteer to help? The producers of Home Town Takeover Canada have a general inquiries email where residents can share stories about our town: httc@rtrmedia.com Contacting them is the best way to have your idea considered!

Updates:

October 15: Port Alberni Celebrates Home Town Takeover Canada Premiere

August 28: Harbour Quay Renovations FAQ

June 10 FAQ: Home Town Takeover Canada FAQ

July 15 Flyer: Harbour Quay Renovation Notice

June 9 Press Release: HGTV Selects Port Alberni, B.C. for Town Revitalization Series Home Town Takeover Canada

How to Watch Home Town Takeover Canada

The City of Port Alberni is inviting residents to come together and celebrate the community through a series of public watch parties for Home Town Takeover Canada. These parties will give residents an opportunity to see Port Alberni featured on screen, share in the excitement with neighbours, and celebrate the people, places, and community spirit that make the city unique. Community members of all ages are encouraged to attend:

• The KCC on October 25, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
  FREE, All Ages
  Hosted by Five Acre Co and proudly sponsored by the City of Port Alberni, join the official community watch party and series premiere of Home Town Takeover Canada! Kick things off early with food trucks, outdoor games, indoor concessions, and licensed drinks, then catch every exciting reveal across two giant screens with full concert sound. Seating is limited.
  
• The Station Taphouse, October 25, 5 p.m.
  FREE, All Ages
  Pull up a chair, place your order, and watch the Port Alberni story unfold on the big screen inside the Waystation at the Station Taphouse near Harbour Quay. Reservations: www.stationtaphouse.pub.
  
• The KCC every Sunday, November 1 to December 13, doors at 5 p.m., starts at 6 p.m.
  FREE, All Ages
  The party continues every Sunday at the new airing time: 6 - 7 p.m. Pacific Time. Admission is free, but seating is limited.

Viewers can also tune in to watch the series premiere from home. Cable Subscribers can consult their service provider for HGTV access and details, and streaming customers can subscribe to City TV+ available at www.citytvplus.ca.

As British Columbians will not be changing their clocks back this fall, viewers should make careful note of the Home Town Takeover Canada episode premiere dates and times:

Sunday, October 25, 5 p.m. & 8 p.m. PT
Sunday, November 1, 6 p.m. & 9 p.m. PT
Sunday, November 8, 6 p.m. & 9 p.m. PT
Sunday, November 15, 6 p.m. & 9 p.m. PT
Sunday, November 22, 6 p.m. & 9 p.m. PT
Sunday, November 29, 6 p.m. & 9 p.m. PT
Sunday, December 6, 6 p.m. & 9 p.m. PT
Sunday, December 13, 6 p.m. & 9 p.m. PT

Home Town Takeover Canada Premieres October 25, 2026

On September 21, 2026 Rogers Sports & Media announced its fall 2026 premiere schedule featuring new and returning hit programming across its premium TV portfolio, including HGTV:

"Premiering Sunday, Oct. 25 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, Home Town Takeover Canada follows hosts Bryan and Sarah Baeumler as they lead a full-scale revitalization of Port Alberni, B.C., transforming homes, businesses, and public spaces while helping breathe new life into the community. Produced by RTR Media in association with HGTV, the series features appearances from Erin and Ben Napier, Scott McGillivray, Sarah Keenleyside, Andy Hay, Emily Michelle, Ashley Callingbull and more."

To watch the series, cable subscribers can consult their service provider for HGTV access and details. Streaming customers can subscribe to City TV+ available at www.citytvplus.ca.

As British Columbians will not be changing their clocks back this fall, viewers should make careful note of the Home Town Takeover Canada episode premiere dates and times:

Sunday, October 25, 5 p.m. & 8 p.m. PT
Sunday, November 1, 6 p.m. & 9 p.m. PT
Sunday, November 8, 6 p.m. & 9 p.m. PT
Sunday, November 15, 6 p.m. & 9 p.m. PT
Sunday, November 22, 6 p.m. & 9 p.m. PT
Sunday, November 29, 6 p.m. & 9 p.m. PT
Sunday, December 6, 6 p.m. & 9 p.m. PT
Sunday, December 13, 6 p.m. & 9 p.m. PT

Harbour Quay Renovations:

The show's producers have chosen Harbour Quay as one of the civic spaces to receive a makeover in the show!

In April of 2026, City Council identified the opportunity to renovate the exterior of the Marine Building, which will bring benefits to all businesses and users of Harbour Quay. This project will now be completed by the renovation experts from Home Town Takeover Canada.

Harbour Quay was officially opened in 1984 as a visitor destination and community focal point in Port Alberni. It was designed to combine open civic space with shops, services, and marine-oriented activity, as well as provide a park space and means of attracting visitors to Port Alberni.

Over time, this vital community space in the heart of the Uptown District has begun to show its age. In an effort to continue the revitalization of this area, City staff identified an opportunity to refurbish the exterior of the Marine Building at Harbour Quay by leveraging funding from the Canada Community-Building Funding Reserve.

Project Benefits:

• an extended covered patio area in front of the Marine Building
• additional outdoor seating near eating establishments to increase visitor time spent at the Quay to support all businesses
• improved lighting and enhanced placemaking

These enhancements will better support all businesses operating at the Quay by creating a friendlier space for visitors to stop, stay, eat, shop and play.

Project updates will be posted to this page as information becomes available. Please subscribe to this page to receive timely updates.

Background:

Please be sure to subscribe to this project (see page right) to receive updates as this exciting project develops.

Who can I contact for further information?

Sara Bearchell, Communications Manager, City of Port Alberni
sara_bearchell@portalberni.ca
250-720-2826