On Walton Street, Port Hope’s historic downtown thoroughfare, Canadian flags hang from brick facades, embodying the sense of order that once defined small-town Ontario. Look closer, though, and the ubiquitous red balloons in shop windows tell a tale more suited to our chaotic times. The calling card of Pennywise, the murderous clown from “It” — the bestselling 1986 Stephen King novel turned blockbuster screen franchise — those balloons symbolize the union between this town of 16,000 and a horror juggernaut that has made Port Hope a destination for fans around the world.

That union began when the producers of 2017’s “It” film, chose Port Hope to stand in for Derry, the fictional Maine town haunted by Pennywise. Hollywood stars, including Jessica Chastain, Bill Hader and Bill Skarsgår

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