TORONTO - Cast members of the TV series "Men in Trees," filmed in Vancouver and Squamish, B.C., are the latest casualties of the Hollywood writers strike.

The series, which usually shoots in the two areas from fall through spring, produced on Thursday the last episode left over by its writers.

And with no sign of an end to the strike, star James Tupper of Dartmouth, N.S., said many in the crew were planning on leaving the region to pursue other projects.

"I think it's scary," Tupper, who plays curly-haired wildlife biologist Jack Slattery on the ABC dramedy, said Thursday on his cellphone from the Vancouver set.

"Actors are used to being out of work but I think it's scary for us and it's funny because there's kind of a family feeling in the cast and we're all just kind of relying on and supporting each other. Some of us are going to New York, some to L.A. and some are staying here, so it's a weird moment."

"Men in Trees," which also airs on Citytv, is the most recent U.S. series to halt production due to the strike, now into its 12th week. "Smallville," which also films in Vancouver, reportedly will wrap up production on Jan. 23, and the local film and production industry is bracing for possible layoffs and huge losses if the strike doesn't end soon.

Tupper is trying to remain positive but can't say the same for others in the industry.

"Last night I was having a conversation with (Anne Heche's) assistant, this young woman Sue, and she was almost in tears thinking about what she was going to do with her life while we were gone and how she was going to make ends meet," said Tupper, who plays the love interest to Heche both on the show and in real life. The two share a house in Vancouver.

Crew members who have "a month or two of savings and have established a lifestyle, I think all those people are just suddenly in jeopardy. They're all looking at their families, their mortgages and they're having to find a way through a difficult time," said Tupper.

"The writers went on strike and the producers haven't settled with them and that has caused this giant ripple that I think is just spreading over everybody, and people aren't trying to be gloomy but I would definitely describe it as a scary time for most people."

Tupper plans to do a little skiing and look for work during the break.

"I have to go down to Los Angeles for a few auditions for movies and stuff and try to figure out my life," he said. "Even if we come back, we're going to have at least a month off because it'll take them that long to produce the next script."

"Men in Trees" stars Heche as a relationship coach and writer starting a new life in the fictional town Elmo, Alaska. The second season began in October and returns from its winter hiatus on Feb. 27. There are 11 new episodes left to air, and Tupper said the last couple of instalments don't really serve as a season finale.

The cast members got together for dinner on Wednesday night to bond a bit before they separate, said Tupper.

They've also touched base with the locals who are big fans of the show, said Tupper.

"We just had a little thing where we gave the mayor of Squamish a giant picture of the cast all signed as a thank you," he said.

"The residents have been great up there. Some of them have really gotten into the show and they stop by and say 'hi.' It's very hometown. I grew up on the East Coast, in Nova Scotia, so it has a little of that feeling because it's like a little seaside community."