Pamela Anderson has embraced a quieter life on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, after relocating from Los Angeles during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Baywatch star’s decision to move back was a culmination of decades of personal history and longing for her native homeland, where she has restored her family’s farm into a sanctuary.
Originally from Canada, Anderson left in 1990 to chase her dreams in modeling and acting in Los Angeles. After a brief period living in France, she was ultimately drawn back to her Canadian heritage around 2020, dedicating herself to transforming a cherished property that once belonged to her grandmother into a peaceful retreat.
I bought this place over 30 years ago from my grandmother and she lived out her life here so she could distribute her wealth amongst her kids,
Anderson shared with CR Fashion Book in March 2024.
And then I was just living my wild life out there in L.A. and all over the place. I finally came back during COVID and thought, ‘Oh, this is the time.’
Learning to Find Peace at Home
Anderson reflected on her early life departures and gradual returns. She revealed that she had never flown on a plane before leaving Vancouver Island as a young woman and spent years moving around—from Vancouver to Los Angeles and then to the South of France—before deciding to come back home.
I was restless when I was here. And I had to learn how to be comfortable, just relaxing and enjoying and putting all my creative juices into this project, making this an art project, listening to other people’s ideas.
Her return to Canada gave her the grounding she needed. Anderson recognized that reconnecting with her Canadian roots became the foundation for healing and self-discovery.
The Emotional Significance of Returning to Her Family Land
Renovating the family farm was not only a practical project but also a deeply meaningful ones. Anderson had long planned her return to this property, considering it a true homecoming filled with memories and ancestral energy. She often speaks about the spiritual connections she feels in the space once inhabited by her grandfather.
I always planned on coming home to renovate this place. And it’s fun,
she told CR Fashion Book.
There’s a lot of memories … It’s very much like a homecoming. I was very close with my grandfather, and his energy is all around me. He taught me how the trees spoke to him. And so, it’s very mythological, very primitive.
Rediscovering Identity and Purpose
For Anderson, moving back to Canada was part of an effort to redefine herself beyond the labels placed on her by others throughout her public life. This transition marked a turning point in her personal journey as she sought to reclaim ownership of her story and creative output.
I guess a homecoming, you could say, to really kind of look at my life and remember who I was — not what other people were telling me I was — and I didn’t want anything that had happened to me define me,
Anderson said in a conversation with Women’s Wear Daily in October 2024.
I wanted what I do to define me … all these realizations came to me in the rose garden.
Facing Challenges During a Life Transition
Two years after her divorce from Dan Hayhurst, which lasted from 2020 to 2022, Anderson was undergoing a period of significant personal reevaluation. She shared feelings of loneliness and self-criticism that weighed heavily on her before her relocation.
A few years back, I kind of gave up at some point and needed a change,
Anderson told Better Homes & Gardens in August 2024.
I thought, ‘Well, I guess that’s just what people think of me.’ I was not in a good space when I moved back to Canada. I don’t know what happened over the last few decades, but I feel now so far removed from the image of who I was.
I felt very sad and lonely. I didn’t feel just misunderstood, I felt like I had really screwed up, that my whole life was a bundle of mistakes. I was hard on myself, and I thought I put my family through a lot and put my kids through so much.
Anderson, who shares sons Brandon and Dylan Lee with ex-husband Tommy Lee, expressed intense regret and vulnerability during this time.
I came to a point where I decided to move home and disappear and get into my garden,
she concluded.
And when I started building the garden, it was really like a metaphor of putting my life back together. I began planting seeds, and the smallest things became really profound.
The Deep Connection to Gardening and Family Legacy
Gardening has not only become a therapeutic activity for Anderson but also a meaningful link to her late grandfather Herman, who was an influential figure in her childhood. Anderson carries forward his love of mythology and imagination through her gardening practices.
It comes from my grandfather Herman. He was really interesting and the closest person to me as a child,
she told Better Homes & Gardens.
He was very much into mythology and fairy tales, and we always spoke about them when I was little. He would put little mirrors around in the garden, and he told me that was a way I could catch a glimpse of fairies and elves.
Anderson often finds whimsical objects in her garden and wonders if they were placed there by her younger self. She also highlighted the property’s importance as the very ground where her life began.
I have a little collection of marbles and little toys that I still find in the garden. And I think, ‘Did I put those there as a child for my future self?’ Believe me, I’ve gone crazy with all this. Do you realize that this place that I bought from my grandmother is the same place my parents brought me home from the hospital when I was born? There were nine cabins, and we lived in cabin six. This is the first place my feet touched the actual soil.
Baking as a Reflection of Renewal and Patience
Among her new routines in Canada, Anderson has discovered a passion for baking, which she describes as meditative and deeply rewarding. Baking bread, especially, has become an art form that requires patience and perseverance, qualities she has nurtured since her move.
This bread thing is such a meditation for me,
she said to Better Homes & Gardens.
You’re always on the search for the best loaf and it never comes. There’s something about it that I compare to giving birth. If all those other people have done it, then so can I. Baking teaches patience. I’ve come to realize there’s so much about cooking that is good for you. If you like to cook, you’re good at lots of things.
