Hallmark’s “When Calls the Heart” is already off to a nail-biting start after Goldie National Park lit up in flames in the first two episodes. With the wildfire having consumed Hope Valley’s neighboring town of Benson Hills, Mayor Leland Coulter, played by Kavan Smith, was faced with the responsibility to keep the town and evacuees safe.
In a new interview with Parade, Smith opened up about the season 13 moment that changed Leland for good, noting how it transformed the show’s narrative in episodes to come.
Kavan Smith on How His ‘WCTH’ Character Stepped Up in Season 13
“Rosemary and Lee bring in a foster kid, and being a foster father is an extremely big story arc for Lee this season,” Smith revealed, referring to a young girl named Gwendolyn, played by Alex Maclsaac, who is orphaned in Hope Valley after her father is hospitalized from injuries sustained in the fire.
“Getting to know Alex has been my favorite part of the season,” he added.
Smith shared how taking in Gwendolyn forced his character to step up in his role as Hope Valley’s mayor, adding that Leland had been a tumbleweed in the wind before taking on the duties of a stand-in father.
“I think that Leland has been floundering for a little while, juggling too many jobs, and he just missed some of his personal input on things,” Smith told Parade. “I think that this year, with losing Goldie National Park as well as Benson Hills to the wildfires, he’s really had to step up his mayoral role.”
Changes On the Horizon for Leland and Rosemary’s Relationship
HallmarkSmith noted how caring for Gwendolyn helped him to heal his depression after Goldie National Park, named after his and Rosemary’s daughter, Goldie Coulter, burned to the ground.
“Everything that happens in our show in the first two episodes, in particular for Lee, is that he goes from being very depressed and upset about the park to understanding that there’s much more here than just a park and/or a fire,” he said. “This is all about proving time and time again that when people come together, they can accomplish and overcome anything.”
Smith went on to reveal that his and Rosemary’s relationship begins to be tested as the season continues, leading them to become closer than ever before. “I see a deepening of Lee and Rosemary’s marriage as they undergo more trials and tribulations, along with their plucky little town,” he said.
To see what happens next for Leland, Rosemary, Goldie and Gwendolyn, Hearties can watch WCTH on Sundays at 8/7c on the Hallmark Channel.
