Is Lee Leaving When Calls the Heart? What Happened to Kavan Smith
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The Season 11 finale of When Calls the Heart was a celebratory episode and featured another Hope Valley wedding, but it also left the future of one key character hanging in the balance. Is Lee leaving When Calls the Heart? Keep reading to find out.
Is Lee leaving When Calls the Heart?
We don’t know for sure, but it’s possible. Toward the end of the episode, governor Lucas Bouchard (Chris McNally) made Leland “Lee” Coulter (Kavan Smith) a very tempting offer that might take him away from Hope Valley.
After plans for Lucas’ resort fell apart, Hope Valley’s mayor pitched the idea of building a national park instead. “I’m talking about something very special … a place where wildlife and trees are undisturbed with trails for hikers and campsites for families,” Lee told Lucas. He noted that while it might not be as profitable as the resort, the local towns “will still benefit.” He explained: “We will be preserving something important.” Lee’s wife, Rosemary Coulter (Pascale Hutton), chimed in and added of their daughter: “We want Goldie and all the children of Hope Valley to have this kind of legacy.”
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Lucas loved the idea and decided to go through with it, but he also revealed his plans to relocate to Capital City, where the governor’s office is located. Following the resort debacle and the drama with Jeanette, the press and voters began doubting his abilities as a governor, calling for his resignation. At Mei and Hickam’s wedding, he told his friends that if he’s “going to turn this ship around” he needs to be in Capital City. Lucas then asked Lee to join him to help get the park up and running, earning shocked reactions from Lee and Rosemary.
The episode ended before viewers could learn if Lee accepted the offer, leaving his future in Hope Valley unknown until the show returns for Season 12. Neither McNally nor Smith have voiced their plans to leave the show, but the decision might not be up to them.
Lee was first introduced to viewers in Season 2. Shortly after his arrival in Hope Valley, Lee opened the sawmill, which brought success and jobs to the town after the devastating mine explosion. It was not long before Lee became a fan favorite and began dating Rosemary. The couple went on to tie the knot in Season 3 and welcomed their daughter, Marigold “Goldie” Coulter, in Season 10.
It’s nearly impossible to picture the show without Lee, as his partner-in-crime dynamic with Rosemary is a highlight for fans. Additionally, Lee was just appointed mayor in in Season 11, Episode 5 after previously running for the position in Season 9 and losing to Hickam. Hickam later resigned from the position, ultimately paving the way for Lee to assume the role. “Lee just decides to magnanimously slide into the role because it is sort of what he sees for himself,” Smith told TV Insider about his character’s new role. “It’s kind of a calling, and I guess sometimes it doesn’t matter how it comes about, just that it comes about.”
Lee and Lucas aren’t the only characters whose future in Hope Valley were put into question in the Season 11 finale. Angela Canfield (Vienna Leacock), who is the daughter of Joseph and Minnie Canfield, began discussing the idea of attending a teacher’s college in Hamilton. Angela is blind and the school specializes in training teachers for the visually impaired. The young girl was excited about the opportunity, but her protective parents were nervous about her moving so far away.
More: See if Angela from When Calls the Heart is blind in real life
Viewers will just have to wait until When Calls the Heart returns to see what’s in store for Lee, Lucas and Angela.
When Calls the Heart is available to stream on Peacock.
For more on When Calls the Heart, check out who the cast is married to and dating in real life below.
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