Aahana Swrup
Over the years, ‘When Calls the Heart’ has established a warm, cosy, and familiar community within the town of Hope Valley. As such, the season 12 finale feels all the more heart-rending as it finds Elizabeth Thornton needing to exit the town for the health of her son, Little Jack. Still, after an unusual summer spent in Cape Fullerton, Elizabeth and Nathan, along with their children, prepare for a hopeful homecoming at the beginning of season 13. Consequently, in season 13 episode 1, titled ‘Up In the Air,’ the couple, as well as the viewers, are reunited with the loving residents of Hope Valley. However, fans may notice that some of the familiar faces, namely Angela Canfield, Timmy Lawson, and Emily Montgomery, are missing from action throughout the episodes. Given their instrumental role in Elizabeth’s narrative in the Canadian town, the young students’ fates in the series remain a point of widespread intrigue. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Angela Canfield is Likely Off to College at Hamilton
In season 12, one of the central storylines surrounding the teenagers of Hope Valley stems from the nearing end of their high school academic careers. Many of the kids, who have been around since Elizabeth’s earliest foray into the educator profession, finish their last year in her school and become high school graduates. As a result, they find themselves looking forward to new possibilities. This has a notable effect on Angela Canfield, daughter of Pastor Joseph and Minnie. Throughout the young girl’s high school career, Elizabeth has ensured that she has all the right materials to accommodate her blindness, leaving no gaps in her education. Nonetheless, as the teenager begins her college career, she seeks out better accessibility and community.
As a result, Angela considers attending Hamilton University, which specializes in education for students with visual impairments. The institution is far away from Hope Valley, which becomes a point of concern for her protective mother, Minnie. Yet, the Canfield family eventually agrees on the decision to continue Angela’s education at Hamilton. Since ‘When Calls the Heart’ season 13 begins at the end of the summer following Angela and the other older kids’ graduation from high school, it’s likely that Angela has already left for college. This would explain why she’s missing from Hope Valley upon Elizabeth and Nathan’s return to town.
Elizabeth’s Older Students Are High School Graduates in Season 13
Similar to Angela, her other classmates, Emily Montgomery and Timmy Lawson, also undergo a transformative journey in season 12. Both characters graduate at the end of the year and find themselves staring down the barrel of their future prospects. While college remains a prospect for both, Emily also considers an alternative route. She has always been interested in business and finds herself providing insightful advice to Henry Gowen for his newfound hazelnut business. For the same reason, the latter even considers putting her in charge of the business. Since we don’t yet know much about how the summer of 1922 unraveled in Hope Valley, Emily’s future in Henry’s hazelnut business remains unknown.
However, it is possible that after taking Henry’s offer up as a summer job, Emily returned to her studies and went on to enroll in college. Whether she decided to undertake the path of an education student or a business student similarly remains unknown. On the other hand, it’s highly likely that Timmy Lawson has also joined his fellow classmates in progressing past high school and pursuing a college education. Since his tentative romance with Emily blossomed last season, it is also possible that the duo decided to go to the same college to spend more time together. Either way, it’s likely that, much like Angela, college has taken Emily and Timmy away from Hope Valley, at least for now.
Vienna Leacock, Christian Michael Cooper, and Gracyn Shinyei Likely Won’t Return to the Series as Regulars
Actors like Vienna Leacock, Christian Michael Cooper, and Gracyn Shinyei, whose characters have made up Elizabeth’s classroom for many years, have played a significant role in ‘When Calls the Heart.’ Shinyei has been a part of the series since its very first episode, ‘Lost and Found,’ back in 2014. In season 12 episode 12, ‘Must be Gold,’ which was potentially her last appearance as a series regular, she completed 100 episodes with the title. Similarly, Michael Cooper, who joined the show in Season 3, Episode 8, and Leacock, who stepped into the role of Angela Canfield in Season 8, Episode 4, have both been an integral and constant presence in the on-screen world of Hope Valley. Nonetheless, it seems with season 13, all three actors’ characters have found themselves strapped in for a new adventure—one that might take them away from Hope Valley.
For the same reason, it’s highly possible that Leaock, Michael Cooper, and Shinyei will not be returning to the show, at least within a regular capacity. Since Angela, Emily, and Timmy will always share a connection in their hometowns, there’s always a possibility that the trio might make brief returns to Hope Valley. As such, at the time of writing, nothing seems to be entirely set in stone. Still, considering these characters’ departure from Elizabeth’s classroom, it’s inevitable that they would no longer play a notable role in the narrative. Even so, the young actors behind these characters are bound to have promising careers ahead of them, which the fans can look forward to. After her last appearance on ‘When Calls the Heart,’ Vienna Leacock continues to work as a voice actor on the animated show ‘Molly of Denali’ and the spin-off miniseries’ Molly’s Epic Adventure,’ in which she voiced the character of Trini Mumford.
Read More: Is Tiera Skovbye’s Ava Leaving When Calls the Heart?
