Heartland is a Canadian family comedy-drama series that debuted in October 2007 on CBC. Based on the novels by three American authors writing under the pseudonym Lauren Brooke, the series chronicles the ups and downs of a family living on a ranch called Heartland, located at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. It portrays love and loss, friendship and betrayal, marriage and childbirth, and more. As one of Canada’s longest-running dramas, Heartland was filmed in Alberta. Learn more on calgaryski.net.
Plot
The series focuses on the relationships of teenage girl Amy Fleming and her family. Amy and her mother Marion train horses and heal injured animals using a unique gift. After Marion tragically dies, 16-year-old Amy moves to her grandfather Jack Bartlett’s ranch, Heartland. Amy’s older sister Lou Fleming also arrives from New York to the farm. Together, they navigate their mother’s loss and work to restore the family’s struggling ranch.
Over time, the ranch opens its doors to more horses. Ty Borden, hired by Marion before her death, stays on and becomes part of the family. In the sixth season, the family expands with the addition of Georgie, a girl adopted by Lou.
Heartland depicts love, conflicts, reconciliations, marriages, divorces, women’s careers, motherhood, crimes, travel, and global issues such as poaching. These elements allow viewers to broaden their understanding of life beyond their own surroundings while enjoying intriguing plot twists.
Filming Locations
The interior scenes for the popular series were filmed in Calgary at the CBC studio, where the veterinary clinic, ranch interiors, and barn scenes were recreated.
Exterior scenes were shot in High River, Calgary, and the hamlet of Millarville, located south of Calgary. Most scenes featuring houses, barns, arenas, and the ranch were created in Millarville. The ranch in Millarville is a working cattle farm established by the Foster family in 1928 to raise Hereford cattle. Since it is private property, it is not open to the public and is accessible only to filmmakers.
Other Millarville filming locations include the Anglican church where Lou’s wedding took place in season three, the farmer’s market, and the racetrack. All race and rodeo scenes were filmed here. The location is open to visitors year-round, but the best time to visit is between mid-June and October when the farmer’s market is active.
Maggie’s Diner was filmed on a set in High River. Although the diner is non-operational, visitors can view its exterior and take photos. In the series, High River represents the fictional town of Hudson.
For fans of the series, High River offers the Museum of the Highwood, showcasing a collection of costumes and props featured in the show. During filming seasons, visitors could also spot trailers for the Heartland crew behind the museum.
A stroll through downtown High River reveals several shops selling Heartland souvenirs. Another noteworthy location is the red gazebo in George Lane Memorial Park, where iconic scenes such as Amy and Georgie’s prom were filmed.
Interesting Facts
The horses featured in the series were provided by John Scott – an actor, producer, director, stunt coordinator, promoter, and owner of numerous stallions, mares, cattle, carriages, wagons, and trailers. John Scott has built a renowned reputation over decades and even served as a lead director for The Lord of the Rings. He co-founded Stunts Canada, an association of professional stunt performers, in 1970. His company, John Scott Productions & Motion Picture Animals, has supplied animals for dozens of major films.
While most horses in the show have changed over the years, Spartan has been portrayed by the same horse, Stormy, since the first day of filming. Stormy was five years old when he began working on set. His role as Spartan marked his acting debut, which he performed brilliantly. Stormy and Amber Marshall (who plays Amy Fleming) have formed a special bond in real life, working together for over 14 years. Amber has known Stormy for as long as her character Amy has known Spartan.
Most actors in the show had no horseback riding experience. Trained stunt doubles performed in their place. However, Amber Marshall (Amy) and Alisha Newton (Georgina “Georgie” Fleming) are skilled riders in real life. Amber began horseback riding at the age of four and lives on a 100-acre ranch in Alberta with her husband. Alisha, like her character Georgie, is also a competitive jumper and horse owner.
Jessica Amlee (Mallory Wells in the series) is another experienced rider, having grown up around horses owned by her parents. Sean Johnston (Jack Bartlett) and Nathaniel Arcand (Scott Cardinal) also had experience with horses. For Sean, horseback riding was part of his lifestyle, as he grew up on a cattle ranch, while Nathaniel’s family also owned horses.
Some episodes were filmed simultaneously. The crew would visit specific locations, film all necessary scenes, and then separate them into individual episodes. For example, kitchen and barn scenes might be filmed back-to-back, while dining room shots would follow sequentially. This allowed directors to use time efficiently.
Some Heartland actors also served as directors, including Michelle Morgan (Lou Fleming) and Chris Potter (Tim Fleming). For Michelle, directing is a career ambition, while for Chris, it is more of a hobby. Chris directed season 10 after gaining previous directing experience, while Michelle made her directorial debut in the ninth episode of season 14. She transitioned to directing by observing experienced colleagues and learning about the filmmaking process.
Sean Johnston, who played Jackson “Jack” Bartlett, initially auditioned for the role of Tim Fleming. Feeling too young to play the grandfather (he was about 40 at the time), Sean connected deeply with the character of Jack after reading the script. For this role, Sean spent hours in the makeup chair, worked on deepening his voice, and practiced Jack’s characteristic walk.
International Success
The series premiered on October 14, 2007, attracting 513,000 viewers. Shortly after, the Writers Guild of America announced a strike, which halted the creation of new American shows from November 5, 2007, to February 12, 2008. As a result, American networks aired Canadian shows more frequently. This strike increased CBC’s audience and boosted Heartland’s viewership due to a lack of U.S. competition.
By the fall of 2009, the series was airing in several countries, including France, Germany, Spain, and Australia. In the fall of 2020, it was broadcast in the United States, and by 2016, the show had reached audiences in 119 countries.
The show achieved international success. Film events in Canada drew Heartland fans from around the globe. In 2016, the Calgary International Film Festival honored Heartland with a gala premiere, attracting fans from across Canada, the U.S., and Europe.