When Calls the Heart second season brings changes to Coal Valley

The frontier era romance "When Calls the Heart" is a hit with a dedicated fanbase called #Hearties on Hallmark Channel. The series is based on the books by Janette Oke. WCTH stars Erin Krakow ("Chance at Romance), Lori Loughlin ("Garage Sale Mystery," "Full House"), Daniel Lissing and Jack Wagner ("General Hospital").

This article is a summary of the second season premiere, which debuted in 2015. The series returns for a fourth season on March 5, 2017.  

Attached to this article is a video from the season two premiere of "When Calls the Heart,” titled Trials of the Heart. The story was set in the frontier of Western Canada.

In the episode, Heart and Soul, schoolteacher Elizabeth Thatcher (Krakow) and handsome Canadian Mountie Jack Thornton (Lissing) enjoyed their budding romance, but complications arose when Elizabeth was summoned home because her mother was ill. Jack gallantly accompanied Elizabeth to her parents' mansion to ensure her safety.

Jack felt uncomfortable with Elizabeth’s privileged high society life and her wealthy family. He also discovered that Elizabeth still had a romantic admirer from her class, Charles Kensington (Marcus Rosner).  Her father (Garwin Sanford) and mother (Lynda Boyd) had hopes that Elizabeth would return home and marry a man from their social class. Her sister (Charlotte Hegele) enjoyed the parties and privileges of high society but would visit Elizabeth in Hope Valley for an adventure in a later episode.

Back in Coal Valley, the town was still recovering from the tragic coal mining accident that killed many of the men. The coal mine was closed permanently because it was too dangerous for the workers. This affected the incomes and livelihoods of the people in Coal Valley.

Abigail Stanton (Loughlin) was determined to clear her late husband's name in the trial against the coal company, headed by Henry Gowen (Martin Cummins). Standing at her side was the investigator, Bill Avery (Wagner), who had a mysterious secret. Help came in the form of a surprise female prosecutor, Samantha Madison (Laura Mennell), a woman ahead of her time because men occupied the legal professions during the frontier era.

A sawmill run by Leland Coulter (Kavan Smith) was opening, which was to provide employment to the workers, so families would be able to stay in Coal Valley. With the promise of new prosperity, the town was renamed Hope Valley.

“When Calls the Heart” is primarily a romance that offers a snapshot of life on the frontier. Hope Valley was initially Coal Valley, a coal mining town. In season two, the sawmill offered another way for people to earn a living in the town. In season four, the railroad will bring the possibility of prosperity to Hope Valley.

“When Calls the Heart” is set in the frontier era, but coal mining is still relevant today. The work was, and is, dangerous and dirty, but it can pay well. In previous generations, European people skilled in coal mining were recruited to immigrate to the United States because their skill was in hot demand.

CNN published a list of notable coal mining accidents in 2010. The list includes the Centralia Coal Mining Accident of 1947, which killed 111 miners. This has personal meaning because some ancestors were killed in this tragedy.

Coal mining has given way to other forms of energy, but the trade is still practiced. In fact, President Trump has vowed to revive the coal mining industry, according to news reports, such as this March 1, 2017 article on CNBC.  

“When Calls the Heart” tells the story of the people who lived and worked in the frontier era, as the way of life was changing rapidly. 

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