A young woman with long blonde hair is wearing a jean jacket and a black cowboy hat. She is in a barn and has a horse head's nestled between her hands. Amy (Amber Marshall) with her horse on Season 19 of Heartland (David Brown)

Heartland, CBC’s fan-favourite homegrown drama series returns to CBC Gem for a 19th season. Through years of triumph and trials, the family has navigated life’s challenges on their ranch, which they’ve run for six generations.

Fans have watched the show’s main character Amy Fleming-Borden (played by Amber Marshall) grow up, start a family of her own, face the tragic loss of her husband and find new love. As outside forces threaten the future of Heartland, will the Bartlett-Fleming family hold it all together?

What happened during Season 18?

At the end of season 18, Amy and the rest of the Bartlett-Fleming family are in a hopeful place.

Watch | The official recap for Season 18 

A conflict with their neighbours and competitors in the beef business, the Pryce family, threatened their ranch. Heartland patriarch Jack (Shaun Johnston) finally comes around to support his son Tim’s (Chris Potter) decision to take a job down south as a rodeo announcer, but Tim is undecided.

His great-granddaughter Katie (Baye McPherson) chose not to move to Vancouver to attend an arts high school and instead asked her parents to keep a rescue horse that she came to adore named Dodger.

As Jack, Tim and granddaughter Lou (Michelle Morgan) worked to mend the professional relationship with the Pryces, Amy and Nathan Pryce (Spencer Lord), who have a budding romantic relationship, were caught in the middle. And then came a twist: Gracie Pryce (Krista Bridges), Nathan’s sister, returned to Hudson with plans to bury Heartland.

In the season’s final scene, despite all odds, Amy and Nathan professed their love for each other.

Watch | Amy and Nathan kiss

Where can I watch the Season 19 trailer?

The official Season 19 trailer is here. What surprising plot twists can we expect this season?

Heartland Season 19 | Official Trailer

October 2

Duration2:58

Heartland follows life on the iconic Heartland ranch as Amy and her family deal with the challenges of running a horse ranch, which has been in the Bartlett-Fleming family for six generations.

What’s new for Season 19 of Heartland?

In Season 19, the Bartlett-Fleming family risk everything to keep Heartland and those they love out of harm’s way. Amy strikes a delicate balance between her commitment to her new relationship with Nathan and putting her daughter first. When her reputation as a horse trainer is called into question, she’s caught off guard and fights to save her good name.

Three generations of the Bartlett-Fleming family stand together outside. Patriach Jack has his arms around Lou and Katie. Lou, Jack and Katie embrace on Season 19 of Heartland (David Brown)

Her sister Lou tries to refocus her attention on her family – but when a new adversary threatens the ranch, she is forced to make some difficult choices. Jack is the steadfast rancher he’s always been, but his patience is tested after he hires an unlikely new ranch hand, Dex.

With the future of Heartland in jeopardy, Amy, Jack, Lou and the rest of the family must each hold fast to their values.

What new and returning cast will appear in Season 19?

A young woman with curly hat and a cowboy hat sits atop a horse on CBC drama Heartland. Kamaia Fairburn plays River on Season 19 of Heartland. (David Brown)

New cast members this season include River (Kamaia Fairburn), the captain of the local rodeo flag team and Dex (Dylan Hawco), a new ranchhand. Tammy Stillman (Linda Boyd), appears as the long-lost sister to Lisa Stillman, Jack Bartlett’s longtime partner.

Lou’s adopted daughter Georgie (Alisha Newton) returns from Brussels where she trained as a show jumper. Ashley (Cindy Busby), a competitive horseback rider is back to continue her romance with Caleb, a close family friend who once had a relationship with Amy. And Gracie Pryce, Nathan’s sister, is back after her debut in last season’s cliffhanger. What kind of trouble will she stir up for the Heartland family?

And for loyal viewers, a character who hasn’t appeared on Heartland for a very long time returns. But it’s a secret! Can you guess who it might be?