Heartland's Alisha Newton

Something about Alisha Newton makes me giggle. She's so poised -- so present. Heartland's new cast member is a four-foot-eight Vancouver kid with 11 candles on her birthday cake, an iPhone 4S and a résumé as long as her hair, which just barely falls over her glittered shoulders.

Wary of the questions about to be thrown at her face, she politely sits down by the tall brick walls of the HiVE and waits.

Will Ty propose? Blank. Will Amy say yes? Blank. Will Alisha take us to spoiler town? No chance.

New kid on the block: "Our script supervisor Wayne puts clothes pegs in my hair"

CBC Television’s most popular family drama does to families every Sunday what Justin Bieber's face does to thirteen-year-old girls every day. The tight-knit cast is a family. Not the kind shared by blood, but, sweat. And heart. Lots of heart.

"Everyone is very, very welcoming and I don't feel left out in any way at all," said Newton, her pony tail lightly swinging in the air. "Amber Marshall (Amy) took us [horseback] riding. It was awesome, riding in the creek."



Thanks to grandma, horse riding is nothing neeeeiiigh for Newton.
"My grandma has a horse, so I rode her horse a little bit," she said. Fun fact: Graham Wardle (Ty) and Marshall are as down-to-earth off screen as they are on screen.


Wardle and Marshall, Photo courtesy of fanpop.com

The saga takes place on a fictional horse ranch (Heartland) in Alberta. It's a simple life but, like every life, not without its ups and downs. The Burnaby-born starlet has been living in Calgary since May.

"Our script supervisor Wayne [Pells] is a total prankster and he's always pranking somebody," Newton said. Her eyes grew. "And, I'm his main target."

Season 5 finale cliffhanger leaves Ty uncertain about his marriage proposal to Amy, who finds the ring in his jacket pocket while he steps out to get more wood for the fireplace, stopping to watch lanterns light up the night sky.

Throughout the six seasons, Heartlanders have truly grown up with Amy and Ty. They have watched their relationship develop. In the new season, Newton's smart-mouthed character Georgie brings the sauce. "She's fiery. She gets her characters into trouble," Newton explained. But, she can relate: "Sometimes, I can have an attitude."

When not on set, Newton likes to hang out with close friends and family, create short films and dance. She enjoys swimming and hiking. So Vancouver of her.

She's been home for 51 hours. Now, she has to catch a flight back to Calgary. The Season 6 premiere is in 48 hours. Heartlanders are waiting.

Dominating online on CBC.ca, and in social media, Heartland boasts one of the most active Canadian online communities with over 110,000 engaged Facebook fans.

Heartland, Season 6, airs on September 16 at 7 p.m.
Catch Heartland Sundays at 7 p.m. (7:30 NT) on CBC Television