Stuti Gokhale
Season 9 of ‘When Calls the Heart‘ witnesses a new wave of industrial development sweeping over Hope Valley as Henry’s oil company aims to make some structural changes. Not just that, Lee and Rosemary are presented with a huge opportunity to expand the ‘Valley Voice,’ just like they always wanted. Surprisingly, they discover that Arthur Gilchrist, the person who made them the offer, is also connected to the oil company’s ongoing tension. Let’s find out more about Arthur and what he is up to, shall we? SPOILERS AHEAD.
Who is Arthur Gilchrist?
Arthur Gilchrist is first mentioned in season 9 episode 7 when the Coulters receive a mysterious letter from him. He states that he works for renowned newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst, and proposes to add the Valley Voice to the widespread chain of newspapers in Hearst Publications. Rosemary is ecstatic, as her dream of expanding the reach of her newspaper is finally coming together.
Soon, Arthur writes to the Coulters about visiting Hope Valley for a meeting, but when they tell Fiona about it in season 9 episode 9, she gets startled hearing his name and indicates that she knows about him. Afterward, when she calls Arthur through her contact to find out his real intentions, he states that he would meet her on his upcoming visit to Hope Valley. She then explains to the Coulters that she met him on her trip to San Francisco and that he is an investor in the oil company, who plans to reopen the coal mines.
Lee and Rosemary realize that Arthur has an ulterior motive for visiting them, but prefer to remain hopeful about bettering the newspaper’s future with his help. In season 9 episode 10, he accompanies Jerome Smith to Hope Valley for an investor’s meeting and Fiona receives them rather apprehensively, as Lucas is in jail and Henry is still missing. Moreover, Arthur behaves a bit over-friendly with her, making her uncomfortable. After Rosemary falls sick and postpones their meeting, he decides to explore the coal mines but Jerome stops him.
Upon Nathan’s advice, Fiona speaks up against Arthur’s advances and sternly asks him to respect her. While he backs off from being so straightforward, he still refuses to stop flirting with her, much to her annoyance. Luckily, things look up a bit when Lucas is released from jail and Henry too, arrives in time. However, the latter is not too happy to see Arthur as they had gotten into a physical altercation in San Francisco earlier.
As the investor’s meeting progresses, Arthur suggests reopening the coal mine but is met by heavy protests from Bill, Lucas, and Henry. He then strictly reminds them of the binding agreement they had signed and that an investigation on the coal mine should be launched, but Henry convinces him temporarily about the devastating effect it may have on the townsfolk. Curious to find out more, Arthur starts snooping around for information and asks Joseph to tell him more about the coal mine accident.
Though it is unclear as to what Arthur’s intentions are at present, he may likely cause some tensions between the other investors at the oil company. Furthermore, given his interest in Fiona, a connection might be forged between them. Although, after hearing everything from Joseph, he could prove to be helpful to the town as well.
Who Plays Arthur Gilchrist?
Matthew James Dowden essays Arthur Gilchrist in ‘When Calls the Heart.’ The British-born actor resides in Vancouver and is best known for his performances as Christopher Banks in the TV series ‘The Flash‘ and Bertrand in the TV series ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events.’ Some of his other notable works include the movies ‘North to Home,’ ‘A Second Chance at Love,’ ‘The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls,’ and ‘The Christmas Promise,’ along with the TV series ‘Mystery 101’ and ‘Aurora Teagarden Mysteries.’
Apart from acting, Matthew is a gifted musician and singer who began playing the piano and violin at the age of five. He also received training at the prestigious Durham Cathedral in Durham, England, and attended law school briefly before becoming an actor.
Read More: Is Pascale Hutton’s Rosemary Pregnant in When Calls the Heart?
