The show brought together ten people from all around the country – from small-town Nova Scotians to Vancouverites — and we sat down with four of the castmates to learn more about how they took Kelowna by storm, and what to expect from the new show.
Roomies Isaiah, Emmett, Ethan and Bauer met with Narcity and gave a peek behind the curtain of what filming was like.
Days filming were 'clockwork'
Like all the best reality shows, there were cameras on these cast members all the time. "You definitely got to keep your head on a swivel," Isaiah told Narcity. Emmet added that while "it's weird being in front of the camera" at first, "you pretty quickly forget that they're even there."
As for the day-to-day, though, it's probably not as chill as you'd imagine.
If you're a Jersey Shore fan, you might remember scenes of Snooki and Deena waking up as the sun went down — but Canada does things differently. Bauer told Narcity that days were "clockwork, more than you would think," at the shore. "We couldn't really afford to have our days slept away, is what I'll say,” he added.
Ethan said that they would "have to earn the beers essentially. So you gotta work if you want to party, and if you don't perform well, then they won't let you party." Luckily for them (and all of us watching), he added that they almost always earned their right to party while there.
They made an impression on Kelowna
When it came to nights out in Kelowna, Canada Shore came in hot to the Okanagan city. Bauer said that they tended to cause "the biggest scene in the world everywhere" they went. Apparently, the locals weren't "used to Gizelle shaking a** in the middle of the bar and Lila screaming with every girl.”
It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, though. "I loved how much attention we brought and how much of a different vibe we brought, but at the same time, it was like... 'Am I gonna get the 'sh*t” kicked outta me?'"
Emmett echoed the sentiment, saying that they "had a lot of eyes" when filming in the city.
While Bauer said that "Kelowna didn't like it at the start," things did switch up. "For the most part, the people who didn't want us there, they turned around really quick," he added.
Ethan added that some people even "became fans [and] would follow us around everywhere we would go." Overall, he added that they "really had no problems — just here and there."
Kelowna shore > Toronto clubs
Kelowna managed to impress these partygoers, even compared to Canada's bigger cities.
Ethan — Newmarket, Ontario local — said that while he likes it, Toronto's "more preppy." He added that Kelowna was "a lot more free," whereas "Toronto feels like it's a flex-off typically, at clubs getting bottle service and whatnot, but that's just my opinion."
Ethan and Bauer even said that by the end of filming, they loved the B.C. city so much that they stayed for an extra couple of weeks after filming wrapped up, to continue the good time.
Canadians do the shore different
While it's a Jersey Shore spin-off, people should also expect something new. "Canada's a lot different... We got different rules, regulations, we got different types of people, different lingo. You kind of get a bit of everything on the show," Isaiah said.
Bauer also said that the Canadian Shore "girls were way crazier." He added that he can't wait for people to watch "how much the girls fought."
As for who will stand out, Isaiah said that he feels like "the biggest impression will be on Lila," adding that "everybody will have a lot of opinions against her, you know? Hopefully good ones."
The through line of Jersey and Canadian Shore? That found-family vibe with the cast, who clearly had the summer of their lives together. That, and the drama.
'Canada Shore' — Where to watch?
If you're wondering where to watch Canada Shore, you can stream the first two episodes on Paramount+ now.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
