Northern Ontario ‘paradise’ hosts Bachelor series

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This article was published 09/10/2021 (1443 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Canadian cottagers know all too well about the endless maintenance required to keep their summer hideaways as relaxing retreats from the stresses of modern life.

At the luxurious cottage that serves as a “romantic love nest” in Bachelor in Paradise Canada, it’s only some of the 24 reality-show contestants that are high-maintenance.

The latest iteration of the Bachelor franchise, which premières Sunday at 7 p.m. on CityTV, mixes its fondness for flirtation and attractive attention-getters with one of Canada’s quintessential obsessions: going to the lake.

“It definitely felt like paradise, but it felt like Canadian paradise,” says Bachelor in Paradise Canada host Jesse Jones, a University of Ottawa grad who is also an actor, producer and host of his own YouTube show, IamJesseJones. “We were nestled against a lake in northern Ontario, so you’re going to see some beautiful views, very, very picturesque, but the set has all the elements you need for romance.

“You’ve got the hot tub, you’ve got the bar, you’ve got the sauna, you’ve got a beautiful beach, you’ve got cosy fires for nighttime. You’ve got so many different areas that you can have activities. It very much has that cosy cottage vibe.”

Jones has enjoyed previous Bachelor shows on TV but he found out how real the reality show can get by hosting the show.

He likens its immersive aspect to summer camp, where relationships, whether friendly or romantic, can be forged quickly because there are few obstacles for a connection to be made.

“It’s an entirely other thing when you’re actually in the show. These dynamics are real. All that is happening in Paradise is real,” he says. “Normally, when we’re meeting and dating people, there’s so much in the way of getting to know each other. There’s apps, there’s swipes… there’s work, there’s organizing time, there’s COVID. There are all sorts of things now that make it difficult to connect without distraction.

“(On the show) your mind is free from distractions and you’re zoning in on the people you’re meeting.”

As with previous Bachelor in Paradise iterations (which were filmed in Mexico), the elimination-style dating show features returnees from previous Bachelor shows, including Americans who have appeared on U.S. versions of the series that first took television and social media by storm in 2002.

“We knew we were going to have representative casts from across the country and internationally, but the interesting thing about this, without giving too much away, we’re a lot of more alike than we are different, in the grand scheme of things,” Jones says. “We all have the same types of fears, we all get anxious, we all feel a range of emotions, and you’re going to see that on here regardless of where they are from. Everyone gets into their feelings.”

Among the cast is Mike Ogilvie, the 34-year-old Winnipeg firefighter and paramedic who received the first rose ever on The Bachelorette Canada in 2016. He made it all the way to the eighth of 10 episodes in the series, and his bio says he’s “truly ready to commit” to someone who is positive, honest and passionate.

The show threw a curveball into the Bachelor franchise when it held a contest for the shows’ fans prior to filming, with some of those who entered getting a chance to take part in Bachelor in Paradise Canada.

“It has elements of bringing the viewer right into the show and throwing them right into the mix. It’s going to add a very unique flavour to our series in Canada,” Jones says. “Every millisecond, things are twisting and turning and the stakes change at all times.”

A large portion of any Bachelor series takes place at close quarters — whether its the initial moments where contestants first meet or whether they are canoodling by a fireplace. The same can be said of Bachelor in Paradise Canada, even though it was shot this summer during the COVID-19 pandemic, when government restrictions have made it difficult to meet new friends.

The difference between the fun times going on in front of the camera and the careful measures followed to keep the shooting pandemic-safe couldn’t have been a bigger contrast, Jones says, adding there was a complete pandemic-safety team to ensure people were wearing masks when they weren’t in front of the camera.

“Production really went above and beyond that everyone was good and was available to be present in the moment, because that is so important to the show.”

alan.small@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter:@AlanDSmall