As the first season of Canada Shore comes to a close, cast members say life after the show feels both familiar and entirely different.
The reality series, which streams on Paramount+, follows 10 young Canadians living together in Kelowna, B.C., capturing their party-driven lifestyle and interpersonal drama.
Ryleigh Gregory, originally from Bridgewater, N.S., and now living in Halifax, says the experience has amplified a lifestyle she was already living.
“It’s basically our lives before, but in such a different way with all the eyes on us,” says Gregory.
Before joining the show, Gregory worked in social media marketing, collaborating with brands locally and across Canada. She says that experience has helped her navigate opportunities that have followed the show’s release.
“This whole experience is leveraging that in a bigger way,” she says. “Now I can do more influencer work.”
For cast member Christopher Brown, a Toronto native, the biggest shift has been visibility.
“I feel like life before and after the Shore has literally been the exact same,” says Brown. “It just feels like now we have so many eyes on us.”
Brown says everyday activities, especially nightlife, have taken on a different dynamic since the show aired.
“We could act a fool in the clubs… now our life is just so much different because so many people are recognizing us,” he says. “We’re pretty much representing Canada.”
Brown, who previously worked in nightlife and at a gym, says the show has opened doors to a new kind of career.
“We’re getting so many opportunities for this new influencer life, which I’ve never had before,” he says. “Not working that normal nine-to-five and just showing the world who we are.”
Both say their decision to join Canada Shore was rooted in familiarity with the lifestyle portrayed on screen.
“I feel like it already embodied what my life was,” says Gregory. “We enjoy the party, we enjoy the fun.”
Brown says he saw the show as an opportunity to lean into a personality others had long pointed out.
“Everyone always says, ‘You need to be on a reality TV show,’” he says.
While the show centres on partying and drama, both cast members acknowledged a broader sense of responsibility that comes with its reach.
“It’s amazing, but it’s also a lot of pressure,” Brown says, noting the show’s global audience. “People are using us to show what Canadians are like.”
He added the diversity within the cast helps shape that representation.
“We all have different backgrounds… but we’re so alike,” he says. “I think we’re the best representation of Canada because we’re all so different.”
Gregory says the cast dynamic is key to the show’s success.
“Every single person needs to be there in order for the house and the show to run the way that it does,” she says.
As for what comes next, both say they are focused on building on the momentum of the first season.
“I’m just going to take this opportunity and roll with it,” says Brown.
Gregory is hopeful for another season.
“I’m definitely just riding this out,” she says. “We’re praying for a season two.”
“We wouldn’t be here if people weren’t watching the show and investing in it,” says Brown.
Both Gregory and Brown say they are grateful for viewers who tuned in throughout the season, particularly those watching weekly episodes. “We’re super grateful, and we know this opportunity would not exist if we didn’t have just normal people tuning in every Thursday.”