Several members of the BC Lions football operations and player roster expressed frustration after the cast of the reality television show Canada Shore disrupted a walkthrough practice on Friday at the Apple Bowl in Kelowna.
The Paramount+ production had received permission to film for an upcoming Season 2 episode. Cast members worked with equipment staff and performed watergirl duties on the sidelines.
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According to multiple sources, general manager Ryan Rigmaiden and vice-president of football operations Neil McEvoy wore microphones for the segment.
However, the cast drew criticism for running onto the field and interfering with practice operations.
Quarterback Nathan Rourke remained tight-lipped about the shooting day but made his negative stance clear. “Not after what happened, no,” Rourke said.
He declined to answer further questions, adding, “That’s all I’m going to say.”
Running back James Butler offered a contrasting perspective. “I liked it, honestly.
Me and my fiancée are big fans of the show; we actually watch Canada Shore, so I thought it was kind of cool,” Butler said.
Butler noted that the cast members were simply acting in accordance with the nature of their show while providing water to the players.
“They were just doing water, doing their Canada Shore things. They’re young, you know what I’m saying, so they’re just doing what young people do.
They just have fun; they yell. They weren’t really doing nothing crazy,” he said.
However, Butler acknowledged that the production created an internal distraction for a team that was winless at the time.
