We love this action shot of Rachel Lynde (Patricia Hamilton) and Hetty King (Jackie Burroughs) on Road to Avonlea.

Arthur and Felicity make a promise to each other, while Gus and Hetty begin their journey to find Captain Craine in the next chapter of Hannah’s Return to Avonlea. Here is Chapter 13, “Queries and Quests”.  To read parts 1-12, click here!

"She is my first, great love. She was a wonderful, rare woman - you do not know; as strong, and steadfast, and generous as the sun. She could be as swift as a white whiplash, and as kind and gentle as warm rain, and as steadfast as the irreducible earth beneath us."

Felicity King and Gus Pike’s wedding day was much more than the joining of two soul mates.  It also symbolized the beginning of the end for the citizens of Avonlea in this last episode of the series.  As we continue to remember the most famous weddings in Sullivan productions, in celebration of the Royal Wedding today, here are two memorable speeches from Felicity and Gus’s special day.

Hetty King was known for speaking her mind.  And though many considered her ready opinions sometimes aggravating, she was right to not let a moment pass in which she did not embark her own wisdom, words of warnings or helpful encouragement.  Here is a poem by Lucy Maud Montgomery – author of the books that inspired Road to Avonlea - that addresses the importance of speaking up.

Some of the most memorable scenes in Road to Avonlea are the times in which its residents stop to reflect on what sets their town apart.  When Avonlea is in danger of being bought by a developer, it is Hetty King, played by Jackie Burroughs, who is able to convince them to preserve Avonlea as it is.  The medium of her message is a home movie about the community and the people who live in it, shot by Jasper Dale.

Throughout her long career, Jackie Burroughs worked with some of most talented and famous actors of the stage and screen.  Her fans will mourn her loss, but so too will the people with whom she created art.  Here is a look at what her friends in the industry remember about Burroughs.

In the very last episode of Road to Avonlea, "So Dear to My Heart", Hetty King - played by the late Jackie Burroughs - makes a toast at Felicity King’s wedding.  In her speech, Hetty says that anyone who ever leaves Avonlea should rest easy knowing that they always have a home to come back to. 

It seems fitting to pay tribute to the late Jackie Burroughs by remembering the depth she brought to the role of Hetty King on Road to Avonlea.  Armed with a deep understanding of her character’s emotions, Burroughs was often at the forefront of some of the most moving scenes in the series.

The outpouring of affection and admiration for the late Jackie Burroughs comes as no surprise.  As a constant presence in the lives of Road to Avonlea viewers, as well as a staple of the Canadian stage and screen, Burroughs touched all who watched her.