B.C. cities battle it out for a piece of Heated Rivalry star Hudson Williams

Cities are turning Williams rise into a lighthearted tourism rivalry amid Heated Rivalry craze

Cities across British Columbia are playfully competing to claim Heated Rivalry breakout star Hudson Williams as their own, turning the actor’s rise in popularity into a lighthearted tourism rivalry. The friendly feud has unfolded across social media, with multiple municipalities highlighting their connections to the hockey drama star.

Williams, who plays Shane Hollander in the hit series, has ties to several B.C. communities. He was born in Kelowna, grew up in Kamloops, lives in Vancouver and previously worked in New Westminster, giving each city a reason to stake a claim.

“I’m in a ‘Heated Rivalry’ psychosis and I’m all for it,” said Samantha Clark, consumer marketing manager for Destination Vancouver. Vancouver leaned into the fun by updating its social media bio to call itself the “home of Hudson Williams.”

The competition briefly intensified when Kamloops described itself as the actor’s birthplace before Williams clarified during a podcast appearance that he was born in Kelowna. Tourism New Westminster also joined in, promoting itself as the “proud home of Hudson Williams’ former workplace,” referencing his time working at the Old Spaghetti Factory. “Once you’ve served spaghetti in New West, you’re officially a New Westie,” said Jasmine Crisp, Tourism New Westminster’s marketing manager.

Other organizations joined the playful back-and-forth, with Langara College pointing to itself as Williams’ alma mater and Douglas College joking about its proximity to his former workplace. Clark said the online rivalry has helped shine a spotlight on B.C. tourism, even inspiring the creation of a fan-focused travel guide tied to locations associated with Williams and the series.

“I think that this show has beautifully showcased Canada,” Clark said. “It’s just a fun way to show people all you can do in Canada through a show that has really captured the hearts of so many people internationally.”

Tourism Kamloops content specialist Katy Morrison summed up the competitive spirit, saying, “When you see other cities trying to claim one of your own, you’ve got to defend your turf.”

The playful rivalry comes as Williams and his Heated Rivalry co-star Connor Storrie were recently named Olympic torchbearers for the Milan–Cortina 2026 Winter Games, further highlighting the growing global profile of the series and its stars.