Minnie Canfield

Minnie Canfield
Biography
Full Name	Winnifred Canfield
Nicknames	Minnie
Status	Alive
Gender	Female
Relatives	Joseph Canfield (husband) Angela Canfield (daughter) Cooper Canfield (son)
Romances	Joseph Canfield (husband)
Occupation	Owner and Operator of The Cafe
Residence	Hope Valley
Production
Seasons	8 - 11
Episodes	32
First	“Welcome to Hope Valley”
Portrayed by	Natasha Burnett

Winnifred “Minnie” Canfield is a secondary character in the Hallmark drama When Calls the Heart. She is portrayed by Natasha Burnett.

Storyline

Season 8

Minnie is Joseph's wife. They have moved into a new home to join Hope Valley. Minnie has two children, Cooper and Angela. Elizabeth is pleased to meet them all welcoming them and inviting both children to school. Minnie informs Elizabeth that because Angela is blind, she is home schooled so will not be joining her school but Cooper will. She assures Elizabeth that she will be very busy with Cooper.

During the car ride home, after Cooper introduced himself at school, Joseph, Minnie and Angela talk about Angela possibly going to school. Joseph thinks Elizabeth is a great teacher and thinks Angela should go. Minnie disagrees worried that the school children will be mean to her like they were at their last school. They moved to get away from that and start fresh. Angela wants to go to school to be able to be with children her own age. Minnie agrees to think about what was said. They both are beginning to feel at home though.

Elizabeth tries to talk to Minnie privately and explain to her how she really wants to teach Angela and promises her that despite Minnie's fears of the children being mean to Angela, that she will never allow that to happen.

Minnie and Joseph are talked to by Elizabeth about how Cooper is doing in school. He's doing well, above his grade level. She invites both of them, Cooper and Angela all to the graduation ceremony. When Minnie doesn't think Angela should go, Elizabeth assures her that it would be a great opportunity for Angela to get to know some of the school children.

At graduation, after seeing the children accept Angela, Minnie agrees to allow Elizabeth to work with Angela. When Elizabeth brings a braille book to Angela, Minnie, Elizabeth and Angela are all excited to learn Braille together. During their lesson, Angela takes a break to play the piano. Minnie shares with Elizabeth that Angela has a gift of being able to hear something once then being able to play it herself beautifully. Elizabeth visits again and Angela rushes out to give a hug to Elizabeth and Minnie says Angela's ready to start learning to read again. Angela at school starts to learn from Elizabeth. Minnie is confident in Elizabeth so talks to her husband about it. She finds out that Joseph's plan to open the gas station isn't happening as it's been sold. Minnie reminds him his calling is to be a pastor.

Cooper pushes his sister on the new swing at their home. Their father put it up for them. It's all fun until he pushes a bit too hard and Angela falls off the swing. Worried, his parents rush her to the infirmary to see Carson. It isn't bad just a bruised knee. Minnie thanks Carson for caring for Angela and tells him of the story of how Angela became blind due to a racist doctor who refused to treat her when she got sick. Minnie thanks Carson for removing the bitterness in her heart that was there after Angela was refused treatment for the measles due to their race. The illness made her blind.

Minnie finds Joseph praying. He is upset as he feels the swing incident was his fault as he wasn't paying attention. This makes Minnie question if Elizabeth can handle teaching Angela. Joseph comforts Minnie by telling her that Angela was in God's hands.

Minnie finds her husband praying and reminds him that his calling is pastoring even if he has other plans. Minnie finds Joseph praying at the schoolhouse. She feels that Joseph is meant to be the pastor of Hope Valley. Joseph insists he left his last job where they lived before and does not plan to do pastoring. He wants to do something else. Minnie really insisted he should take the pastoring job. When Joseph tells her that the gas station is sold, Minnie reminds him to do the pastoring job.

Minnie walks into the café to find Clara upset. She has to much to do and so little time to do it. Minnie offers to help her telling her to just breathe. Minnie works together with Clara to put together the snacks for the bachelorette party and then to make Ned and Florence's wedding cake. Neither have made a wedding cake before. Eventually Clara is taken away to help with the wedding dress leaving Carson to work with Minnie on the wedding cake. Carson finishes up the wedding cake and is complimented by Minnie. Carson asks Minnie what he should do about Faith and she says, "Lick the icing" meaning whether you be baking a cake or being a doctor, you enjoy the good parts.

At the wedding, her husband officiated the wedding along with Bill. After, during the dance, Minnie and Joseph agree that "God is Good" and agree it is a great place to have their children grow and to give them wings to fly.

When Angela is hurt, Minnie thanks Carson for removing the bitterness in her heart that was there after Angela was refused treatment for the measles due to their race. The illness made her blind.

Minnie comes to talk to Joseph. She is wondering what they should do now that they know that Angela cannot attend school. Joseph feels they should keep going and never let anything get in the way of their daughter being all she can be.

Angela is nervous about her first day of school. Minnie, her mother, asks why she is nervous. Angela admits she is nervous because what if the school closes because she goes to school. Minnie tells Angela to trust the other parents and students. They will see she belongs and she does. The parents and students come through for them. When they start to walk, suddenly the parents and students surround them to walk with them to school. Cooper runs up ahead to run the school bell. All have arrived for their school day much to Mr. Landis's surprise.

Season 9

Minnie has been working hard at Abigail's café. She hopes to find a way to buy it from Bill and Abigail so she can own the café. Abigail agrees to sell her portion to Minnie but that is all. She and her husband, Joseph, must get a loan from Buxton Bank. The bank denies them for a loan but Lee makes a call and co-signs in order to ensure they get the loan. Minnie asks Emma to stay on at the restaurant offering her to live upstairs. Minnie is looking for help as the café is really busy. Lee helps out.

Minnie helps her husband, Joseph, to reconnect with their son, Cooper. She also struggles with feeling unkindly to the school representative who is against Elizabeth teaching Angela. He felt that Angela would hold back the other children from learning. Both Minnie and Elizabeth disagreed. She overcomes her feelings by treating him kindly and inviting him to dinner. During the dinner, Angela plays beautifully and Mr. Lantis admits he was a music teacher and takes it upon himself to play along side Angela teaching her as he goes.

Minnie receives a letter from her father but doesn't want to open it being too busy. She goes on a picnic with her husband, Joseph where they discuss how Minnie's father does not approve of Joseph. Joseph refuses to take anything from him wanting to prove he can do it all on his own. Minnie persuades him to talk to her father about going into business with him.

Trivia

• Her actor, Natasha Burnett, is the only on screen mother to be unrelated to her family who are a family in real life.