The Amazing Race Canada: Season 4: Times they are a-changing.
This season of the Canadian version didn't shake up the formula too much and this was in a lot of ways a good thing. It was filmed from late April to late May 2016.
The Cast
Joel and Ashley: Former Miss Universe and her Stepfather. Not only are they the first stepfather/stepdaughter combo on the show, they are also the first Indigenous peoples to appear on any North American version of the show as far as I know (They're both Plains Cree).
Frankie and Amy: Mother and daughter. Frankie had Amy when she was in her teens so they are a lot more like friends than most parent/child teams that have appeared on the show.
Kelly and Kate: Best Friends. They were fun to have around.
Steph and Kristen: Dating. They were a strong physical and mental team.
Jillian and Emmett: Exes. They first meet in the Big Brother Canada house and, while they still work well together, have since split up.
Julie and Lowell: Married. Lowell is the first legally blind person to appear on any version of the show, so far as I am aware. I believe at the time this was recorded his vision was limited to the size of a dime, more or less.
Rita and Yvette: Twins. These two, while fun, could get irritated with each other.
Anthony and Brandon: Best Friends. They are the Alpha males of the season.
Anne and Tanya: Best Friends/Moms. Apparently, these two had the worst sense of direction in the history of the show.
Stéphane and Antoine: Father and son. Good guys all around.
The Race
Leg #1: "Who's ready to let it all hang out?"
Original Air Date: June 28, 2016.
Starting in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, teams run from Frame Lake to the Ceremonial Circle at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre nearby. Then they head to the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly where they have to find a phrase in a local Indigenous dialect called Weledah in the woods and run back to the building to give the phrase in English to a local elder. If right, she will give them their Credit Card with $300 on it and their next clue.
Teams then fly to Edmonton and take a bus to Jasper. At the Jasper Skytram, teams get the Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one team member would be equipped with a bungee cord and ride in the Jasper Skytram with their partner, which would stop in midair halfway up the mountain. At this point, the participating team member would have to climb out of the tram and cross monkey bars underneath to reach their clue on the other side. Only 3 teams were permitted in the Skytram at a time. If they fell, they would have to wait in line for the next crossing (about one hour). Teams then paddle a raft down the Athabasca River where they find another Roadblock on the shore. In this Roadblock, teams had to drive themselves to Two Valley Creek Canyon. Here, the team member who did not perform the first Roadblock had to rappel down into the canyon, then search the river valley on foot for a Parks Canada representative who would give them an avalanche beacon, with which to locate one of three caches containing their next clue. Teams then go to the Pit Stop: Pyramid Island in Pyramid Lake.
1. Steph and Kristen 10:21 A.M. Won a trip for two to London, England.
2. Stéphane and Antoine 10:34 A.M.
3. Jillian and Emmett 10:35 A.M.
4. Joel and Ashley 11:00 A.M.
5. Frankie and Amy 11:22 A.M.
6. Kelly and Kate 12:02 P.M.
7. Anthony and Brandon 12:03 P.M.
8. Rita and Yvette 12:40 P.M.
9. Julie and Lowell 1:01 P.M.
10. Anne and Tanya 2:59 P.M. ELIMINATED.
Leg #2: "It's a deal."
Original Air Date: July 5, 2016.
Getting $390, teams take one of three buses to Calgary, Alberta. Once there they go to Calgary City Hall and get their clue from Mayor of Calgary, Naheed Nenshi, which is a photo of the Wonderland sculptor outside the Calgary Tower. There teams get the Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one team member has to rappel from the top of the Calgary Tower to the bottom, then loot for Seefar the Calgary Tower mascot. Teams can then go to Canada Boy Vinyl and search through and sort 13 boxes of records for the Express Passes, which Steph and Kristen do, before trying to track down the Beatnik Bus, a mobile record store at either: the McDougall Centre, the Harley Hotchkiss Gardens or the Century Gardens for the Detour: Swim or Sim.
In Swim, teams have to go to the Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery and corral and transfer some troutlings. In Sim, teams travelled to the Mayland Heights campus of the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, where they had to use a training simulator to guide a crane's payload through a course on a simulated construction site without hitting any obstacles. If both team members successfully completed the course in a combined time of under 6 minutes, they received their next clue. Teams then go to the Pit Stop: Studio Bell at the National Music Centre.
1. Joel and Ashley 12:13 P.M. Won a trip for two to Paris, France.
2. Jillian and Emmet 12:31 P.M.
3. Stéphane and Antoine 1:03 P.M.
4. Kelly and Kate 1:42 P.M.
5. Steph and Kristen 2:10 P.M.
6. Frankie and Amy 2:22 P.M.
7. Julie and Lowell 2:23 P.M.
8. Rita and Yvette 3:09 P.M.
9. Anthony and Brandon 3:13 P.M. NOT ELIMINATED/SPEEDBUMPED.
Leg #3: "Toads-warts and all."
Original Air Date: July 12, 2016.
Getting $500, teams fly to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Once there they have to spend the night at the Cái Bè Tourist Dock. The next morning, teams go to the Cái Bè Floating Market, pick four items from a list written entirely in Vietnamese and deliver them to a man near the dock on Tân Phong Island. Teams then take a ferry back to Cai Be, then go to Bến Phà Cái Bè Qua Tân Phong where they run into the Roadblock. In this Roadblock, in a shout out to Season 15 of the American version, one team member has to heard ducks from one pen to another. Then each team member has to carry two ducks to the Cái Bè Land Market where Anthony and Brandon run into their Speedbump.
In this Speedbump, Anthony and Brandon have to carry 20 toads, by hand, from one side of the market to the other. Then they can join the other teams at the Detour: Hydrate or Vibrate. In Hydrate, teams had to load a sampan with 60 coconuts and row down a canal to a marked dock, where they had to unload and carry them to a nearby coconut water hut. Once all of the coconuts were delivered, they received their next clue. In Vibrate, teams travelled to Phuoc An Temple, where they had to learn and correctly perform a traditional Vietnamese drum dance to receive their next clue. Teams then go by water taxi to the Pit Stop: Mekong Lodge.
1. Kelly and Kate 12:03 P.M. Won a trip for two to Tokyo, Japan.
2. Joel and Ashley 12:13 P.M.
3. Jillian and Emmett 12:54 P.M.
4. Steph and Kristen 1:02 P.M.
5. Frankie and Amy 1:34 P.M.
6. Anthony and Brandon 1:36 P.M.
7. Julie and Lowell 2:10 P.M.
8. Rita and Yvette 2:46 P.M.
9. Stéphane and Antoine 3:14 P.M. ELIMINATED/PENALIZED four hours for not completing the Roadblock.
Leg #4: "Shine Your Light."
Original Air Date: July 19, 2016.
Receiving $450, teams take a water taxi and a bus to Ho Chi Minh City. Once there, they go to Bà Thiên Hậu Temple, where the pick up two bird cages and release the birds in them. Then teams go to a local mechanical shop where the Roadblock is. In this Roadblock, one team member has to repair a scooter using only a manual written entirely in Vietnamese and a sample scooter as reference. Teams then go to Quán Ốc A Sòi where teams were given a dish of fried crickets, centipedes, worms, and a bat. Teams will have to consume the entire meal, then receive a box containing two live red palm weevil larvae (known locally as "coconut worms"). Each team member must consume one coconut worm to receive their next clue, which causes some problems for Amy as she doesn't eat meat.
Teams then get the Detour: V-Pop or Flip-Flop. In V-Pop, teams travelled to Kingdom Karaoke, and correctly memorized at least one verse per team member of the V-pop song
Shine Your Light, then performed karaoke in front of an audience. If the song was performed correctly, a fan girl would give teams their next clue. In Flip-Flop, teams travelled to Glow Skybar where they would watch a demonstration of a flair bartending routine and the mixing of the bar's signature cocktail, the "Hello Vietnam". Teams will then have to recreate the routine and the cocktail exactly to receive their next clue. Teams then go to the Pit Stop: Ho Chi Minh City Hall.
1. Kelly and Kate 10:14 A.M. Won a trip for two to Los Angeles, California.
2. Joel and Ashley 10:30 A.M.
3. Rita and Yvette 10:40 A.M.
4. Steph and Kristen 11:11 A.M.
5. Julie and Lowell 11:47 A.M.
6. Rita and Yvette 12:07 P.M.
7. Jillian and Emmett 12:22 P.M.
8. Brandon and Anthony 1:15 P.M. ELIMINATED.
Leg #5: "What am I blind?"
Original Air Date: July 26, 2016.
Getting $360, teams fly to Sandspit, Haida Gwaii, British Colombia. On arrival, teams pick up a car and take a ferry to Skidegate on Graham Island and find the Haida Heritage Centre where the Roadblock is. In this Roadblock, one team member had to listen to six Haida storytellers, who would each tell the story depicted on one of the totem poles outside of the Haida Heritage Centre, as well as the name of its carver: Ron Wilson, Tim Boyko, Jim Hart, Guujaaw, Garner Moody, and Norman Price. They then had to correctly identify all six totem poles by carver to a judge on the nearby beach to receive their next clue. Teams then drive to the Spirit Lake Trail and put together two puzzles based on contemporary Haida art.
Teams then go to Queen Charlotte City and take a seaplane to Prince Rupert. Once there, they have to go to City Hall and find the statue of the city's founder, Charles Melville Hays, for the second Roadblock. In this Roadblock, teams travelled to Cow Bay Marina and took a water taxi, one departing every 20 minutes, to a log boom floating in the middle of the bay. Here, the team member who did not perform the first Roadblock had to choose a lane and pilot a small tugboat equipped with a dozer blade to find three small timber rafts marked with red flags and push them to a dispatcher at the other end of the lane. Once all three were delivered, they received their next clue. Teams then go to the Pit Stop: North Pacific Cannery Historic Site.
1. Frankie and Amy 2:12 P.M. Won a trip for two to New York, New York
2. Steph and Kristen 2:15 P.M.
3. Joel and Ashley 3:01 P.M.
4. Rita and Yvette 3:42 P.M.
5. Kate and Kelly 4:02 P.M.
6. Julie and Lowell 4:15 P.M.
7. Jillian and Emmett 4:45 P.M. ELIMINATED.
Leg #6: "I'm going to be flying it?"
Original Air Date: August 2, 2016.
Receiving $300, teams fly to Toronto, Ontario. Then they drive to Hamilton and visit the main Bank of Montreal branch, where they get a message from loved ones. Then the go to the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum where they find the Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one team member would be flown with an instructor in one of three vintage de Havilland Chipmunks to an altitude of over 2,000 feet (610 m), at which point they would be given control of the airplane to correctly perform a 360-degree banked turn while maintaining a constant speed and altitude between 1800 and 2200 feet. If successful, they received their next clue upon landing.
After that, teams head to Bayfront Park, where they ride a bike to a marked boat launch, then they kayak across Hamilton Harbor, then they climb an outdoor rock climb. Then teams get the Detour: Art Rock or Dry Dock. In Art Rock, teams travelled to Collective Arts Brewing, where they had to recreate a work of spray paint art using stencils to apply coloured layers in a specific order. If their work matched a given example, they could then take it to a stage inside the brewery to receive their next clue from the band Elliott BROOD. In Dry Dock, teams travelled to Heddle Marine Service and entered the dry dock, where they suited up in protective gear and each had to properly weld an 8 inches (20 cm) section of structural steel, after which their work would be inspected for air leaks. Once both of their sections passed inspection, they received their next clue. Teams then go to the Pit Stop: Dundurn Castle, where they are told to keep racing.
1. Julie and Lowell 3:12 P.M. Won a trip for two to Delhi, India.
2. Steph and Kristen 3:15 P.M.
3. Joel and Ashley 4:19 P.M.
4. Frankie and Amy 4:33 P.M.
5. Rita and Yvette 5:01 P.M.
6. Kelly and Kate 5:31 P.M.
Leg #7: "I'll be Prime Minister!"
Original Air Date: August 9, 2016.
Continuing on from the last leg, teams get $340 and instructions to take a train to Kingston, Ontario. Once there, teams go to Springer Market Square, where they'll pick up their clue the next morning at 9:30 at Vader's Maple Syrup stand (come to the dark side of sweetness! Not really their slogan but still). Teams then make their way to Clarence Street where they found six Chevrolet Cruzes, each with a 4-digit combination on the license plate corresponding to a locked case with a tablet computer inside. Once teams found the matching combination to open the case, they could use the myChevrolet app on the tablet to unlock the vehicle, which would serve as their transportation for the rest of the leg. This is where they get the Detour: On the Field or Offshore.
In On the Field, teams travelled to Nixon Field at Queen's University where they had to wear Bumperz and complete a series of bubble soccer drills against Queen's University women's soccer players. They had to perform a somersault, pass a soccer ball back and forth between each other, and finally score a goal while the goalie attempted to ram the scoring team member. If they completed all of these drills in under 25 seconds, the university's mascot Boo Hoo the Bear would give them their next clue. In Offshore, teams travelled to the Kingston Yacht Club, where they had to properly rig a sailboat, following a completed example. Once it was approved, they had to sail it out to a buoy to retrieve their clue and return to the dock. Teams then go to the Kingston Penitentiary where the Double U-Turn is (Steph and Kristen use it on Joel and Ashley who use it on Frankie and Amy). Teams then search the 400 cells for the clue. Teams then go to Bellevue House where they find the Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one team member had to dress as Canada's first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, then memorize and correctly recite one of Macdonald's political speeches, which included prompts to ring a bell, to an audience of historical players to receive their next clue. Teams then go to the Pit Stop: Kingston Mills Lock Station on the Rideau Canal.
1. Steph and Kristen 11:50 A.M. Won a trip for two to Rome, Italy.
2. Rita and Yvette 12:15 P.M.
3. Joel and Ashley 12:46 P.M.
4. Julie and Lowell 1:19 P.M.
5. Kelly and Kate 1:34 P.M.
6. Frankie and Amy 2:13 P.M. ELIMINATED.
Leg #8: "Let's dance!"
Original Air Date: August 23, 2016.
Getting $450, teams head to Havana, Cuba. Once there, teams have to go to Castillo de la Real Fuerza and search the grounds for a scale replica of the schooner Bluenose. There they get the Detour: Sugar or Shake. In Sugar, teams made their way to the Havana Club Rum Museum and, using a manual grinder, had to extract 15 liters (33 imp gal; 4.0 US gal) of sugar juice from sugar cane. Then, they must take two trays of drinks each on foot to Park Humboldt, deliver them and then make their way back to the club to get their next clue. In Shake, teams went directly to Park Humboldt and learnt a Casino Salsa routine. Once they correctly performed it, they received their next clue.
Teams then go to the Cámara Oscura where they get a tour. During the tour, they have to spot a Race flag at the Hotel Ambos Mundos where the Ernest Hemingway Museum is located in Room 511. The clue there sends teams to Playa del Este, where they find a Face-off. In this Face-off, teams play beach volleyball against each other, with the first team to 15 points winning. Teams then go to Perdito's Max Brakes where the Roadblock is. In this Roadblock, one team member had to watch a demonstration and then correctly make three engine gaskets from old tire rubber to receive their next clue. Teams then go to the Pit Stop: Restaurante La Divina Pastora.
1. Kelly and Kate 2:11 P.M. Won a trip for two to Cancun, Mexico.
2. Joel and Ashley 3:00 P.M.
3. Steph and Kristen 3:15 P.M.
4. Rita and Yvette 4:10 P.M.
5. Julie and Lowell 5:00 P.M. NOT ELIMINATED/SPEEDBUMPED.
Leg #9: "For those about to rock."
Original Air Date: August 30, 2016.
Getting $350, teams fly to Sydney, Nova Scotia. On arrival, teams pick up their cars, which will measure their total distance. Whichever team drives the least distance will win $5,000. Anyways, teams go to the Canadian Coast Guard College where Julie and Lowell get their Speedbump: delivering two sacks of letters from the cadets to the Christmas Island Post Office nearby, stamping each of the letters once they get there. Then they rejoin the other teams at the college to take part in a Coast Guard training exercise: They had to direct their driver to one of two marked locations using only nautical terminology. There, one team member then had to swim out to retrieve a dummy representing a victim. After returning to shore, they then had to bring the dummy to a waiting ambulance. If it was one from the correct location, they received the clue for the Detour: Feel the Rhythm and or Feel the Burn.
For both Detours, teams travel to the Highland Village Museum and put on traditional attire. In Feel the Rhythm, teams had to learn and correctly perform a traditional Scottish highland dance routine with a troupe to receive their next clue. In Feel the Burn, teams completed a series of three Highland Games events. First, each team member had to toss a caber so it lands end-over-end within designated lines. Then, they each had to carry or move either two heavy logs (larger logs for men) for 2 laps around a marked course, or one for 4 laps if they choose, in the "Farmer's Walk". Finally, each team member had to throw a stone so it lands on one of two targets. Upon completing all of these events, they received their next clue. After either Detour, teams travelled on foot to the blackhouse on the grounds of the Museum, where they encountered the Double U-Turn, which no one uses. Teams then go to the Fortress of Louisbourg. Here they dress in period French military uniforms, roll six barrels of simulated gunpowder up the hill and then fire a cannon. Teams then go to the Pit Stop: Louisbourg Lighthouse.
1. Steph and Kristen 11:22 A.M. Won a trip for two to Mexico City, Mexico.
2. Joel and Ashley 11:45 A.M.
3. Kelly and Kate 12:34 P.M. Won $5,000.
4. Rita and Yvette 1:10 P.M.
5. Julie and Lowell 1:39 P.M. ELIMINATED.
Leg #10: "Just our luck."
Original Air Date: September 6, 2016.
Receiving $300, teams travel by bus to Saint John, New Brunswick. On arrival, teams go to the Saint John City Market, where they go to a Hotels.com kiosk and, using the Hotels.com app, deliver five gift baskets to various nearby hotels. Returning to the kiosk, teams get the Detour: 1867 or 1879. In 1867, teams travelled to Moosehead Breweries where they had to choose one of five uniquely labeled beer bottles and pull enough matching bottles from a fast-moving production line to fill five 24-beer cases. They then had to stack a full pallet of cases to receive their next clue. In 1879, teams travelled to Crosby's Molasses, where they had to follow a recipe to prepare a mixture including the company's signature molasses. If it is the correct consistency, then had to pull the mixture to create at least 650 grams (23 oz) of taffy candy to receive their next clue.
Teams then have to go to the 12th hole of the Algonquin Resort Golf Club in St. Andrews where they perform the Face-off. In this Face-off, teams competed in rounds of golf. One team would take alternating strokes to sink their ball in the hole, then wait for their opponent to do the same. If a team lost their ball, there would be a one-stroke penalty. At the end of each game, the team who took fewer strokes received their next clue. Teams then go to the Scents and Sensitivity Garden in the Kingsbrae Horticultural Garden for the Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one team member is blindfolded and would first be led to one side of the garden by their partner, who would read them the English names of 15 plants they had to memorize, each distinguishable by a unique scent or texture. They then had to follow a guide rope on their own to the other side of the garden and correctly identify all 15 plants by touch and smell to receive their next clue. If any were incorrect, they were led back to their partner to try again. After this they use their car's hands free phone to call Jon who will meet them at the Pit Stop: Passamaquoddy Bay, Indian Point.
1. Kelly and Kate 2:13 P.M. Won a trip for two to Sydney, Australia.
2. Joel and Ashley 2:44 P.M.
3. Rita and Yvette 3:33 P.M.
4. Steph and Kristen 4:19 P.M. ELIMINATED.
Leg #11: "Second place is not enough!"
Original Air Date: September 13, 2016.
Getting $350, teams go to the final destination city: Montreal, Quebec. On arrival, teams go to the headquarters of Cirque de Soleil. Here they have to perform three tricks, with each team member doing at least one: First, one team member was harnessed with bungee cords and had to bounce to gain enough momentum to reach a trapeze. Next, one team member had to roll a large ball entirely across the room while standing on it. Finally, one team member had to scale a Chinese pole. Teams then go to the Bank of Montreal's original head office and decode a message using a codebook. If correct a bank teller will give them a key to a safe deposit box with their next clue in it.
Teams then head to the Montreal Biosphere for the Roadblock. In this Roadblock, the participating team member had to use a mechanical ascender to climb 150 feet (46 m) to the observation deck of the museum, pull themselves horizontally across a suspended line to a platform on the outer structure, and finally, rappel down to retrieve their next clue on the exterior of the sphere. After this, teams head to St-Viateur Bakery, where another Roadblock is. In this Roadblock, the team member who did not perform the first Roadblock had to stack three orders of Montreal-style bagels on holder sticks in a specific top-to-bottom sequence by variety, three sticks per order. They then had to deliver them on foot, carrying a complete order each time, to three locations in the surrounding neighborhood of Mile End. If the bagels were not arranged correctly, it would not be accepted. Once all deliveries were completed successfully, they returned to St-Viateur to receive their next clue. Teams then head to the Moment Factory and complete the final challenge: At the control panel of a computer displaying a map of Canada, Vietnam and Cuba with the visited cities highlighted, teams had to place plaques each containing a phrase heard or read from various sources throughout the race, 1 per leg, in the corresponding space on the interactive surface. Many misleading phrases were included. Teams then head to the finish line: Kondiaronk Belvedere on Mont Royal.
1. Joel and Ashley WIN
2. Rita and Yvette PLACE
3. Kelly and Kate SHOW
The Review
This is my number one season of the Canadian version of the show. The contestants were great, the locations were amazing, the tasks were good. This season marks not only the first time that a team of Indigenous People participate, but they won as well. Still, the show isn't over yet. I'll see you at the end of Season 29 for a collision course of sorts.
-Globetrotting: An Amazing Race Blog by R.C. Anderson for the website Reality Rewind, April 10, 2017.
OOC: Just so you know Ashley is the same Ashley who has appeared in my Crime Stories updates.