Yesterday I spent Father's Day with my 100 year old Great Grandfather who's dying of cancer and fighting ferociously for every breath.
I wanted to wish every strong father out there a happy Father's Day. I'd especially like to wish Mike a happy Father's Day.
Mike reminds me a lot of this old farmer who sits in front of me in the hospital as I write...Tough as nails, strong as an ox, and a heart as pure as gold. He wasn't very educated, but he was smart and sharp as a tack. His work ethic knew no bounds, driving him to work out in the fields until he was 90 years old. He rarely took a vacation, but when he did, he often cut it short to get back to work. He didn't have to work, but he wanted to because he loved what he did. He loved being a farmer, and he was proud of what he did. He was rough around the edges, but he was also very gentle and kind to everyone who knew him. He's the strongest person I've ever known and probably will ever know.
I got a call from my Grandmother this morning, asking if I could accompany her the 1100 mile drive to be with her father, my Great Grandfather, as he leaves this world. He turned 100 years old this year and is dying of cancer. I don't know how long I'm going to be gone... anywhere from a few days to a week. I don't know if I'll have access to a computer or to wifi, and if I do, blogging from my iPhone is always a challenge.
So as for now, the Holmes Spot blog is on bereavement leave. I'm sure the most amazing things will happen while I'm gone (they always do!). I'll see you all when I get back, and please keep me and my grandmother in your prayers as we travel up and back!
I have been waiting for this ever since I heard he appeared on the show a week ago during Mike and MJ's stint in Vancouver, BC for Skills Canada. On June 5 of this year, Mike Holmes appeared on the Fanny Kiefer show for an intimate sit-down. I'm still watching it. Afterwards, I'll comment on it... so far, one of the best and most intimate interviews I've seen! Definitely worth watching!
PART I
PART II
This is probably my favorite Mike Holmes interview by far! In part one, we learn that Mike Holmes is the straightest guy in the world and doesn't even look at the other window sill! (LOL!) During the course of the interview, Mike Holmes talked about his background, his kids, and the story behind his earrings. He also discusses his future plans to create a green community, and a little bit about his parents. I was surprised to learn just how simple Mike Holmes lives, and how much he loves Crown!
Mike Holmes is a Skills Canada fanatic! He believes the future of his country depends on organizations such as Skills Canada, which are inspiring "busloads" of young people to become tradesmen and tradeswomen. With next year being the 20th anniversary of Skills Canada, Mike Holmes has his mind set on increasing people's awareness of it, and making it as big as the Olympics. "I want Skills Canada and World Skills to be recognized like the Olympics. They’re that big," he states, referring to the magnitude of the competition. In this article, Mike shares his love for Skills Canada, and his desire for it to be televised for others to see it and be inspired by it.
Competitions like Skills Canada help promote careers in skilled trades.
I just got back from Skills/Competences Canada in Vancouver, our country’s nationals when it comes to skilled trades. Imagine: 44 trades, 10 provinces, three territories and hundreds of young competitors from across the country giving everything they’ve got to be the best at what they do.
And I’m not just talking construction. Skills Canada includes everything from baking, restaurant service and fashion technology to CNC machining, robotics, website development, aircraft maintenance and TV and video production.
Winners from Skills Canada go on to compete in WorldSkills, which is like the Olympics for trades. It includes more than 60 countries and more than 1,000 competitors. It’s not just about winning the gold; it’s about being part of the event.
I’ve been working with Skills Canada for eight years and with WorldSkills for six years. This year I brought my son, Mike Jr., with me to see it. I’m also taking him to WorldSkills 2013 in Leipzig, Germany, in July. Why? Because you have to see it to believe it — the passion in these young kids’ eyes, their commitment and integrity. Everybody should be watching. Unfortunately, it’s not televised.
Every time I talk about Skills Canada or WorldSkills, I always hear the same thing: How come it’s not televised? Why don’t more people know about it? The truth is I’m asking the same questions. But that’s changing. And I’m telling you, it has to.
Skills Canada is about building and supporting tomorrow’s trades professionals — and from what I saw last week, Canada’s in good hands. The problem is that there aren’t enough of these pros.
It’s estimated that by 2016 there will be 1.5 million skilled job vacancies, and 2.6 million by 2021. Not to mention, Canada will be short at least one million tradespeople by 2020.
This competition doesn’t just inspire the right people to get into the right trades; it inspires everybody who watches them. Every year, I’m inspired by the non-stop push and determination of these competitors. They leave everything on the competition floor. And they love it.
For me it’s really important we have competitions like Skills Canada that entice busloads of kids. They’re realizing it’s cool to be in the trades. You walk around the competition and it’s not about, “I don’t want to be here.” It’s all about, “I love being here.”
Now more than ever Canada needs the right people to join the trades. If we want to compete as a country in the global economy we need to move fast and push hard — and we need to do it now. What we do today will have a direct impact on tomorrow’s economy.
Skills Canada is being recognized more and more every year. This year was the biggest yet, but we need to do better. And we all need to get behind this competition and support our trades. We’ve built so much crap in the last 30 years that we need to fix, so we’ll need to have the right people doing the right jobs.
There’s a female welder that just recently kicked everyone’s butt at Skills Canada. And she’s got her eyes set on WorldSkills 2015 in Brazil. I love that determination. That’s the kind of people we need in the trades.
Next year Skills Canada will be celebrating it’s 20th anniversary. I want to see it televised. I want to see organizations and governments show their support and make it the biggest Skills Canada competition in history. I want to see top Canadian talent get involved, starting with the competitors themselves.
I want Skills Canada and WorldSkills to be recognized like the Olympics. They’re that big.
Catch Mike Holmes in Holmes Makes It Right, Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on HGTV. For more information, visit hgtv.ca. For more information on home renovations, visit makeitright.ca.
Mike Holmes is a very handsome man, but he's no supermodel... or is he? While taking a small detour from the Skills Canada festivities, Mike Holmes made an appearance at the Effect Home Builders Green Net Zero Energy Home in Edmonton on June7. During the opening, he ran into Alexandria, the reigning Perfect Supermodel North America 2013, and former Perfect Supermodel Canada 2012. All I have to say is, it's a good thing she didn't wear her tiara!
Today our gorgeous Canada’s Perfect Supermodel 2012 Alexandria (reigning North America’s Perfect Supermodel 2013) was at the Effect Home Builders Green Net Zero Energy Home where she met television celebrity and contractor Mike Holmes.
Mike Holmes is flexing his muscles in Edmonton with a new minimum code for home building that he says will set a higher standard for the housing industry. In partnership with Effect Home Builders, Mike is set to launch the Holmes Approved Homes program in Edmonton. For more details, check out the article here: http://www.effecthomes.ca/?section_name=news&news_id=11
Mike Holmes graciously posed for photos with Alexandria… Notice the sash? I guess this means he is our new Canada’s Perfect Supermodel?? We like that!!
Alexandria and Mike Holmes…
Our newest addition to the Canada’s Perfect Pageant Family?!
A couple weeks ago, the Holmes Spot reported that Mike Holmes was working with Meaford based builders Third Line Homes to build Holmes Approved Homes in Ontario, Canada. Last month, Third Line Homes released this video detailing the partnership, and detailing the stringent standards that Mike Holmes Approved Homes must meet:
Pictures:
The video, which was pointed out to me my a Holmes Spot reader, is very similar to the Effect Homes video which was released by Effect Home Builders earlier this month.
It's always interesting to see people do parodies of Mike's shows. Parodies aren't always totally accurate, but they're a good mirror into how people actually perceive things! In this parody of Holmes Inspection entitled "Holmes Destruction," the Mike character prescribes a whole lot of work for a tiny little problem. I mean, that's what Mike does in real life, right?
As glorious as the last couple of days have been with Skills Canada, I thought we'd take a little break and enjoy something different. Happy Monday!
I'm sitting in front of my computer getting ready to watch the Skills Canada Closing Ceremony live online. Mike Holmes will be part of the ceremony, and will be putting the medals around each competitor's neck. I'll be blogging my comments as I watch. You can watch the webcast here.
1:03PM The live stream just started!
1:05PM Mike is obviously very excited about Skills Canada and promoting the trades! He's such a great spokesman for competition!
1:08PM What a bunch of talented people! Mike makes a great "cheerleader!" He's responsible for a lot of people wanting to get involved with the skilled trades.
From Mike's Facebook:
The energy here is unbelievable!!! These are tomorrow's pros. You're in good hands, Canada. @Skills_Canada
1:32PM Nunavut just won the Spirit Award! Mike posted their spirit video on his Facebook:
1:41PM I see Mike Holmes sitting in the front row in the isle. He's impossible to miss!
1:42PM Wow, I didn't know that photography was considered a "trade!" Awesome, I love it!
1:44PM Medal presentations are about to begin. Mike Holmes will be presenting some of the medals!
2:15PM Wow, what a great ceremony so far! I've been really enjoying it!
2:21PM Ontario just took the gold in welding. I bet Mike is excited!
2:23PM Ontario just took gold in sheet metal work! Again, I bet Mike is excited!
2:26PM Wow, Ontario is laying waste to this portion of the award ceremony! Good for them!
2:32PM Mike's turn to present the medals!!!
2:35PM Mike looks so proud to be presenting the medals to all those hardworking people!
2:36PM Carpentry... this is Mike's field! Ontario takes the silver!
2:43PM Perhaps I wasn't paying attention, but I think we have our first female gold winner in the trades!!! Awesome Becky! I'm sure Mike is very proud!
3:00PM The awards for cooking got me hungry for a snack!
3:15PM
I love my job @Skills_Canada
3:30PM Closing ceremony is coming to a close. What a fantastic energy filled event! Congrats to the winners! Very inspiring! I can see why Mike likes it so much!
3:36PM Ladies and gentlemen... MIKE HOLMES! Go Mike, you wave that flag!
3:37PM Short but sweet speech. Mike just passed the flag proudly!
3:40PM It was just announced that Toronto, Ontario will host next year's Skills Canada. Bet Mike is happy! He won't have to travel far! June 4-7 2014! Looking forward to it!
In the last couple of days, Mike and MJ have been traveling around Vancouver, doing interviews and appearances promoting Skills Canada. Slowly, the videos have been trickling in, and all of them have been very entertaining. Some have been far more entertaining than others, such as this news clip in which the morning crew from CTV BC sat down for a chat with Mike and MJ.
In this June 6 clip, Mike discusses a possible career as an...actor? He recently did some commercials for Allstate Insurance where he played "Ike" the handy husband. Oh boy, I can't wait to see those wind up on YouTube! (I did some Googling and found this related news release about Mike and the Allstate ad campaign.) He also discusses his fear of tarantulas crawling on his face.
Later that hour, Mike and MJ made another appearance on the CTV Morning Show. This time, it was a more formal sit down where they discussed the trades, Skills Canada, and striking a balance between TV and life. It was a little calmer than their previous interview, but still very entertaining and interesting.
Yesterday, Mike and MJ had a busy, busy, busy day in Vancouver, BC promoting Skills Canada. When the Holmes Spot left off yesterday, Mike was getting ready to attend a book signing, where a sea of humanity waited anxiously to meet Canada's most handsome trusted contractor!
Somebody better call Air Canada. I might miss my flight. Boatloads of ppl at the book signing @Skills_Canada
The flight that Mike made reference to was of course the flight he later took to Edmonton, Alberta to appear today at the Belgravia Green Net Zero Energy Home. (See Mike Holmes Partners With Effect Home Builders for more information.) Mike posted this picture and humorous caption:
Off to Edmonton. Man, I'm up and down like a toilet seat.
As Mike headed off alone to Edmonton, one can only speculate what Mike Jr. did all by himself back in Vancouver. I'm thinking he took a looooong nap! Later that night, Mike took the time to post one more update, recapping us all on his day. Posted around 10:30PM PST last night:
MJ's holding down the fort @Skills_Canada. I'm here in Edmonton. Looking back at some pics from Opening Ceremony. Check out this pimped out ride.
Loving Mike's choice of words there! Especially in reference to a pink car. LOL. Loving the updates too! Keep 'em coming, we fans never grow tired of reading about your day!
