In the video, he gives his father credit for why he does what he does, calling his father "a man of strength and love." Addressing the group of professors and students, he couldn't help but do the very thing he'd been awarded a doctorate for. Not holding anything back, he instructed the crowd with his words of hard-earned wisdom, "If you're going to do something, you'd better love it. Because if you don't love it, you're going to waste your time and you're going to make an awful lot of mistakes. If you love what you do, that's the passion in itself." He also stated in regards to being passionate about his line of work, "I love my job, I love what I do, and I'm never going to stop. I will change the industry."
You can read the prologue to Mike Holmes receiving his honorary doctorate, as read by Joseph L. Levesque, C.M., President of Niagara University, here (or just scroll down the page):
MIKE HOLMES
Doctor of Pedagogy
For people intent on fixing up their homes, Mike Holmes is a household name. As the host of HGTV’s Holmes Inspection and Holmes on Homes, Mike advises homeowners around the world on how to manage renovations, repairs and maintenance. He is also a judge on HGTV's Handyman Superstar Challenge and its American counterpart, All American Handyman.
Mike learned his craft from his father, who started teaching him construction work when he was 6 years old. By the time he was 19, Mike had started his first contracting company and, at 21, founded his own renovation business.
Mike is a contractor who knows the importance of resourcefulness and craftsmanship. His experience in new home construction and sustainable building has garnered him a growing number of fans and awards. In 2006, Mike was recognized in Canada’s House of Commons for his support in improving building standards and skilled trades. The House of Commons called him an "extraordinary craftsperson" and "an accomplished master builder with a social conscience."
True to form, Mike launched a charitable foundation in Canada to support youth training in the skilled trades through apprenticeships and scholarships. The purpose of The Holmes Foundation is to encourage young people to enter the building trades and to assist those who have been impoverished by poorly-constructed renovations.
As the national spokesperson for Skills Canada and for World Skills 2009, Mike is often invited to speak in front of a variety professional organizations, including the Ontario Building Inspectors Association and the Canadian Association of Home Inspectors. His C.V. lists more than 75 such high-profile speaking engagements. Mike is also the author of two best-selling books and a weekly newspaper column.
Mike recently partnered with several home builders across Canada to develop the Holmes Approved Homes program. The goal of the program is to raise the bar for home building standards by granting Mike’s inspection teams’ access to a residence several times during the building process.
Mike’s charitable work has even crossed international boundaries, such as when he and his crew built a sustainable and hurricane-resistant house in New Orleans as part of Brad Pitt's "Make It Right NOLA" project in 2008.
But it was our neighbors to the north who showed Mike their appreciation by voting him as Canada’s second most trusted person in a 2010 Reader’s Digest survey. Today, it is our turn to recognize a man steadfastly determined to improve the lives of those around him. Niagara University is pleased to confer,
honoris causa, the degree of Doctor of Pedagogy on Mike Holmes.
Joseph L. Levesque, C.M.
President
May 13, 2012
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6/11/12 UPDATE - Full video and critique
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