2012 Holmes Foundation ATV Ride Report and Video

It's been a little while since the Sixth Annual ATV Ride in Support of the Holmes Foundation, but I found this recent article/blog post on ATV.com. The ride took place on June 2, 2012 in the Township of Springwater, just north of Toronto. Love the video they posted as well. Glad the ride was such a success and that they raised a lot of money... and we're all glad that Mike FINALLY got stuck! Ha!

 

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2012 Holmes Foundation ATV Ride Report - Video

Raising money while riding ATVs…what could be better?

Story by Lucas Cooney, Photography by Chris Blanchette, Video by Chris Blanchette, Jun. 20, 2012

“I haven’t been stuck yet and so far there’s a lot of bets that I’m going to get stuck today.”

That’s what a confident and excited Mike Holmes said to us shortly before he and about 150 other ATV and UTV enthusiasts hit the trails for some fun at the Sixth Annual ATV Ride in Support of the Holmes Foundation. We don’t think he’ll be quite so confident at next year’s ATV ride, but we’ll get to that in a little while.

It’s not every day that we get to gear up and hit the trails with a genuine celebrity, so when the Ontario Federation of All Terrain Vehicle Clubs (OFATV) invited us to ride with Mike Holmes and his crew in the Township of Springwater we were all in. Located just an hour’s drive north of Toronto, Ontario, the Township of Springwater is just minutes away from the city of Barrie and all the amenities you could hope to find.

Mike Holmes and his crew pose for photos before having some fun.

Mike Holmes, for those who don’t know, has starred in a number of shows in Canada and the United States that focus on fixing bad renovation jobs and dealing with poorly done home inspections and shady contractors. He even had a show called Holmes in New Orleans that followed along as he built a new home in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans to replace one destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Brad Pitt appeared in an episode as two worked in partnership on this and two other projects.

Holmes is an avid powersports enthusiast, so joining forces with BRP and the OFATV for a charity ride was a natural fit.

Holmes’ television career has been devoted to helping people by giving them a better place to live. He created the Holmes Foundation to continue that trend by helping bring more skilled people into the trades with scholarships and bursaries. More skilled trades’ workers should hopefully mean things get built properly the first time, which might actually put Holmes out of a job. The annual ATV Ride is one of the ways money is raised for the Holmes Foundation.

“It’s all about the next generation of skilled trades. It’s no longer about me. We need to get more into the trades. We need to make it easier to get into the trades,” says Holmes. “I talked to the Prime Minister and I said ‘We’re all thinking green, we’re all talking green, but who’s going to build it?’ We need to train. We need to teach the new technology.”

Don't be fooled by this bright yellow Can-Am Commander. This was the last time we'd see a clean one all day!

Before everybody took off for the trails, the mayor of the Township of Springwater presented some awards and gave us all the green light to have a blast. It seemed like everybody took her up on her offer. The folks at BRP were kind enough to hook us up with a Can-Am Commander for the day, which we used to try and keep up with Holmes and his crew. BRP has been a major part of the Holmes Foundation ATV ride since its inception.

The beauty of ATV riding in Ontario is how quickly and easily you can go from the middle of a town to the middle of the bush. The Central Ontario ATV Club has carved a beautiful trail system out of the local forest. It’s hard to believe that millions of people live just an hour away, as you feel very much like you’re in the wilderness.

The first part of the day was pretty easy going and everybody arrived at the lunch spot without issue. Though we had to navigate through a little mud, most of the machines were still pretty clean and spirits were high.

The Central Ontario ATV Club trails gave everybody a chance to have fun and get a little (or a lot) dirty.

“So far it’s a lot of fun,” Mark Hamerton, OFATV marketing director, told us at lunch. “Mike’s having a great time, I’m having a great time. We were very lucky to get some rain yesterday, which has been a big part of keeping the dust down. We’ve got a little bit of mud, it’s just perfect.”

Perhaps Hamerton was being coy when he said “a little bit of mud,” because after lunch it was a whole other story. One of Hamerton’s goals for the day was to get Holmes stuck in the mud and after plenty of trying he found a way.

It took six years, but Mike Holmes finally got stuck.

Hamerton led Holmes and his crew to a particularly nasty spot he was pretty sure would be too much for the handyman to handle. Though he certainly sensed the trap, with a crowd of people watching Holmes put caution to the wind and rode his Can-Am Commander into the slop until he could go no further. The onlookers let out a roar of approval as the man who can fix anything reached his limit.

Despite being covered in mud (including untold gallons of it sloshing around inside his hip waders), we never saw a smile leave Holmes’ face. Hamerton, being a good sport, jumped into the mud and helped hook up the winch to pull out the filthiest celebrity we’ve ever seen.

While most of us thought better of taking on this mud pit, some folks just couldn't resist.

To call this event merely a success would do it a great disservice. Not only did everybody involved have a fantastic time, but the Holmes Foundation received checks totalling $17,500 from Ontario Can-Am Dealers and the OFATV at the after-ride reception at the Horseshoe Resort, in addition to nearly $2,500 from a silent auction.

At least his face is clean.

Mike Holmes and Charlie Major Make It Right

In the 2007 episode of Holmes on Homes "Country Kitchen" (originally titled Nashville Kitchen), Mike and his crew tackled a kitchen disaster in the home of Woody and Nancy. Nancy was a sign language interpreter and taught Mike to sign a few phrases, including "Make It Right" and to fingerspell his name, M-I-K-E. Woody, on the other hand, was the manager of Canadian country music star Charlie Major. According to Charlie Major's MySpace blog entry, dated November 2007:

Charlie Major and his manager Woody Bowles had been looking for a cause for Charlie to support. Charlie was especially interested in something that had domestic impact for Canadians—and he found it close to home. To his manager's home, that is. Woody was the victim of a renovation nightmare—the kind The Holmes Foundation was founded to help put an end to. Charlie wrote a song called, "Make It Right" which happens to be Mike Holmes' trademark slogan. Charlie debuts the song on the show, and actually helps with some of the renovation work.

In honor of the Holmes Foundation, Mike and Charlie teamed up to make a music video for the song "Make it Right." The song more than adequately described the philosophy that drives Mike, and the concept behind the show that made him a legend.

Make it Right by Charlie Major

Lyrics:

Make it right (make it right)
Make it right (make it right)
If it takes all day, if it takes all night
Tell you what I’m gonna do for you
Gonna make it right

If you got a problem
Don’t know what to do
Don’t lose heart
Don’t despair
I’ll be there for you

I can take your troubles
Ease your worried mind
Take that mess that you’ve been left
And make it right

Should have been done right the first time

If you’ve been mistreated
Feel like you’ve been used
Don’t lose hope
Don’t despair
I’ll be there for you

I can take your worries
Help you sleep at night
I Come along
Take that wrong
And make it right

Should have been done right the first time

If you’re going to do it, do it right the first time

2012 ATV Ride For the Holmes Foundation - Photos

2012 ATV Ride In Support Of The Mike Holmes Foundation Photo Gallery, posted by the O.F.A.T.V.

Alright! Finally some pictures of Mike falling in the mud. That's some quality stuff.

ATV Ride in Support of the Holmes Foundation 2012 Update

Hot off the presses from Mike's Facebook page:

Had a blast this weekend at the ATV ride. Lots of rain - which meant LOTS of mud! Had a great time. Thanks to everyone who came out and supported the ride! Can't wait for next year.

Would that be Miss Sherry riding in the passenger's seat? Hmmmm.... hard to tell!

Who Knew Mike Holmes Liked Mud So Much!

Given that yesterday 6/2 was the sixth annual ATV ride in support of the Holmes Foundation, I thought I'd post an older article from All-Terrain Vehicle Magazine. This article talks about the 2009 ATV ride, and how much fun it was for all involved, and how muddy everyone got. Love it, wish I wasn't afraid to break my neck on one of those little death-mobiles. Who knew Mike Holmes liked mud so much? We did!

 

THE MIKE HOLMES FOUNDATION ATV RIDE(7/7/2009)

Report By: Mike Lester, All-Terrain Vehicle Magazine

The weekend of June 13th, marked All-Terrain Vehicle Magazine’s second visit to the Canadian Forces Base in Borden, Ontario for the ATV Ride in Support of The Holmes Foundation presented by the OFATV and sponsored by Can-Am. Along with us for the first year was Dirt Trax Television.

Driving off Highway 400 towards the base, I began to realize how isolated it is. Barbed wire fences lined either side of the road securing the endless expanse of wilderness I’d soon be riding through. Just as I began to feel like I’d gone in the wrong direction, the forest opened up to reveal the base stretching endlessly like a university campus.

A few really cool things make this ATV event stand out. For one, attendees get to ride their ATVs in an area normally closed to civilians. There are countless miles of trail winding throughout the base.

In fact, during our five hours of riding, we never went outside Canadian Forces land! There was amazing diversity in the riding terrain, too. Sand, rock, mud – in fact, a lot of this trail is used for testing tanks! Some of the bogs we rode through brought mud up over the fenders!

Another highlight is that you get to meet international TV personality, Mike Holmes, in person. You can share your ride experiences with him and get a photo. He’s very personable and loves ATVing. We rode with Mike all day as he led the pack on his 2009 Can-Am Renegade. There wasn’t a mud pit that could stop him.

"Who Knew Mike Holmes liked mud so much!" commented Taera McLean, Co-Host of Dirt Trax Television. "It was a wonderful day complete with endless trails and lots of riders. Plus, it was for a great cause - The Holmes Foundation!"

Following the ride, the OFATV volunteers put on a fabulous BBQ. Burgers, dogs, fresh-cut fries and butter tarts to top it off. After our ride, we were starving and it was the perfect ending to a great day.

Mark your calendars for next season and sign up early to ensure a spot at this event in 2010. You'll have a great time with great people, riding some of the nicest trails you'll never get a chance to ride otherwise.

Visit ATVmag.com for more.

And another article, from the same magazine, this one highlighting the 2008 excursion.

 

MIKE HOLMES ATV RIDE

By: All-Terrain Vehicle Magazine

Monday, May 11, 2009

The sun was blazing on one of Ontario's nicest days last summer as 165 registered riders turned out with trailers full of ATVs and gear for the 2nd annual OFATV ride in support of The Holmes Foundation. Riders went out in four waves to tackle a 50km ride through the forests surrounding Canadian Forces Base Borden in Angus, Ontario. Mike Holmes was in attendance walking through the crowds shaking hands and taking pictures then led the last heat of riders out onto the trails. Riders were cautioned about a huge mud pit area used for testing tanks for the Canadian military. This all but guaranteed winches would be exercised and gave riders the chance to get dirty. Mud tires churned up the goo and an enthusiastic group had a blast supporting a good cause. The Holmes Foundation ensures that residential renovation and construction across Canada is done right the first time. Relying on Mike Holmes' reputation gained from his popular television show Holmes on Homes, the foundation partners with schools, businesses and government to encourage youth to pursue careers in skilled trades. The 2008 event raised more than $22,000 and attendance doubled from 2007. Sign up now for this year's event held on Saturday, June 13th, 2009 at CFB Base Borden in Angus, Ontario Canada (Base Borden Rod & Gun). Registration & Pledge Forms Will Be Available From Your Local Club, Participating Can-Am Dealers or on the OFATV website. Visit www.OFATV.org contact the OFATV by phone at 705-797-0797.

Mike Holmes ATV Ride 2012 Supporting the Holmes Foundation Updates

Today is the big day for the Holmes Foundation... the  OFATV 2012 ATV Ride In Support Of The Holmes Foundation. I'm currently scouring Google for pics and articles, as they come out. The pickings are slim as of now, but hopefully this post will grow over the next couple of hours.

OFATV Holmes Ride Poster



Here's a video of a radio interview with OFATV marketing director Mark Hamerton chatting with 95.1 The Peak FM about the Holmes Ride. A little dry, but relavent. They talk about the 2012 Ride, the sponsors involved, and the Holmes Foundation.

Mike Holmes in Springwater this morning

Ready to Ride for the Holmes Foundation

Mike's getting geared up for the big ATV ride tomorrow,  the 6th Annual ride in Support of The Holmes Foundation presented by OFATV and Can-Am. Get those pledges in!!!

On his Facebook page:

If you can't make it out to the ATV ride this weekend you can always pledge online. Proceeds help The Holmes Foundation support the next generation of skilled trades workers! For more information visit: http://makeitright.ca/Holmes_Foundation/view_event.php?event_id=178

Holmes Is Where The Heart Is

I think as Father's Day rapidly approaches, it's great to find articles that emphasize yet another one of Mike's many roles. He's "Superman" to millions of men and women who look up to him, but to his kids, Mike Holmes is just "Dad." Oh, and don't forget "Boss" as well, because Mike not only gets to see his kids, he also gets to work with them on the set of Holmes Inspection and his upcoming sure-to-be-a-hit-because-Mike-made-it show Make it Right. Both Sherry and Mike Jr. work on site right alongside dear ol' dad, while oldest daughter Amanda typically works behind the scenes with the Holmes Foundation. For Mike, his many endeavors have become the family business, and he's all too happy to teach his kids the skills and the work ethic that made him famous. In this great article from the Toronto Observer, Mike and his kids talk about the family dynamics on and off the set, and what it's like to work as a team. Carrying the name "Holmes" is a big responsibility, as Mike's kids readily confess, but it's a responsibility they're willing to live up to.

Holmes is where the heart is

Published 15 March 2012

Holmes Inspection crew gathers for a quick snapshot at the Megaspeed Car Show held at the International Centre in Mississauga over the March 9-12 weekend: l-r Rob Brown , Sherry Holmes, Damon Bennett, Mike Holmes, Mike Holmes Jr., Nichole Faucher, Carlito Pavlovic, Uncle Billy (Bell) and Evan Jatou.

The set of hit television show, Holmes Inspection, gets pretty chaotic sometimes. The home is full of drilling, hammering and discussions of building plans. But amid the construction, a father watches his children grow as his family and as his employees.
“I believe in having a business that the whole business is our family…that everyone gets treated like we’re related,” Mike Holmes said. “Having my kids here is just an extra added bonus.”
Mike Holmes, 49, has successfully created a business phenomenon in the construction industry over the past decade. While the company grew, his three children: Michael, 22, Sherry, 24, and Amanda, 26, got the opportunity to work one summer and the family business was born.
When he started working construction at 15, Mike Holmes Jr. discovered that he shared his father’s passion for helping people.
“We do change peoples lives,” Mike Holmes Jr. said. “(My dad) isn’t just saying it. He believes it…That’s why the company is a success. And that’s why I do it too.”
“We’re all very dedicated in what we do,” his sister, Amanda Holmes, said.
Mike Holmes has expectations of his children, not only as their father, but as their boss. He expects a good performance and attitude from his employees; he expects that his family will be respectful and make good decisions. The children also feel the weight of being “the boss’s kid.”
“There’s the stigma of being the boss’s child. It’s just something you can’t shake,” Amanda Holmes said. “You have to work harder to be respected.”
“A lot is expected of me because I’m Mike’s kid,” Mike Holmes Jr. said. “When people see me, they expect me to know a lot as well and fill his shoes a bit…and I’m doing the best I can at that. It’s pretty nerve-racking sometimes.”
Mike Holmes said that one of the hardest issues is maintaining a balanced system between co-workers and his children, but he believes he has accomplished that.
He said mistakes are allowed on set, but the rule is that no mistake is made twice, and his children don’t receive preferential treatment. On a past roofing job in L.A., Mike Holmes asked his crew not to touch the structure until he returned to lead the construction. At the time, the crew lacked experience in pitching frames for roofs; that’s why Holmes felt he needed to be present. Without his consent, the crew finished the frames improperly, and what was a planned surprise ended up being a costly mistake.
“They’re all employees and I’m not going to treat anyone different and I think that’s why my kids respect me,” Mike Holmes said.
“We’re all treated as a team,” Mike Holmes Jr. said, “When I was younger, I established that I didn’t want to be treated different than anyone else otherwise I wouldn’t be able to gain anyone’s respect. (It’s) frustrating sometimes but it’s good.”
Carl Pavlovic, 38, is a member of Mike Holmes’s contracting crew and has worked with Mike Holmes and his children since 2005.
“I find myself being with people that actually care about me,” Pavlovic said. “We’re learning together. Their whole family always encourages me (and) always accepted me. I don’t ever feel out of place here.”
Mike Holmes and his three children all say, there are moments when they bump heads like any family, but the importance lies in their dedication to the business. Mike Holmes Jr., recalled a moment when he said he entered his father’s office to kindly ask for a raise.
“I basically told him…I’m not here to get a raise because I’m your son, I’m here to get a raise because I deserve one,” Holmes Jr. said.
His father’s reaction was positive.
“I had a frog in my throat and that’s when I realized my son was becoming an adult and that he loves doing it,” Holmes Sr. said. “It showed me that I have a smart son; I have a good son and I have a son that is proud of his dad and is working hard.”
Holmes Sr. says he hopes his children will one day take over the franchise.
“They are going to have to stick together and follow their father’s dreams and add to their father’s dreams of this corporation,” Pavlovic said. “I want to see them grow in the company.”
Regardless of future plans, mistakes, arguments and expectations, Mike Holmes says there is one thing that will always remain true for the family business he created.
“No matter what, I’m dad and there’s no changing that,” Mike Holmes said.

Mike Holmes gearing up for ATV ride this Saturday in support of the Holmes Foundation

This Saturday June 2, Mike Holmes will be getting dirty - downright filthy in fact - and he'll be doing it alongside crew members Damon Bennett, Adam Belanger, Carl Pavlovic, Nicole Faucher, and daughter Sherry Holmes. I'm talking of course about the OFATV Ride in Support of The Holmes Foundation. Get your mud on, Mike. And please... STAY SAFE!!!!!

From Mike's Facebook Page:

Looking forward to the OFATV Ride in Support of The Holmes Foundation this Saturday (June 2nd). Find out how you can ride, pledge or donate at the link below. Don't miss it - Disaster DIY / Bryan Baeumler is going to be joining in! http://theholmesfoundation.com/ 

According to Mike's Website:

The mission of The Holmes Foundation is to ensure that all residential renovation and construction in Canada is done right–the first time...The Holmes Foundation is a charitable foundation that supports the training of youth in the skilled trades, through apprenticeships, scholarships and bursaries.

For more information about the ride, and to support your favorite rider (cough ****Mike**** cough), visit the Holmes Foundation website for details.

Talking To Mike Holmes with Toro Magazine

An online Canada edition of the New York Times, Toro Magazine, sat down for an interesting interview with Mike Holmes in 2009. It's pretty much the standard Q & A we  usually get from a "candid" sit down with the big man himself. Long story short, Mike Holmes is a Canadian ninja, and he wants to take on a tornado. Good luck with that Mikey. Do be careful, and please let us know how it all turns out. :)

TALKING TO MIKE HOLMES
POSTED BY: Salvatore Difalco
April 7, 2009

To be canonized a saint in the Roman Catholic Church, an individual must enjoy, among other holy virtues and requirements, something referred to as "the Beatific Vision," and perform one or more miracles. I don´t know if Mike Holmes enjoys the Beatific Vision, or if he even believes in God, at least the Roman Catholic version of Him, but Holmes has certainly performed a bunch of miracles. And although he may never be assigned a feast day, and no parish church may ever be built in his honour (don’t count it out), it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to think of Holmes as a secular saint, and one of some considerable standing.

Mike Holmes, the affable, sturdy Canadian contractor made himself a household name with his television show Holmes on Homes, where he came to the rescue of homeowners stuck with renovations gone terribly wrong. His integrity, his technical knowledge and his unflagging and rigorous desire to make it right really struck a chord with the public. And not just in North America. Holmes on Homes is catching on across the English-speaking world. And his influence goes beyond simple reality-TV entertainment to educating an ignorant public and pressuring contractors and legislators alike to clean up their acts.

Last June, Holmes headed to New Orleans to face the toughest assignment of his professional life: in 10 weeks, make it right for one family whose home was destroyed three years earlier by Hurricane Katrina. The result is Holmes in New Orleans, a two-part special which begins Tuesday, April 7, at 9 p.m. ET on Global, and concludes the following night. Untangling the tragically stupid mistakes of several layers of government administration and doing it in the sweltering heat of a New Orleans summer proved daunting to say the least.

He did have some high-profile “assistance” from Brad Pitt, who had launched his own Make It Right campaign in New Orleans. When Holmes heard that Pitt had co-opted his trademarked expression, he made inquiries and got on board with the project, flying his all-Canadian crew down to build the first energy-efficient home in the still devastated Lower 9th Ward region. Holmes and his crew, which included his son Mike Jr. and daughters Amanda and Sherry, put in long, difficult days and nights to meet their August 29 deadline.

Whether or not he ever does get canonized, make no mistake, Mike Holmes is a much beloved figure these days, and it doesn’t seem like this will soon wane. Women swoon around him, children smile and most men find themselves simperingly beguiled. Maybe one day we will see a parish church go up in his honour, or at the very least a monument with his warm and smiling visage on it. And why not, the guy can do it all – he can do what most of us cannot. TORO caught up to Holmes during the production of his new series called Holmes Inspection, which profiles home inspections gone wrong.

Q: I remember as a kid in the ’60s watching a sitcom about these bumbling handymen called Mack & Myer for Hire. Some of the jobs you’ve been called in to fix look like their handiwork. Nightmare reno stories abound, but is it as bad as it seems out there or are you highlighting worst-case scenarios?
A: It’s worse than anybody really knows. And that is the bare-bottom truth, because I can prove it. You know, to receive 100,000 emails a year at Holmes on Homes to help 13 families – and out of that 100,000 there’s 60,000 for sure begging for the help because they’re in big trouble. Now these are the people brave enough to send in an email. Imagine how many are ashamed and don’t want to do anything.
Look at the world of construction and what is happening. We’re actually building no longer with knowledge, we’re building with education of how: minimum code is how it’s not why. So long as we build this way, we’re going to make mistakes. Now, add the factor that there’s a lot of people who really don’t give a shit about what they’re doing, like “mine over matter” – it’s not mine, so it doesn’t matter. And I hate these sayings, but the truth is there. We only have so many people with integrity that actually care about what they’re doing. Add that factor into a bare-minimum code, with no real knowledge of what they’re doing, and you really have a bad formula.

Q: Your motto is “make it right.” If there is virtue in doing a job right why do so many fail when it comes to doing home improvement – is it a lack of ethics or a lack of skills? A skill set that used to be widespread has waned. Trying to find someone competent and trustworthy to do the job isn’t easy.
A: That is the truth. I always say the good, the bad, the ugly – and that’s the good 20 per cent, the bad 70 per cent, the ugly 10 per cent, you know. Easily we can see the ugly because these are trained guys who rip you off. But that’s a low percentage. And the good 20 per cent, these guys know what they’re doing and they care, they have the integrity. It’s the bad. And that’s 70 per cent, and that’s because they just don’t know enough and they don’t care enough, and if you put those two together it’s just a recipe for disaster.

We need to make some sort of a change. And I don’t think it’s the licensing or the certification programs. I think it’s the education itself: stop teaching how and start teaching why. Let me give you some examples. We have mould-resistant drywall on the market, but it’s not in the stores. Okay. We have environmental wood which is made of aspen and poplar and it’s not in the stores. We have BluWood and it’s not in the stores, it’s custom order. So we have all these things and why aren’t they in the store? Minimum code says use green drywall if you’re going to tile. We know it moulds. We know it because I can put it up everywhere in the house possible, take it down and it’s all moulded. The reason that it’s not in the stores is because of demand. If we do not change the demand – which means people buying stuff that doesn’t work start demanding stuff that does – it won’t change. So, for example, no one should ever use anything but mould-resistant drywall, and it should be in the stores now.

Q: Holmes on Homes airs on HGTV Canada, BBC Canada, on the U.S. Discovery Channel, in New Zealand on The Living Channel, in Australia on The How To Channel, in the United Kingdom on Discovery Realtime ... Have I left any out?
A: Germany [chuckles].

Q: Germany! Well. Are you surprised by the show’s amazing success and reach – and your sudden iconic status? Everybody knows who you are, including my elderly Italian mother who admires you immensely.
A: [Laughs.] I had a feeling the show was going to do something, but I didn’t expect this whole thing – the whole country pretty well knowing who I am. It’s surreal to go to the store and hear, “Hey, Mike how you doing?” – and it doesn’t matter where I go. That’s something I didn’t expect. The interviews, the other television shows, the popular magazines, I just didn’t expect all that. I didn’t know what the hell I was thinking.

Q: A television show like yours wasn’t imaginable a few short years ago. Why did you think it would work, and how did you convince someone to take it on?
A: It was an accident. Actually, I met the executive producer of HGTV – he asked me to build him a custom home. And I got to know him and I really liked him. And one day I said to him, “I’ve got a show idea for you, just one guy to another.” I asked if he wanted to hear it and I blabbed off – long story short, he just started smiling and said he wanted a pilot right away. I laughed. “I’m a contractor. I’m giving you an idea, run with it.” And it took him a few months but he convinced me to shoot a pilot. And it was the way he said it to get me interested to do it: it wasn’t money or anything, it was education. And once I shot the pilot I got where he was going with it, and that’s how the show started.

Q: When I heard about the Holmes Foundation I thought that learning a trade or a useful and in-demand skill set had to be a lifesaver for some of these troubled kids. How has that project fared?
A: Well, I think they’re lost. They don’t know where they’re going and for whatever reason they’re lost, and to give them help, to steer them in the right direction so they’re back on course and give them a job in the skill trades – my God, this is a great opportunity, this is a great job. I think anybody, if they had the opportunity to be educated well in what they were doing, I think they would just thrive in it. How much better can it get to be able to stand back and look at your work and go, “This is awesome.”

Q: Talk about your work in New Orleans. I know it was a big concern of yours.
A: It was. I remember when Katrina first hit, I had watched it on television much like 9/11, and I said, “That’s it, we gotta go down there and help these people.” I think some people think I’m insane when I say these things. Why do we want to go down there? Because they’re going to build the same crap and it’s going to wash away again. I said we can help build better technologies, so all of a sudden, three years later, I’ve got so much work hanging out of my pants I can’t hold the mop [laughs].

Anyway, Brad Pitt started the Make It Right Foundation, and I love him for what he’s done. I kinda own Make It Right, and so we contacted him and I said, “I really love what you guys are doing and your intentions – and hey, by the way, why don’t I help you? Let’s make it right together.” And that’s exactly what happened. I went down there and we helped with all the technical part of the builds. I didn’t change the designs because they were done by 13 architects worldwide. But I’m responsible for the technical part and, really, the show. Throughout an emotional show, you’re going to see what happened after Katrina, what happened to the people and the stories that blow me away. In between all that you’re going to see the world’s best house being built.

Q: You have a new project in the works – Holmes Inspection. How will it differ from Holmes on Homes?
A: It was the next – obvious for me – the next obvious thing to do, because I think I’ve helped make a difference in the building industry with Holmes on Homes but it didn’t really change anything other than the education of homeowners and maybe some of the contractors, which I’m proud of, but we have big issues with the home inspections. And as it stands, it was the number one complaint on my website since Holmes on Homes started.

And I wrote a book about it, and in writing a book about it I went and inspected many homes and I got to talk to all the home inspectors, really, of Canada, or the great majority of them, and the organizations. And I said, “Look, you need to start making serious changes and introducing documents – it’s just not good enough now. You must create a documented report that goes with that house from homeowner to homeowner. Let’s do thermographic image reading, and air sampling, that’s all easy. Let’s find out if the permits were pulled on the house that the real estate agents are bragging about.”

So how I made a difference with a television show was doing just that: showing how I believe, or how I think, or what I’m actually doing (I opened the first Mike Holmes inspection company a couple of weeks ago) and how to change the home inspection industry. And I added an element of special effects to it that I think people are going to love. I put my money on it that it’ll get more viewers than Holmes on Homes.

Q: Do you hope that your work will lead to stiffer legislation and penalties when it comes to shoddy and often dangerous work, or do you think an educated public and perhaps a more ethical ethos among workers is enough?
A: You know, it’s a shame but I think we’re going to need both. More education is a definite – start teaching why and not just how – and I do think that for those that are ugly and the ones that don’t care enough there should be a penalty, because right now there is not a penalty and the truth is that these homeowners are left holding the bag. And that is wrong, and something should be done about it. I’m always the person who says you get what you give. So, if you really give it, you know, you deserve to get it. And that depends whether it’s good or bad that you’re giving – if you’re giving bad then you deserve bad, if you’re giving good you deserve good. So those who are really screwing people should have to pay a penalty.

Q: You’re probably the first man Ellen DeGeneres has every proposed to – but I can understand why. You perform miracles, and we all want you to come to our homes and make them shine. What’s next on your agenda?
A: [Laughs.] I like the idea of changing the building industry. I started the Holmes Homes, the Holmes Communities, the Holmes Approved Homes, which [together] is a whole new program, and that’s building the next generation of homes. And that’s also educating the next generation of builders with the skills to build the home – how to build them, creating a new system that easily educates, that easily gets them into the trades and starts the change that we should have been doing years ago. It’s about time somebody steps up and does it. I don’t care if it’s me or anyone but someone’s got to do it so I’m doing that.

I would also like to play a little more with the worldwide shows – I get the idea that I can go to Kansas City and piss off a tornado because it can’t tear the house down [laughs]. I like those ideas.

Off the Beaten Path

Mike and his crew will be gearing up on June 2nd 2012 for the 6th Annual ATV ride in Support of The Holmes Foundation presented by OFATV and Can-Am. You can pledge to support your favorite rider here.

From Mike Holmes' Facebook page:

Very excited for the OFATV's 6th Annual ATV Ride in Support of The Holmes Foundation. My crew and I are going to be gearing up on June 2nd for an awesome day on the trails - raising money for a great cause. Check out the link below for details about how you can get involved!

So what exactly is the Holmes Foundation? Here's a little snippet from the website.

 The Holmes Foundation is working to ensure that all home renovation and construction in Canada is done right - the first time.

People write me from all over the world asking for help. I get hundreds of emails each week about shoddy renovations. And I wanted to help these people but there were just too many families asking for help. I’m only one guy--I can’t fix all these problems. But I kept thinking - what can I do to help? What will make a difference? And I realized that the best way to help is to train more people to build correctly, more people who will Make It Right™. That is why I started The Holmes Foundation.

Canada does not have enough skilled trades people – in construction or in other trades – and the problem is only going to get worse as the baby boomers retire unless we do something about it. As long as we don’t have enough skilled trades people, we will continue to have bad contractors. If we don’t get more skilled trades people who will build our roads, schools, hospitals and houses in the future?

Trades people are absolutely critical to society but don’t always get the respect they deserve. Many parents and teachers discourage kids from getting into the trades. That attitude is just wrong – for Canada and for kids. Skilled trades jobs pay well, and are creative and rewarding. I love being a contractor and so do most of the people I work with. The goal of The Holmes Foundation is to get people to understand and respect construction and the construction trades so that parents, teachers and students will consider these trades when thinking about careers. Please help me get the message out.

You don't have to be Canadian to support the Holmes Foundation either. It's a great cause that helps a lot of people.