Alexisonfire Loves Holmes on Homes

I found this video on YouTube of an interview with a Canadian band I've never heard of, Alexisonfire. The interview was being conducted on MuchMusic, which is (I think?) sort of like the Canadian version of MTV. Regardless, one of the band members had a major man crush on Mike Holmes (who could blame him?) and of course loved to watch Holmes on Homes. Although the producers tried to get Mike on the show, he had prior obligations and couldn't make it  :(  However, someone else did show up... Mike's daughter Sherry Holmes! And she came bearing gifts, including some DVD's of her daddy's show, some t-shirts, a hat, and some signed swag. I'm so jealous!






Oh, and FYI, five days and counting until Mike's epic birthday present is revealed to the world!

Canada's Busiest Contractor - A Blast From The Past!

What can I say? It's been a pretty slow news week in the world of Holmes. There are no more playgrounds being built, and I'm eagerly awaiting Mike's birthday next week so that I can post his super awesome birthday present. Mike's also been taking a Facebook hiatus for the last week, which has kind of left a void of new content for the time being. But never fear! We here at the Holmes Spot have hopped in our time machine and traveled back in time to the year 2008. The article is from the Edmonton Journal, and discusses Mike's busy life as Canada's most trusted contractor. Not a whole lot has changed from then to now. Mike's still a pretty busy guy.

In 2008, Americans were just starting to get to know Mike through his show Holmes on Homes. Of course, today he's just as much of a hero here in the good ol' USA as he is up north. (In fact more than half of the readers of this blog are American!) And of course, Mike's biggest fan (me!) is American as well. It only goes to show what a few short years can do.

The article also talks about Mike's books and his side job as host of Handyman Superstar Challenge, the Canadian forefather of All American Handyman, which is ironically hosted by two Canadians (Mike and Scott McGillivary).
Get your flux capacitors in gear and enjoy this Holmes Spot BLAST FROM THE PAST...

Canada's busiest contractor

Canada's most trusted contractor is also Canada's busiest contractor.

By The Edmonton Journal February 25, 2008

Canada's most trusted contractor is also Canada's busiest contractor.
As if being inundated with requests to fix shoddily built homes on this side of the border didn't occupy enough of his time, Mike Holmes is filming two different shows for HGTV Canada, writing a second book, and being called upon to help Americans make sure that their homes are also up to snuff.
Somewhere else in his 24-hour days, Holmes is moving forward with his plans to build Holmes-approved new houses across the country and attempting to get more young people into the homebuilding sector.
Like the Energizer bunny, he just keeps on going and going and going.
After a number of successful appearances on the Los Angeles-originated Ellen DeGeneres Show -- he is the talk show's resident contractor having already helped one Ellen viewer who was left with a contractor on the run, a huge new mortgage, and construction bills piling up -- Holmes will soon pop up on ABC's 20/20 news magazine.
"I just got back from New York and was on 20/20, which will air at the end of September. They came here and filmed me here, I went there and filmed in the studio and I went to a homeowner's home devastated by a contractor," says Holmes. "It's all about how do you get into this position and how do you get out of it."
And Holmes notes that builders on the other side of the border can be just as bad as the ones that he finds problems with here.
"Most definitely, the home construction is just as bad there. I think the show is what makes everyone aware of it -- Holmes on Homes is climbing very fast in the States," says Holmes.
On this side of the 49th parallel, Holmes is busy filming a new season of Handyman Superstar Challenge with Jim Caruk -- he notes that they started with 20 contenders and on the first day there were just 10 left -- and season seven of Holmes on Homes. New episodes will debut in the beginning of October, with six new shows from season six followed by the beginning of season seven.
One of the highlights this year was a plan to take the Holmes on Homes crew across Canada and try to fix at least one home in each province, but to Holmes' chagrin that didn't come about.
"The whole hope was to go right across Canada, but we needed an extra $3 million to do it -- so we ended up settling to do four outside of Toronto. It's not what I wanted, but at least I got to do some (work) outside of Toronto," says Holmes. "It's too bad it wasn't more."
Two of those four shows have been filmed, the first in Saint John, N.B., and the second in Calgary. After shooting on Handyman Superstar Challenge wraps up, the Holmes on Homes team will head to Northern Ontario and then Vancouver to finish the four non-Toronto shows.
"When we filmed in Saint John, the mayor came out, and we got the red-carpet treatment. They gave me a 'building inspector of Saint John' award -- I could not believe the number of people that came to the site. In Calgary, the mayor came out and I got the key to the city, which was a hat," says Holmes, referring to the traditional white cowboy hat given to honoured dignitaries.
In between all this, he's about three-quarters of the way through penning his second book, which is about selling your current house and buying your next one.
"The first book (Make It Right, Inside Home Renovation) is doing phenomenal. It's still as strong today as it first came out. I wish I could give everyone in the country a book -- it's all about the homeowner, it's not about me," says Holmes.
But even with all this on his plate, Holmes continues to fight to get more women into the business and is working with Canadian colleges to get more young people into the construction trades.
"I have two full-time female apprentices on the show. They're very eager, very hard workers. I'm impressed with the women I've met across the country: electricians, carpenters. I love it. It's really going to wake up the men (in the industry) and keep them honest," says Holmes.
And as far as his mantra of doing it right and the stunning amount of shoddy construction work he has had to repair, Holmes had one last thing to add.
"I can't say it enough: you steal a pack of gum, you get arrested. If you steal $100,000 from a homeowner -- and just because you've done a week's amount of work -- the legal system says you can't be charged with fraud, which means you won't get arrested and nothing is going to happen with you," says Holmes. "Let's fix this now.

© (c) CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc.

Mike Holmes and Michael Quast, Holmes Group CEO, Part Ways

Very interesting news about some BIG changes in Mike's company, The Holmes Group's management structure. Michael Quast, the man who discovered Mike Holmes back in 2001 when Mike was working as a stagehand for HGTV, stepped down as CEO of Mike's company, it was announced yesterday, July 16, 2012. The split is "amicable" according to both Mikes. Here's the article:

HGTV Handyman Mike Holmes and Michael Quast Part Ways

10:34 AM PDT 7/16/2012 by Etan Vlessing

The CEO of The Holmes Group was production exec on the original "Holmes on Homes" series that launched the Canadian-based TV home renovation brand.

TORONTO - HGTV home repair host Mike Holmes has parted ways with Michael Quast, head of his Canadian-based production shingle The Holmes Group.

Quast, who served as the broadcast production executive on the original Holmes on Homes series that launched the iconic Mike Holmes TV brand, is leaving as part of an amicable split, according to both parties.

The move also follows Holmes hiring Canadian TV exec Shanna Albert as VP of development at a second production shingle, Point Load Pictures.
"We blazed a new trail and I’m very proud of what we created together," Quast, who became CEO of The Holmes Group last year, said in a statement Monday.
"I wish Mike and The Holmes Group long and continued success," he added.
There’s no word from the celebrity TV renovator on Quast’s replacement.
The Holmes Group is best known for its top-rated HGTV series Holmes on Homes and Holmes Inspections.

As the above article states, this news follows other changes in the Holmes Group structure. Here's an article about Shanna Albert being hired on as VP of development for Point Load Pictures:

HGTV Handyman Mike Holmes Splits Co-CEOs at Production Shingle

7:08 PM PST 11/30/2011 by Etan Vlessing           

The top management revamp leaves Michael Quast as the sole CEO of The Holmes Group, while Pete Kettlewell launches Point Load Pictures, a joint venture with the TV home repair pro.

TORONTO - How many CEOs does HGTV home repair host Mike Holmes need?

our editor recommends

Turns out one’s enough, so Holmes has restructured his production shingle by splitting up its co-CEOs.
The Canadian TV handyman, who’s usually gutting suburban homes on HGTV Canada and HGTV to replace shoddy construction or renovations, has named Michael Quast as the sole CEO of The Holmes Group.
The new leadership structure also leaves former CEO Pete Kettlewell to launch Point Load Pictures, a joint venture with Holmes that will produce TV series outside of The Holmes Group brand.
Holmes and Kettlewell have been behind popular HGTV series like Holmes on Homes and Holmes Inspection that bowed in Canada before airing stateside.

One more article about Quast and Holmes parting ways, reposted from realscreen.com:

Michael Quast leaves The Holmes Group

17 hours ago by Danielle Ng-See-Quan

Michael Quast, CEO of The Holmes Group, is leaving the company.
According to a release from The Holmes Group issued Monday, “the amicable split comes on the heels of lengthy discussions on the company’s future direction.”
“We blazed a new trail and I’m very proud of what we created together. I always knew there was great potential and I think what we achieved in a short time was remarkable,” said Quast in a statement.
Quast and Mike Holmes, host of HGTV’s Holmes on Homes, first met in 2001, when the contractor presented Quast with the idea that spawned the TV show.
Quast became the series’ first production exec, and in 2005 joined The Holmes Group as VP development, before being named CEO recently.
“Michael has been an important part of The Holmes Group since 2005. Even before that, when he was a production executive at HGTV, Michael was the guy who ‘tricked’ me into doing a television series in the first place,” said Mike Holmes in his own statement.
“The Holmes Group continues to push forward and grow. You’re going to see big things,” he added.
Back in November, Holmes restructured his production shingle, naming Quast the sole CEO of The Holmes Group.
Former Holmes Group co-CEO Pete Kettlewell was tapped to head up Point Load Pictures, a new indie production company to operate as a joint venture with Holmes as chairman, to develop and produces new series outside of the Holmes Group brands.
As previously reported by realscreen sister publication Playback, Point Load Pictures has a development deal with HGTV Canada, the specialty channel that made Mike Holmes a recognizable face for Canadians, and now stateside with his shows that air on HGTV U.S.

Happy Father's Day Mike!

Watching Mike with his kids makes me realize what I missed out on not growing up with my father. He sure does seem like a great Dad! It's always fun to watch older episodes of Holmes on Homes when little pipsqueak Mike Jr. comes trotting out on the job site with his dad, skinny as a rail. Then you see an episode from a couple years later, "little" Mikey is now 6'4" and towers over everyone, including his dear old dad. Just amazing. I think one of my favorite episode of all time is when Mike Sr. buys Mike Jr. a truck for his birthday. The look on his face was classic. Although, that "world's best hammer" would have made a great gift too, I guess.
On Father's Day, we recognize the good men in and around our lives who have taught us well throughout the years. Being that Mike is the same age as my dad, I do tend to look up to him in certain areas. Most of all, I really admire the way he treats his children... if only all men were as good to their kids, this world would be a much different place! Great fathers like Mike truly deserve their own special day of honor. Happy Father's Day, Mike!

In honor of Father's Day, I've decided to post a recent article (Canada.com) that Mike wrote for his monthly column. In the article, he talks not only about the importance of people becoming skilled tradesmen and women, but also of how proud is that his children have decided to follow in his footsteps and join the family business. It is very clear that the Holmes family is leading the charge in changing the way people view the trades, both in terms of the prestige and respectability of being a tradesperson, but also how people view the trades as being a lucrative opportunity that both men and women should take advantage of. Mike points out that women make up half the population, there's no reason why women shouldn't step up to the plate and choose a career as a plumber, welder, electrician, or carpenter. Thumbs up, Mike.

Respecting the trades builds a better future
By Mike Holmes, For Postmedia News April 25, 2012

 Mike Holmes says itís crucial to the Canadian economy to get more people working in the skilled trades.Photograph by: Alex Schuldt , The Holmes Group

It was a really proud moment for me when my son MJ (Mike Jr.) first told me he wanted to work in the skilled trades. And when he said he wanted to join my crew, I couldn't have been happier.

Unfortunately, this isn't always the reaction kids get from their parents when they tell them they want to work in the trades. Sometimes, their parents are disappointed. They think having a career in the trades is some kind of a failure. It's not usually encouraged in schools, or at home — but, thank goodness, this is starting to change.

When I first started down this road more than 30 years ago, one of my goals was to change the way people thought about the skilled trades. I wanted people to feel proud when they said they worked as welders, framers, plumbers, carpenters or electricians. I wanted them to be proud of the work they did and the skill they brought to their craft. And I'm beginning to see this more and more.

Why is having pride so important in the skilled trades? Because it pushes people to do better — and these are definitely industries that you want people to do their best in.

People who are proud of the work they do will put in the extra hours to learn a new technique. They'll talk to other colleagues about what works and what doesn't. They'll do whatever they need to do to make sure every job they do is the best they've done yet.

But when people downplay tradespeople's work, they're really just shooting themselves in the foot. Because all that does is make these people feel like the work they do isn't all that important. And if that's the case, what's pushing them to do a good job?

Remember, these are the people working on our homes and on our roads, manufacturing our cars, and building our schools, hospitals and office buildings. Making them feel like their work is second-class isn't smart. Would you want people who aren't proud of what they do working on your home? I know I wouldn't. I've seen what that does, and it's not good. If more contractors were proud of what they did, I wouldn't see at least half the problems I deal with.

Thank goodness, we're starting to give skilled workers their due respect, and our country is making huge strides toward this. We had better, because, if things keep going the way they're going, Canada will be short 1 million tradespeople by 2020. If you think things were bad now — and they are — you don't want to know what they'll be like if half our skilled tradespeople are missing.

When my daughter Sherry started working on my crew, it was especially important. Why? Because I knew she was helping change the face of skilled trades. We forget that women make up more than half of our population. They represent a huge resource to our country. In fact, if we don't encourage our women to enter the skilled trades, we're setting ourselves up for a huge disadvantage. By empowering Canadian women, we make our country stronger. Some of the hardest-working people I've worked with have been women.

How much is it worth to the economy to invest in women? In 2006, a study revealed it was worth between 15 and 23 billion pounds ($24-38 billion) to the U.K. economy to get more women in the workforce and reduce gender segregation. Now the U.K. is one of the Top 10 economies that isn't facing a shortage in skilled tradespeople.

Today, a job in the skilled trades means earning a salary above the national average. And in the next two decades, it's estimated that 40 per cent of new jobs will be in the skilled trades and technologies.

If you're thinking ahead, getting into the trades could really pay off. The work might be hard, but one thing it's not is boring. Look at me. I've been doing this for a really long time, and there hasn't been a boring day yet. Talk to anyone on my team, and he or she will tell you the same thing.

And it's satisfying. Being able to stand back and see what you've built, watch people enjoy what you've done, and see what a difference it makes to their lives, is really something. It truly is one of the main reasons I got into this in the first place.

Skilled tradespeople are the unsung heroes of our time. But their work supports most of our lives, and their skill can sometimes make the difference between life and death. Think about it: The work of a certified electrician, an accomplished carpenter, or a master plumber, will have a huge impact on your life and your family's. Get a bad one, and you'll quickly learn how important their work really is.

Mike and Sherry

On June 28, 2008, Holmes on Homes made its debut on the US cable channel TLC (The Learning Channel). It didn't take long for TV execs to realize that Mike Holmes was not your typical contractor, and Holmes on Homes was not your run of the mill home improvement program. This 2008 article from HouseHunting.ca describes Mike's "coming out" to the TLC audience. In typical Mike fashion, he laid into the media when questioned about how the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis might effect contractor's work habits. With plenty of "crap" and "shit" and all the other colorful language Mike likes to use when he's not filtering himself, he blindsided reporters with his candor. It's that same rugged, raw, unfiltered honesty that we've come to expect from Mike for all these years.

Hurricane Holmes

Hurricane Holmes tore through the immaculately manicured lawns of Beverly Hills the other day, and by the time it was over, no one -- not the reporters, nor the paparazzi, nor programming executives at the U.S.-based TLC cable channel -- knew what had hit them.

By Times Colonist (Victoria)August 6, 2008

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Hurricane Holmes tore through the immaculately manicured lawns of Beverly Hills the other day, and by the time it was over, no one -- not the reporters, nor the paparazzi, nor programming executives at the U.S.-based TLC cable channel -- knew what had hit them.
Mike Holmes, the outspoken Halton Hills, Ont.-born professional contractor and larger-than-life host of HGTV Canada's home-reno program Holmes on Homes, was asked a simple question -- what impact will the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis have on contractors' work habits? -- and he gave an earful of an answer.
"In my world of Holmes on Homes, we fix crap after crap because house-flippers who don't know how to do it right have created this huge financial gain for contractors," Holmes roared to his startled audience. "I call it the good, the bad and the ugly."
But there's hope, right? Ordinary, everyday homeowners are hurting in the housing crisis, so contractors, even the unscrupulous ones, will be forced to buck up their standards, right?
"It's going to become worse," Holmes shouted, pumping up the volume. "And the reason it's going to become worse is because people are going to try to find cheaper contractors to get the work done. And they're going to end up phoning Holmes on Homes, going, 'Holy s--t, we're in a lot of trouble here; we've got to fix this, we've got a leak that turned into mould.' This is only going to make it worse."
Holmes' appearance was unscripted, unrehearsed and unannounced. Attendees at TLC's fall-season coming out party were expecting a sedate, garden-variety presentation about home-ownership TV programs.
Instead, they got Hurricane Holmes.
With his bulging pecs, working man's tattoos -- his motto, "Make it Right," is prominently tattooed on his right bicep -- and his booming, hear-me-now voice, the salt-of-the-earth Holmes tore a page from the Gen. George Patton playbook: When you want something to stick, you lay it on thick and hard.
Holmes didn't just look ready for his Hollywood close-up -- he looked ready to take over the whole damn show.
"The idea is: Buy a house, make it better, make some money, and live there at the same time," Holmes said, warming to his subject. "The financial experts said, 'Fix it up for yourself. You're going to make money on real estate eventually, so just flip it when the time is right.' I think the mistake was in pretending how simple it can be. ... You might as well do your own brain operation."
You wouldn't allow a fool to operate on your brain, so why would you allow a fool to fix up your house?
There's a right way and a wrong way to hire a contractor, Holmes says.
The right way follows three rules: "Slow down. Why are you in a hurry? All of a sudden, the wife and husband said, 'Let's do a new kitchen,' boom, boom, boom. And then they hire the first guy off the street, like, anyone with a pulse. It's actually going to take you longer to find the right contractor than complete the job.
"No. 2: Educate yourself. I can't say this enough. If you're going to do a bathroom or an addition, you need to know the products on the market and why you should be using them. The more you know, the better chance you have of having good communication with your contractor.
"No. 3: Check out your contractor. Don't just ask the questions, double check. 'Are you licensed? If so, may I see it? Are you insured? If so, may I see it?' Then get a list -- and I mean a major list -- of references. 'I've done thousands of jobs. How many do you want?' Get 25, and then phone them up. Go see the work. Follow the process, you can't lose. Don't follow the process, odds are you're playing craps at the casino, and you are going to lose."
And, Holmes adds, get the proper permits. For your own legal protection. "If you're dealing with a contractor who says, 'Oh, we can do this without a permit, we can do it with cash,' get rid of them," he said. "Kick them the hell out of your house. You don't want to be dealing with that."
Condos?
"Same crap, different pile. Everything is built to minimum code with condos. They don't care about you. Do you buy a car to minimum code? No."
Next up for Holmes: The green trend and its implications for "forensic remediation," as some call emergency repair jobs.
"That's my next book, What Shade of Green Is It?" Holmes said. "Green is the future: OK, we get it. I like to see people go green, don't get me wrong. But what I'm seeing is it's becoming more about marketing. 'Buy this,' 'Use that,' 'Do it this way.' Cradle-to-cradle understanding is knowing how the product was made, how it's used, its longevity, its sustainability and how long it's going to be good for this house. Green is understanding how your home will not grow mould, how the products you are using are friendly, not only to the Earth but to you personally, what you're breathing in your own home. The toxic caulkings, the toxic coatings we're using on our houses that no one talks about. Let's get talking about this crap, and get rid of it."
Holmes admitted he's been tempted on occasion to take a contractor out back and, as Don Cherry might say, "straighten him out."
"I always said I'd love to take them into the back alley and smack 'em a couple of times, but that's not what the show's about. I'm more bothered that they don't care about the family than anything else.
"You know, I have kids. My kids are all grown up, and I really don't like seeing that no one cares anymore and they get taken for their money. And even when the builders know they've done something wrong, they won't give up.
"Have I gotten into a fight? No. I've only been approached twice by two of the builders in the 96 shows that I've done. I just talk to them. I tell them straight up, 'Look, you did this wrong. Did you learn anything from it?' And whether they listen or not, I really don't care. But again, that's not what this show is about. For me, it's about educating you about how not to get caught in that trap."
Holmes on Homes airs weekdays on HGTV at 8 p.m. and Saturdays at 6 p.m., and on TLC on Saturdays at 6 and 9 p.m.

© (c) CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc.

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

HGTV Father's Day Mike Holmes Marathon

June 17 may be Father's Day, but all the handy moms of the world will be busy watching HGTV that evening. Tune in for a Mike Holmes prime-time marathon starting at 7PM EST. You can catch some episodes of Holmes on Homes and Holmes Inspection that you've probably already seen, but wouldn't mind watching again.  Oh, OK...I guess all the handy dads of the world can watch too. It is their day, after all.

Source: Huliq

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.

Highlights from May 9th's Live Chat with Mike Holmes

There were a ton of great questions asked to Mike today via his Live Chat. Here are some that I found particularly interesting...

First things first, a woman asked a question about ladder safety, and then thanked Mr. Holmes for being such a great teacher to her. To which, Mike revealed this "bombshell"...

It's nice to hear people are learning. No, I've never wanted to be a 'teacher', but I do think the whole point of the television show is educating the public, so I guess that's teaching.
And--I'm getting an honorary doctorate on Sunday! From Niagara University, in Pedagogy. Which is teaching--who knew? I'm just a contractor...;-)

When asked whether Mike wore his trademark overalls for safety reasons or as a fashion statement, Mike answered...

That's funny!! Whoever thought overalls would be considered a fashion choice?
Years ago, I actually used to wear a blue one-piece coverall suit--kind of like a mechanic suit. I liked the comfort--you can bend over, move and work without restriction. But it got too hot in the summertime, so I switched to overalls. Same idea--one piece, comfortable, lots of pockets. It wasn't so much safety as comfort.

A little later, Mike was asked a question about safety when installing and removing insulation. Mike gave a little interesting insight into the early days of filming Holmes on Homes.

Holmes on Homes started over 10 years ago... we weren't as careful about the message we were sending out to the public.

We used to --and I'm embarrassed to admit it--remove our safety glasses and respirators for the camera, because someone told us that we needed to see faces on television--and put them back on when the cameras weren't rolling and we were doing the real work. It was stupid. What it did was send the wrong message out.

When asked a question about staircases and handrails, Mike got personal, sharing a small but touching snippet about his life.

Stairs are very personal to me. My father died after a fall down a narrow, steep set of stairs with no handrail.

Mike was asked a question about injuries on the set of Holmes on Homes. He went into some detail about the perils of working on a home improvement reality TV show, on and off the set.

I've been very fortunate. Or maybe very careful. I've not had any serious injuries on my jobsites. Lots of cuts and scratches, but that's about it. And, we've had some injuries on a whitewater rafting trip the crew took together a few years ago--Uncle Billy broke his ankle. Oh, and he broke his wrist at the ATV ride a couple of years ago--but that's Billy. He's a wild man.

Years ago I put a 3" nail right through my thumb with a nailer. That hurt.

When I was a young man, I was working on a jobsite and my father came around to see what I was up to. He gave me hell because the site was a mess--debris everywhere--while I was working. I ignored him--like you do with your parents when you're young--and climbed up on a step to work above my head. One of the legs of the step went down into an open register that was covered over with paper and down I went. I wasn't hurt--apart from my pride. But I learned a lesson and I'm very careful to keep my jobsites clean. I think that's important.

Well, those are my highlights from the May 9, 2012 Live Chat with Mike Holmes. Yes, I did submit a question to Mike, and YES, he did answer it (yay!!!) but I just don't think it was "Holmes Spot highlight" worthy. Only the best will do.

Mike Holmes - Fact Depot

Mike Holmes may be best known as “Canada’s most trusted contractor,” but his popularity spreads far beyond the North. His home improvement television shows air in several countries around the world, including Canada, the United States, Australia, The UK, and more.

Mike Holmes has become synonymous with his trademark catchphrase “Make it Right.” The concept of his hit television program Holmes on Homes centers around homeowners caught up in a tangled web of a renovation gone horribly wrong. After having their homes (and their wallets) ripped apart by unscrupulous contractors, the homeowners are left to deal with the consequences of their shoddy and often downright dangerous work. With little or no options left, the desperate homeowners turn to the only man in the world willing to help, Mike Holmes. Along with a motley crew of industry professionals, Mike assesses the situation, which is usually grim. He gives the weary homeowners the bad news, educating them about proper building codes, safety, and sustainability as he points out violation after blatant violation. Just when it seems that all is lost, he tells the homeowners to “keep smiling” because he and his crew are going to “make it right” at any price.

Holmes is Canadian born, and typically films his shows in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area). He does occasionally work outside of Canadian borders, however. One example is the two-part 2007 episode of Holmes on Homes “Pasadena 911” in which TV talk show host Ellen Degeneres featured Mike and crew helping a California couple whose dream home was left in shambles by a fly-by-night contractor. Another example is the Holmes on Homes special “Holmes on Homes in New Orleans” in which Mike and crew worked alongside Brad Pitt to help rebuild the Lower 9^th Ward, a community devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Mike Holmes has also donated his time and resources to children’s charity SOS Children’s Villages, and has done humanitarian work in Africa and Haiti.

Mike Holmes is the father of three children, Amanda, Sherry, and Mike Jr., all of whom have worked alongside of their father on his shows. Mike is also the grandfather of two, thanks to eldest daughter Amanda and her husband Adam Belanger (who is also a part of Mike's crew).

Mike Holmes Cheat Sheet
Name: Michael James Holmes
Birthday: August 3, 1963
Height: 6'1"
Weight: About 215-225 LBS
Hair: Blond
Eyes: Blue
Tattoos/Marks: Mike Holmes currently has two tattoos, which were added to his arms in early 2012. On his right bicep, he has an English bulldog, arms crossed, against a brick wall backdrop. He also has "Mike It Right" and a saw and hammer crisscrossed below the bulldog. On his left bicep, he has a large viking on bended knee. These large tattoos were "cover ups" for his old tattoos, a small bulldog, and a small cobra, which he got in his teens.
Children: Amanda (b. 1984?), Sherry (b. 1986?) , and Mike Jr. (b. 1988?)