The Amazing Race Canada 3 is the third season of The Amazing Race Canada, a Canadian reality competition show based on the American series The Amazing Race. Hosted by Jon Montgomery, it featured twelve teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race across Canada and the world. The grand prize included a cash payout, "gas for life" from Petro-Canada, the opportunity to fly for a year anywhere Air Canada flies worldwide, and two Chevrolet Colorado "Z71" Trucks. This season visited six provinces and three additional countries and travelled over during twelve legs. Starting in Quebec City, racers travelled through Quebec, Ontario, Chile, Argentina, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, India, British Columbia, and Alberta before finishing in Whistler, British Columbia. New twists introduced in this season include hiding an Express Pass on the racecourse and the Face Off, where two teams competed against each other in a task. The season premiere aired on CTV on July 8, 2015, with the season finale airing on September 23, 2015.
Brothers Gino and Jesse Montani were the winners of this season, while wrestling teammates Nick Moti and Matt Giunta finished in second place, and brothers Brent and Sean Sweeney finished in third place.
Production Development and filming
On September 23, 2014, CTV announced that the show was renewed for a third season during the second season reunion special.
Filming took place in May 2015 with racers spotted in the Okanagan on May 24. The finale was filmed on May 28 in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia.
This season, teams faced a brand new twist called the Face Off, where teams had to compete head-to-head in a challenge, where only the winning teams could move on to the next challenge, while the losing team had to wait for new challengers. The team who lost the last Face Off faced a time penalty. In an article for the official Amazing Race Canada CTV website, the Face Off was described as "first and exclusive" to the Canadian edition with host Jon Montgomery stating that they "invented" the twist, despite having already been introduced under various names in at least five other Amazing Race editions worldwide.
Casting Casting began on November 24, 2014, and as in the previous two seasons, an online site was used for submission of applications and audition videos.
Broadcasting Similar to the previous season, after episode 7, a special mid-season reunion/recap titled "After the Race" aired. Hosted again by James Duthie, the program reviewed the events of the first seven episodes with the first six eliminated teams, minus Amanda who was unable to attend. Duthie hosted another "After the Race" immediately after the season finale with every contestant present.
Marketing Scotiabank discontinued their sponsorship, while BMO Financial Group became the newest sponsor.
Cast
The first three teams were revealed on June 15, 2015, with the rest named thereafter. The cast included UFC mixed martial artist Elias Theodorou, footballer Nicholas "Nic" La Monaca, and former CFL player Neil Lumsden. Hamilton Elliott was the first transgender man to compete on The Amazing Race Canada.
ContestantsAgeRelationshipHometownStatus 28DatingToronto, OntarioEliminated 1st(in Toronto, Ontario) 26 38Co-WorkersVancouver, British ColumbiaEliminated 2nd(in Santiago, Chile) 39 23Co-WorkersWabush, Newfoundland and LabradorEliminated 3rd(in Buenos Aires, Argentina) 23 19EngagedCentreville, Nova ScotiaEliminated 4th(in Halifax, Nova Scotia) 19 22DatingMontreal, QuebecEliminated 5th(in Sudbury, Ontario) 32 62Father & Daughter Burlington, OntarioEliminated 6th 31 Toronto, Ontario 46MarriedWinnipeg, ManitobaEliminated 7th(in Kolkata, India) 41 25ExesToronto, OntarioEliminated 8th(in Osoyoos, British Columbia) 25 21Father & DaughterBurnaby, British ColumbiaEliminated 9th(in Edmonton, Alberta) 46 25BrothersToronto, OntarioThird Place 28 35Wrestling Teammates Newmarket, OntarioSecond Place 33 Stouffville, Ontario 28BrothersHamilton, OntarioWinners 25
Results The following teams are listed with their placements in each leg. Placements are listed in finishing order.
A placement with a dagger () indicates that the team was eliminated. An placement with a double-dagger () indicates that the team was the last to arrive at a Pit Stop in a non-elimination leg, and had to perform a Speed Bump task in the following leg. An italicized and underlined placement indicates that the team was the last to arrive at a Pit Stop, but there was no rest period at the Pit Stop and all teams were instructed to continue racing. A indicates that the team won the Fast Forward. A indicates that the team used an Express Pass on that leg to bypass one of their tasks. A indicates that the team used the U-Turn and a indicates the team on the receiving end of the U-Turn. A indicates that the leg featured a Face Off challenge.
+Team placement (by leg) Team123456789101112Gino & Jesse1st10th2nd7th1st1st2nd5th2nd1st3rd1stNick & Matt6th3rd3rd3rd3rd2nd5th2nd1st3rd2nd2ndBrent & Sean3rd8th6th4th5th4th1st3rd2nd1st3rdSimi & Ope5th9th5th5th8th5th6th4th3rd4th Dujean & Leilani8th5th4th1st4th7th3rd1st4th Brian & Cynthia9th2nd9th2nd2nd3rd4th Neil & Kristin10th6th1st6th7th6th Nic & Sabrina2nd4th8th8th6th Hamilton & Michaelia4th1st7th Dana & Amanda7th7th Susan & Sharnjit11th Max & Elias Notes
Race summary
Leg 1 (Quebec → Ontario)
Episode 1: "Now Who's Feeling Sporty" (July 8, 2015) Prizes: Two round-trip tickets to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and 2.5 million "Petro points" good for six months of free gas (awarded to Gino & Jesse) Eliminated: Max & Elias Locations Quebec City, Quebec (Château Frontenac – Dufferin Terrace) (Starting Line) Quebec City (Quai 22 → Port of Quebec) Quebec City (Port of Quebec) → Lévis (Lévis Port) Quebec City (Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport) → Toronto, Ontario Toronto (St. Lawrence Market) Toronto (9 Channel Nine Court – TSN Studios) Toronto (Ontario Place – Atlantis) Toronto (Air Canada Centre) Episode summary Teams set off from Dufferin Terrace in Quebec City and were instructed to travel to Quai 22. There, teams had to search among hundreds of locked bicycles for two that they could unlock using a combination they were given. They then had to ride the bicycles to the ferry terminal, take a ferry across the St. Lawrence River to Lévis, and chose a marked vehicle that contained their next clue and was numbered one to twelve. Teams were then instructed fly to Toronto, Ontario, on one of two separate flights. The teams in cars 1 through 8 were on the first flight that arrived an hour before the second flight, which carried the last four teams. Once there, teams had to travel to the St. Lawrence Market and find a woman in a Bank of Montreal shirt with their next clue. Teams had to solve a word scramble of the names of two "streets" inside the market – Centre Street and Market Street – which intersected in front of a butcher stall. There, the butcher gave them their next clue, which included a BMO credit card that served as the teams' source of money for the rest of the season. Teams then had to travel to TSN Studios, which had their next clue. In this season's first Roadblock, one team member had to learn from Kate Beirness how to properly deliver a sports broadcast from a teleprompter alongside TSN sportscaster James Duthie in order receive their next clue. If racers looked at the wrong camera or mispronounced a player's name, then they had to start over. After the first Roadblock, teams had to travel to Atlantis at Ontario Place, which had their next clue. In this leg's second Roadblock, the team member who did not perform the previous Roadblock had to change into a wetsuit and complete a three-part obstacle course that involved climbing across a 120-foot cargo net, walking across a narrow plank and taking a three-story plunge into the water below, and finally crossing a slippery log in order to reach their next clue directing them to the Pit Stop: the Air Canada Centre. Additional note Toronto Raptors mascot The Raptor appeared as the Pit Stop greeter during this leg.
Leg 2 (Ontario → Chile)
Episode 2: "We're Going to Dance!" (July 15, 2015) Prizes: Two round-trip tickets to Delhi, India, and six months of free gas (awarded to Hamilton & Michaelia) Eliminated: Susan & Sharnjit Locations Toronto (Canoe Landing Park) Toronto → Santiago, Chile Puente Alto (Parque Geoaventura) Santiago (San Miguel Open-Air Museum – "Sanación Equilibrio") Santiago (Recoleta – Centro Cultural Ángela Davis) Santiago (Barrio Bellavista – Patio Bellavista) Santiago (Plaza de Armas National Library of Chile) Santiago (San Cristóbal Hill – Jardín Botánico Mapulemu) Episode summary At the start of the leg, teams were instructed to fly to Santiago, Chile. Once there, teams had to travel to Parque Geoaventura in order to find their next clue. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member was taken up a mountain and had to perform a tandem paraglide with an instructor. Once they returned to the ground and reunited with their partner, they received their next clue. After the Roadblock, teams had to find their next clue at the "Sanación Equilibrio" mural. From there, teams had to search the San Miguel Open-Air Museum for five specific murals and take a selfie in front of each. They then had to show them to the curator, who gave them a wooden box indicating their next destination: Centro Cultural Ángela Davis. There, teams had to work with a child to help paint a section of a new mural. Once they were finished, teams gave their wooden box, which contained a set of new art supplies, to the child, with whom they'd worked, in exchange for their next clue. Teams had a chance to receive two Express Passes by travelling to the Patio Bellavista at Barrio Bellavista and finding the Bailarines de Cueca. Hamilton & Michaelia found the Express Passes. This season's first Detour was a choice between Motion or Emotion. In Motion, teams travelled to the Plaza de Armas, where they had to strip down, dress up as the Rapa Nui people of Easter Island, and perform a traditional dance in front of a crowd to the satisfaction of the dance troupe leader in order to receive their next clue. In Emotion, teams travelled to the National Library of Chile, where they had to learn a verse from Gabriela Mistral's poem, "Valle de Chile", and recite it perfectly in Spanish in order to receive their next clue. Hamilton & Michaelia used their Express Pass to bypass this Detour. After the Detour, teams had to check in at the Pit Stop: the Jardín Botánico Mapulemu.
Leg 3 (Chile → Argentina)
Episode 3: "I Said Straight, You Gorilla!" (July 22, 2015) Prizes: Two round-trip tickets to Beijing, China, and six months of free gas (awarded to Neil & Kristin) Eliminated: Dana & Amanda Locations Santiago → Buenos Aires, Argentina Buenos Aires (Plaza Canadá) Buenos Aires (La Boca – Vuelta de Rocha) Buenos Aires (Fútbol Madero) Buenos Aires (Plaza de la República – El Obelisco) Buenos Aires (Confitería Ideal La Estancia) Buenos Aires (Puente de la Mujer) Episode summary At the start of the leg, teams were instructed to fly to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Once there, teams had to find a totem pole carved from a British Columbia red cedar at Plaza Canadá in order to find their next clue directing them to La Boca. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to collect packs of candies labeled with letters from three different stores and bring them to a puzzle board in the neighborhood playground. They then had to figure out clues on a board to spell out the names of four famous Argentine people: Argentina's most famous first lady (Eva Perón); the first Pope from the Americas (Pope Francis); La Boca's favorite footballer (Diego Maradona); and the King of Tango (Carlos Gardel). Once they had all of the answers right, teams received their next clue.