The Amazing Race Canada 9 is the ninth 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 ten teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race across Canada. The grand prize included a CA$250,000 cash payout powered by Samsung, a trip for two around the world, and two Chevrolet Colorado ZR2s. This season visited six provinces and travelled over during ten legs. Starting in Winnipeg, racers travelled through Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia before finishing in Halifax. New elements introduced in this season include the Assist, which allowed teams to only perform part of select tasks, and the Blind Double Pass, which allowed teams to use the Pass anonymously. The season premiered on CTV on July 4, 2023, and concluded on September 19, 2023.
Dating couple Ty Smith and Kat Kastner were the winners of this season, while dating couple Tyler Turner and Kayleen Vanderee finished in second place, and friends Ben Chutta and Anwar Ahmed finished in third place.
Production Development and filming
On November 28, 2022, CTV announced the renewal of the show for a ninth season. Filming for the season was listed as occurring during Spring 2023. Following the 11th Canadian Screen Awards on April 12, 2023, producer Mark Lysakowski announced that filming would begin during the next week.
Filming began in late April in Winnipeg. On April 24, 2023, the second leg was filmed in Smithers, British Columbia. Racers were in Greater Victoria on April 29. On May 5, the show was spotted in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The show was in Toronto on May 12 with Jon Montgomery and the production crew opening the Toronto Stock Exchange. Later in the day, racers were spotted at Kensington Market. On May 14, 2023, the final leg was filmed in Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia.
This season introduced a new twist called the Assist. Given to each team at the start of the season, teams could use the Assist in select challenges through the sixth leg and only have to perform part of the challenge.
Casting Casting for the ninth season opened on November 28, 2022. Casting was initially set to close on January 6, 2023, but was extended to January 8, 2023.
Marketing Chevrolet, Desjardins Group, Expedia, Disney Studios (promoting Haunted Mansion), and GURU Organic Energy returned as sponsors. New sponsors included Samsung, Staples Canada, and the Canadian Armed Forces.
Cast
The cast includes Impact wrestlers Gail Kim and Gisele Shaw, Canada's Drag Race contestants Jermaine Aranha and Justin Baird, actor Joel Oulette, Paralympic snowboarder Tyler Turner, and Ty Smith, a survivor of the 2018 Humboldt Broncos bus crash. The cast was revealed on June 21, 2023.
ContestantsAgeRelationshipHometownStatus46Friends & Co-WorkersToronto, OntarioEliminated 1st(in Calgary, Alberta)34Yellowknife, Northwest TerritoriesAllie Seller48MarriedCourtenay, British ColumbiaEliminated 2nd(in Smithers, British Columbia)Eddie Parinas52Richmond, British ColumbiaShayla Stonechild29SiblingsMedicine Hat, AlbertaEliminated 3rd(in Sooke, British Columbia)21Gracie Lowes25FriendsToronto, OntarioEliminated 4thLily Bateman24Canning, Nova ScotiaDerek Gottenbos28FriendsRichmond, British ColumbiaEliminated 5thJaspal Sidhu41FriendsToronto, OntarioEliminated 6th36Deven Condo-Mitchell33CoupleGesgapegiag, QuebecEliminated 7thAmanda Larocque41Ben Chutta31FriendsWinnipeg, ManitobaThird placeAnwar Ahmed3235DatingCalgary, AlbertaRunners-upKayleen Vanderee31Comox Valley, British ColumbiaTy Smith25DatingHinton, AlbertaWinnersKat KastnerCalgary, Alberta
Future appearances In 2024, Gail Kim competed on the second season of The Traitors Canada.
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, but there was no rest period at the Pit Stop and all teams were instructed to continue racing. There was no required Speed Bump task in the next leg. A indicates that the team used the Assist during the leg. A indicates that the leg featured a Face Off challenge. 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 Pass and a indicates the team on the receiving end of the Pass.
+Team placement (by leg)Team12345678910Ty & Kat1st1st2nd4th2nd1st1st2nd3rd1stTyler & Kayleen5th2nd4th3rd1st3rd2nd1st1st2ndBen & Anwar8th5th7th6th5th2nd3rd3rd2nd3rdDeven & Amanda6th8th6th7th4th4th4th4th Jermaine & Justin4th6th5th6th6th4th Derek & Jaspal3rd3rd3rd1st3rd5th Gracie & Lily2nd4th1st2nd Shayla & Joel7th7th5th Allie & Eddie9th Gail & Gisele Notes
Race summary
Leg 1 (Manitoba → Alberta)
Episode 1: "I Hate Pancakes" (July 4, 2023) Prize: A trip for two to Berlin, Germany (awarded to Ty & Kat) Eliminated: Gail & Gisele Locations Winnipeg, Manitoba (Esplanade Riel) (Starting Line) Winnipeg (Winnipeg Art Gallery – Qaumajuq Visible Vault) Winnipeg (Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport) → Calgary, Alberta (Calgary International Airport) Calgary (Calgary Central Library) Calgary (The Devenish Building – Betty Lou's Library) Calgary (Stephen Avenue Olympic Plaza) Calgary (Peace Bridge) Episode summary After running across the Esplanade Riel to their first clue, teams had to travel to the Qaumajuq Visible Vault at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. There, teams had to choose an artwork title and search among 5,000 pieces of Inuit art for their chosen sculpture. They then had to enter the locator number into the museum database to find the name of their sculpture's artist in order to receive their next clue. At the Fast Air Jet Centre of Winnipeg's airport, teams had to sign up for one of two flights, each carrying five teams, to Calgary, Alberta. Once there, teams had to search outside of the airport for their next clue. In this season's first Roadblock, one team member had to rappel face-first down the exterior of the Calgary Central Library and look for three yellow flags attached to the building with the name of their next destination – Betty Lou's Library – in order to receive their next clue. Teams also had the option of searching a section of the library for a book marked with an Amazing Race flag containing three Express Passes. Ty & Kat found the Express Passes. After the Roadblock, teams had to say a secret code to enter Betty Lou's Library, a 1920s-themed speakeasy, and use the Nightography feature of a smartphone to photograph their next clue. This season's first Detour was a choice between Batter or Beat. In Batter, one team member had to memorize six Calgary Stampede pancake orders, and the other team member had to make the pancakes. After the order was taken, the guests switched tables and seats, and teams had to serve the correct people and pancakes in order to receive their next clue. In Beat, teams were taught a call and response drumming technique. Teams then joined a drum circle, and team members had to perform the beat sequence in sync with each other in order to receive their next clue. After the Detour, teams had to check in at the Pit Stop: the Peace Bridge.
Leg 2 (Alberta → British Columbia)
Episode 2: "My First Experience" (July 11, 2023) Prize: A trip for two to Lisbon, Portugal (awarded to Ty & Kat) Eliminated: Allie & Eddie Locations Calgary (Stephen Avenue) Calgary (Calgary International Airport) → Smithers, British Columbia (Smithers Airport) Smithers (Frontier Experience Lodge – Bulkley River) Smithers (Bulkley Valley Museum) Smithers (Coast Mountain GM) Smithers (The Sausage Factory & Smithers Brewing Co. Nature's Pantry & Two Sisters Cafe) Smithers (Jollymore Ranch) Episode summary At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to Smithers, British Columbia. Teams first had to sign up for one of two flights, carrying four and five teams respectively, at Calgary International Airport. After landing, teams had to search for a marked truck at the airport, which contained their next clue, instructing them to drive to the Frontier Experience Lodge. There, teams had to retrieve ten different species of artificial fish in order to receive their next clue. Teams had to listen to CICK-FM to learn that they had to drive to the Bulkley Valley Museum, where they found their next clue. Team members had to write the answers to five questions specific to each team by Jon Montgomery on a smartphone. If teams matched three answers, then Jon gave them their next clue. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to memorize 20 features of a second generation Chevrolet Trax and then perform a vehicle introduction to a buyer in order to receive their next clue. This leg's Detour was a choice between Stuff or Fold. In Stuff, teams had to use a hand-operated sausage maker to make 12 sausages links. Then, they had to travel by horse-drawn carriage to Smithers Brewing Co. and deliver the sausages in order to receive their next clue. In Fold, teams had to fold an egg carton based on the design from inventor and Smithers native Joseph Coyle. Then, they had to travel by horse-drawn carriage to Two Sisters Cafe and deliver their eggs intact in order to receive their next clue. After the Detour, teams had to check in at the Pit Stop: the Jollymore Ranch.
Leg 3 (British Columbia)
Episode 3: "Bribery Always Works" (July 18, 2023) Prize: A trip for two to Oslo, Norway (awarded to Gracie & Lily) Locations Smithers (Riverside Municipal Campground) Smithers → Vancouver Vancouver (Queen Elizabeth Park) → Whistler (Inuksuk) Whistler (Squamish Lil'Wat Cultural Centre Scandinave Spa) Whistler (Whistler Bungee) Pemberton (Riverlands Equestrian Facility) Pemberton (Big Sky Golf Club) Episode summary At the start of this leg, teams were instructed to fly to Vancouver. Once there, teams had to travel to Queen Elizabeth Park and sign up for one of two buses, each carrying four teams, to Whistler. In Whistler, teams found their next clue by the village's inuksuk. This leg's Detour was a choice between Woods or Water. In Woods, teams had to travel to the Squamish Lil'Wat Cultural Centre and memorize ten plaques with words in Squamish and Lil'Wat. Teams then had to place the correct Squamish and Lil'Wat translations beneath the English words on a board in order to receive their next clue. In Water, teams had to travel to Scandinave Spa and choose a coloured tile with partial lettering. They then had to memorize two additional tiles in a cold pool and a hot pool and combine the three tiles to form a spa-related word in order to receive their next clue. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to perform a bungee jump and record a phrase – "Will you marry me?" – with a smartphone in order to receive their next clue. After the Roadblock, teams found their next clue at the Riverlands Equestrian Facility. There, one team member had to memorize a 130-piece wedding table setting and then direct their partner to recreate the table setting in order to receive their next clue. After driving to Big Sky Golf Club, teams had to search through more than 600 golf balls for two with their team names. After finding the balls, teams could check in at the Pit Stop at the 17th hole. If teams used the Assist, then they only had to find one ball. Jermaine & Justin used their Assist. Additional note This was a non-elimination leg.
Leg 4 (British Columbia)
Episode 4: "This Ugly Duckling is Now a Swan" (July 25, 2023) Prize: A trip for two to Nassau, Bahamas (awarded to Derek & Jaspal) Eliminated: Shayla & Joel Locations Whistler (Rebagliati Park)