Survival Can Be a Real ‘Riddle’ on THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, Where Even a Sweet Reunion Has a Sharp Competitive Edge

By BILL HARRIS Special to The Lede Wishes were granted in tonight’s new episode of CTV’s THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, but one team saw its chances fall to the bottom of a well. SPOILER ALERT: Full details of what happened follow. As the half-dozen remaining teams gathered at East Park Golf Gardens in London, Ont., they were surprised when six became nine! Three other teams that had never been technically eliminated yet had to leave the race due to COVID (Court and Ali, Catherine and Craig, and Dennis and Durrell) were back. But as always with THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, there were challenges. The three reintroduced teams were tasked with finding only two available “golden passes” hidden somewhere on the vast grounds, and were given a riddle as a clue: “Everyone here wishes you well, but where the pass is hidden we cannot tell. It’s up to you to figure out what’s up so go somewhere that gives you luck. Find the right place and you’re back in the Race.” The two passes were hidden under a wishing well. Court and Ali were the first to figure it out, so they grabbed a pass, and then helped Catherine and Craig locate the second pass, for reasons that were revealed at the end of the episode. That left the Nova Scotia uncle-nephew team of Dennis Ashe and Durrell Borden without a pass, and they were eliminated. Here’s what Dennis and Durrell had to say about their brief re-entry, and more: Q: What’s your general feeling now, looking back on your time on the Race? DURRELL: “I’d say it was a great experience overall. We met some incredible people, including the racers, the production, andpeople across Canada. And we had a great time running the Race, and doing some pretty neat challenges with my uncle.” Q: You were the first nephew-uncle team in the history of THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, so that’s something! DURRELL: “Yeah, not too shabby.” DENNIS: “That’s cool, because we’re both family guys, so it was great to do something like this with my nephew. I love him to death. We grew up together and it has been great watching him grow into a man who is doing great things. Traveling around Canada and building our relationship even more, it was wonderful.” Q: What were you thinking when you realized that you would be facing a riddle and a scavenger hunt to try to get back into the Race? DURRELL: “I think we were all just thinking, you know, let’s try and figure this out as quickly as we can, based on where we were, which was a golf course. But we were surprised.” DENNIS: “I would say I’m okay at riddles, pretty good. But you know, with something like THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, it’s fast-paced, there’s anxiety, and adrenaline pumping, and things like that. Your brain kind of turns into mush, right? Watching at home, it seems like it’s a bit easier. But when you’re there, it’s trickier.” Q: It must have been hard having to depart the Race earlier due to COVID. DURRELL: “You never know what the universe is going to throw at you, which is part of THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, and also part of life in general. At first, yeah, there was frustration. You’re trying to trace things back, you’re trying to figure things out. You don’t know if you’re going to get a chance to get back. At some point, though, you realize that you have nothing but time, so why not take it? Do some meditation, some yoga, just fall into that space, use that time the best that you can while you wait to see what’s going to happen.” DENNIS: “It was tough to have to sit out because of something that we couldn’t control. And then to go back and immediately be faced with a little on-ramp or obstacle to get back into the Race … it was unexpected. But you just have to roll with the punches.” Q: So the big question would be, having sat out for several legs, and then returning for such a short time before being eliminated, was it worth coming back? DENNIS: “Um, it’s always nice, I guess, whether you agree with it or not, to at least have a chance to get back in. But yeah, I’m the type of person who, when something like this happened that was out of our control, it would have been nice to just get right back into the Race, and be on the same playing field, racing with the other racers. But I guess having the opportunity is better than just, ‘you’re out.’ ” Q: Knowing what you know now, what piece of advice would you give someone heading into THE AMAZING RACE CANADA? DURRELL: “Any team that has ever won on THE AMAZING RACE CANADA has always been a team that had fun. So that’s the main thing. Challenge yourself, get out of your comfort zone, be vulnerable, and just give it a try. But an actual tip would be, read carefully! Be present in the moment. stay as calm as you can, use every breathing technique you can think of, and read carefully – not slowly, but read efficiently, read proficiently. And then act. Don’t make up a story of what could happen. Don’t overthink it. Read carefully, and then jump in.” DENNIS: “Expect the unexpected, and be yourself. I mean, you were chosen to be on the show, so you’re there for a reason. So be yourself, on the Race and off the Race. That’s my motto.” billharristv@gmail.com @billharris_tv