Canada’s Handyman Challenge names winner, opens casting

From a media release:

WINNER DECLARED IN SEASON FINALE OF CANADAâ€™S HANDYMAN CHALLENGE

For the last eight weeks HGTV Canada celebrities Scott McGillivray (Income Property), Bryan Baeumler (Leave It To Bryan) and Paul Lafrance (Disaster Decks) have been drilling and judging the countryâ€™s top amateur handyman talent to find the best of the best in Canadaâ€™s Handyman Challenge. In last nightâ€™s adrenaline-fueled finale featuring guest judge Mike Holmes (Holmes Makes It Right), 29-year-old Maria Nestoras from Hamilton, Ont. brought home the $25,000 prize and the respect of the top men in the business.

Maria has come out on top of competitors from Vancouver to Halifax who have competed in rigorous challenges ranging from wiring and carpentry to upholstery and wallpapering.

Canadian handymen with a competitive spirit who think they have what it takes to impress HGTV Canadaâ€™s top talent and bring home $25,000 can register now for the next season of the hit show. Canadaâ€™s Handyman Challenge will be holding casting calls in four cities including: Moncton, N.B., Toronto, Ont., Winnipeg, Man., and Calgary, Alta. Applicants must apply online at http://canadashandymanchallengecasting.com prior to live auditions.

17 thoughts on “Canada’s Handyman Challenge names winner, opens casting”

Another entertaining season and pretty cool that one of the underdogs won – I was rooting for either her or Kris.

Jenn Robertson did a great job hosting.

I’m a female and from Hamilton so it’s nice to see someone from the area win …congratulations to Maria. She proved her skills and fierce determination through out the series of challenges. Maria kept up with her rivals and was selected as the proven winner of this years Canada’s Handyman (WOMAN) challenge!!!!!!!

Congratulations Maria Nestoras for winning the big prize!
You were a great player in this & we enjoyed watching you.
WTG!!

so great that Maria won – she deserved it – even if some will say she won on the basis she is a woman and won to show how egalitarian and non chauvinist we Canadians areI for one like to see the best handyperson won this challenge on the basis of their skills not gender.
Great show , great talent!

Betty says:

March 21, 2013 at 12:09 pm

I so agree.She was spot on,& she was so cool about it.
Great gal,she should go far.

Maria, waaay to go, am very proud of you that you could be the BEST of the tradespeople on that show… You are a very talented and competitive Handy woman….Congratulations…you will be getting jobs from all over
the place…. You definitely will go far..
Kathy
Vancouver Island

Canad’s Best Handyman Challenge is one of my favorite Canadian shows.
Keep up the great work..and am looking forward to your next season.
Kathy

congrats maria even though you were not from the east coast we were still rooting for you so glad that you won and may your future be as bright as your spirit loved watching the show

Maria….you were awsome!!! I am sure we don’t want to loose you around here but I am sure the offers will be coming in droves! Very proud of you…good luck with everything.

First time watching the show. LOVED IT!! Was rooting for Maria all the way. She did great, so happy for her. All the best in the future kid.

All four finalists had their strengths and I am sure that Chris the “always confident” is still in shock . . . but Maria definetely deserved the win. I called it very early in the series and was thrilled for her to win. If someone in the teaching field with any input on hiring is reading this, here is a young woman who should be hired to talk to students (male & female)in our (Ont. or any other board) schools to encourage them to join the trades and learn these skills from any early age. Middle school to high schoolor even earlier. What an opportunity!!!! I even had 8 year old girls building wooden pencil boxes at my daughter’s birthday party! My daughter was concerned that perhaps her friends might not need a pencil box so it became a huge joke when my suggestions included items that “Barbie” could use, from a closet, a bath-tub, a table, a single bed to the most talked about “Barbie Coffin”. I really didn’t care what the “box” was for; it was just the experience of making the box! They were a huge hit even though (other than my daughter) the girls didn’t know what or how to use sandpaper! The smiles and pride when they showed their respective parents who picked them up from the party ~ priceless! Great show!

I’m so glad that Maria won!! It’s not that they should let a woman win this time, she actually deserves it!! Her work was excellent. Every construction project has it’s deficiencies, but she, I am sure, will make it big because she is humble and I am sure has learned from all her experiences. Way to go, Maria!!