'The Amazing Race' is coming to Canada, and we in Alberta couldn't been more excited for the opportunity to share our beautiful province with the rest of the country.
The Canadian spin-off will take advantage of our massive geographic region and film exclusively withing Canada - a departure from the U.S. version's worldwide challenges. Bertram van Munster, one of the show's creators, says the decision will showcase Canada to Canadians who have yet to leave their own province.
"With the world’s second largest country as its backdrop, 'The Amazing Race Canada' will offer a unique glimpse of the broad and diverse Canadian landscape and culture, while maintaining all of the excitement, spontaneity and challenge inherent in ‘The Race,’” said van Munster in a press release.
Canada has twice been featured as a destination in the U.S. edition of the show, but for the first time Canadians will have the opportunity to participate.
“Canadians deserve their own summer version, distinct from what is seen in fall and winter," said Phil King, CTV's president of Programming and Sports. Countries in South America, Europe and Asia, as well as Australia, already have their own spin-offs of the show.
Details behind Canada's take on the show are still few: the show will air sometime next summer, casting will begin in the new year and a host has not yet been determined. There's no indication of when filming will come to Alberta (if it comes here at all) but we think this province is a perfect fit for the adventure-based challenges the show tends to feature.
We're not about to wait to find out where they'll head and when. In fact, we've done the producers a favour and come up with some challenges we'd love to see happen here. Everywhere from Fort McMurray to Pincher Creek gets a turn and we've thrown in some slightly gross challenges, too - as per reality show expectations.
Which Alberta destinations would you like to see on The Amazing Race Canada? Feel free to sound off in the comment section below.
Alberta Destinations We Want To See On The Amazing Race Canada.
Slideshow text follows below for mobile readers..
Amazing Race Canada - Alberta Activities
Also, be sure to check out our top 10 Canadian destinations we want to see on the Amazing Race Canada.
Climb the Tower of Babel
The Tower of Babel in the heart of the Canadian Rockies is a tall, quartzite spire that stretches up and over the deep-blue glacier waters of Moraine Lake. Rumour has it there's an entire living room set made of rocks at the top. It's a tough climb for many so we're taking it easy on the players this time - contestants must scramble to the summit for their next clue.
Decipher the Petroglyphs at Writing On Stone Provincial Park
Famous for its hoodoos and petroglyphs, Writing On Stone Provincial Park is too often missed by travellers to our province. Contestants must follow a series of clues to various petroglyphs around the park. They must sketch out the petroglyphs they see and return to the interpretive centre to decipher the petroglyphs for their next clue.
Visit the Haunted Banff Springs Hotel
Tales abound of the ghosts that roam the halls, foyers and rooms of the majestic Banff Springs Hotel. In this challenge, contestants must try to solve one of the ghost stories by having a nighttime seance in the hotel. From there they must travel the hallways of the old wing of the building, in pitch darkness, to find their next clue.
Paddle Lake Louise
Travelers come from all over the world to admire the milky blue waters of Lake Louise in summer and the snow capped glaciers in winter. In this challenge, contestants must either canoe or cross country ski (depending on the time of year) the 2.4 km distance to the back of the lake before collecting their clue and running the shoreline trail back to the hotel.
Zip Line or Bobsled Calgary's Canada Olympic Park
Contestants will travel to C.O.P., the home base for Canada's 1988 Olympics, and make their way to the top of the hill to take in Calgary's breathtaking skyline. They will then have the choice to zip line their way down to the bottom or take a bobsled on wheels through the Olympic track. One will get them down a lot faster, but it's takes a lot more nerve.
White Water Raft the Bow River
With the help of a guide, contestants will take in the scenery from their very own white water raft, which they will have to navigate through the choppy swells and white water to make it to their next clue.
Tube down a Ski Hill
It wouldn't be a trip to Alberta without a visit to one of our world-class ski hills. In this challenge contestants will have to make their way to the top of a ski hill, grab an inner tube and try to make it to the bottom without falling out. Once at the bottom they will head to the lodge and order an apres-ski drink to receive their next clue.
Head to the Mountains. Ride a Horse
In pairs, contestants will travel to a trail riding outfit in the Rockies and make their way by map through a series of trails to find their next clue. Riding through a river is an absolute must. Bonus points if the show gets very safe but stubborn horses for the players to ride.
Visit The Alberta Boot Factory. Learn To Line Dance.
What's a visit to the wild west without properly outfitting your feet? In this challenge one of the contestants from each team must design a pair of cowboy boots for their partner, and with help from the experts make the boots in the factory. Their partner, in turn, must take their new boots to a line dancing coach and learn a line dance. They must perform the line dance in front of a panel of expert line dancers, and pass, to complete the challenge.
Chow Down on Prairie Oysters
It's not an reality show unless you make the contestants eat something gross, right? Alberta is famous for its prairie oysters (a gussied-up name for bull testicles.) In this challenge one partner from each team has to choke down as many of these delicacies as they can to win the challenge.
Attend a Farm Branding
Not for the faint-of-heart, cattle branding can be one of the toughest tasks a farmer has to tend to. In this challenge, contestants will travel to a prairie farm to help a crew of farmers and farm hands apply their brand to cattle. We're no pro on the logistics, so we'll let the show creators decide who wins this one.
Drive one of the World's Biggest Trucks
If Alberta is known for one thing and one thing alone, it's the oil in the sand. In this challenge, contestants would make their way to an oilsands project near Fort McMurray, where they will have the opportunity to drive one of the world's largest trucks (under supervision, of course.)
Climb a Wind Turbine in Pincher Creek
Wind farms dot the horizon in Southern Alberta and while their power is good for the environment, the wind turbines have been particularly problematic for bat and bird populations. In this challenge, contestants will make their way to a wind farm where they will have to climb a turbine up and down before collecting a dead bat at the base of one of the towering structures to prove they were there.