The Richmond Sentinel as promised continues to report on Richmond’s Derek and Jaspal’s journey across Canada while continuing to compete for the title of ‘Best Duo’ in the Amazing Race Canada. The six remaining teams left Long Beach, B.C. last week and raced for the first available seat on a flight to Toronto, ON. Three of the six teams were given an express pass which means they can choose not to compete in one of the challenges along the route to the next pit stop. Unfortunately, Derek and Jaspal were one of the three teams that did not have an express pass which puts them at the back of the pack.   

When they arrive in Toronto, they must drive to St. Catherines to look for their first clue at the Salem Chapel also known as the Underground Railway that provided safe passage for over 30,000 slaves escaping across the border into Canada in the 19th century. Each team is given their clue to drive to the other side of the Welland Canal and find the St. Catharines Propulsion Plant where one team member must assemble and disassemble a V8 engine head. When the task is correctly completed, the next clue gives each team the option to drive to Welland and to either complete a challenge at a flower distributor or at the international flat-water centre.  

Five teams headed to the flower challenge and Derek and Jaspal are the only team to head to the water centre where they must learn how to row a high-performance scull used in competitive rowing. After a quick lesson they must row against a time clock, sounds easy. After several attempts, and falling into the canal they finally get the hang of it and complete the challenge. I don’t know what statement from Derek was funnier: “this is a lot harder than a rowing machine at the gym” or “at least my hair looks good” after the third dunk into the canal. 

Next challenge, drive to Niagara on the Lake where one team member must drive a harvester machine and fill it with water then carefully manoeuvre the water across the winery where they must fill up two troughs, once completed they receive their next clue. They must drive next to the town, Niagara on the Lake where they have to locate a hotel for the final challenge—to perform the task of a Somalian matching wine flavours to key food ingredients using only their sense of smell. Once completed they have to travel by foot to the pit stop. 

This is where the competition is off balance, the other 3 teams have an advantage of not having to do one the challenges on this leg of the race so all three teams moved onto the pit stop and a fourth team who completed the last challenge is also safe at the pit stop. This leaves Derek and Jaspal in the bottom two at the wine challenge when the episode announced—to be continued so we’re kept in suspense for a week with only two teams left to fill one spot, or so we think. 

Part two, wouldn’t you know it there was no elimination on this leg of the race and so all six teams must travel by train to Windsor.  The first three teams that arrived last week at the pit stop leave on the first train to Windsor and the remaining three teams which includes Derek and Jaspal had to wait for the second train. Once they arrive in Windsor, they drive to a water park where they must find clues while travelling down the covered water slide on a rubber tube and although Derek and Jaspal are in second last place leaving this challenge they stopped and helped the team in last place, which will come back to haunt them. For the next challenge the teams are given a clue to choose either performing a swing dance routine or building an abstract sculpture. When Derek and Jaspal reached the abstract sculpture challenge, three teams were already there so the challenge was full which required them to travel to the second challenge and learn and perform the swing dance routine.  

The next clue gives the teams instructions for a Texas Holden Poker game, where two teams for the first time compete against each other. The winner moves on to the final challenge and the loser must face off against the next team as they arrive. The last team number six, is given a time penalty and that was Derek and Jaspal. They maintained their composure and never gave up.

The final challenge was to drive to an energy farm operated by windmills.  Here they must calculate the energy each windmill produces and that includes climbing up inside the wind mill for additional calculations. The five teams in the lead decided to help each other to secure the five winning spots, as they knew the last team will be eliminated. When Derek and Jaspal pull up to the last challenge site they believed the team that they helped with clues earlier would help them, but that team snubbed them as they drove by. That was a moment of disappointment. Derek and Jaspal completed the challenge remarkably fast, but would it be fast enough for them to catch the two teams ahead of them.  

They did arrive last at the pit stop and Jon Montgomery announced that they were the last team to arrive and were eliminated from the race. Their parting remarks were full of praise and respect for each other. To Derek Gottenbos and Jaspal Sidhu you did Richmond proud, and you restored our belief that ‘it’s not whether you win or lose but how you play the game.’ You may not be the 2023 Amazing Race Best Duo but you are an amazing duo.