Ottawa Fall Home Show: Feeling at home with the experts

Published Sep 29, 2023 • 3 minute read

Celebrity contractor Michael Holmes, Jr., will speak at the Fall Home Show about dos and don’ts of hiring a renovator, as well as sharing his story. Photo by The Holmes Group photograph

A slew of HGTV stars, new features and some returning favourites are all part of the fun at the Ottawa Fall Home Show.

Fresh speakers Michael Holmes, Jr., and Sherry Holmes — the children of Canada’s most famous contractor, Mike Holmes — join a dozen others to present insightful, informative or just plain interesting talks on the main stage, while fan favourites like the test-a-tool booth and voting for the All Things Home People’s Choice Award winner in the Housing Design Awards are back.

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“We are excited to present a sold-out Ottawa Fall Home Show with wall-to-wall exhibitors and features to help visitors navigate their next home-related project,” says show organizer Rob Johnstone of Expo Media. “This year’s show is back to original pre-pandemic size with over 220 exhibits occupied by some of Ottawa’s top home experts.”

New to this year’s show, which runs Sept. 28 to Oct. 1 at the EY Centre, is Save Your Favs, which will allow visitors to use their smart phone’s camera to scan QR codes at each booth to be emailed more information on companies after the show.

Also back is the Perth Brewery Lounge, offering a spot to sit and relax and enjoy a beer (it’s also close to the speaker’s stage so you can catch a talk, too) and the popular Habitat for Humanity pop-up ReStore, where you can find new and gently used home furnishings and decor, some of them upcycled, at a fraction of the original price.

And be sure to check out the rotating local vendor market presented by the Urban Botanist, featuring all-female small businesses and artists offering a variety of items, and the Future Roots Cooperative, a local not-for-profit that aims to change the way we think about landscaping, planting and the interconnectedness of food waste and healthy soil.

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Celebrity contractor Sherry Holmes will share her story at the Fall Home Show, as well as talk about women in the trades. Photo by The Holmes Group photograph

A big draw is sure to be the Holmes siblings, who are speaking separately. Sherry Holmes will be on stage Saturday and Sunday, while Michael Holmes will appear Friday and Saturday.

Both have been long-time regulars on shows with their father, stretching back so far that neither is sure just how many series they’ve been on. And neither expected to follow in their father’s footsteps, although Dad certainly pushed for it.

Michael, for instance, thought for a time that he wanted to be a firefighter, while Sherry just wanted to travel the world, but both were very familiar with the job site, often seeing their dad at work or helping him with projects at home when they visited him (their parents divorced when they were young).

“Every time I did things like that it was kind of a bonding experience,” says Sherry.

Michael agrees. “I was able to also spend more time with him at work, so that was special to me. It was a good reason to get into the trades and at least try working for him so that we could hang out a little bit more.”

Both Michael and Sherry will share their story at the home show, but they’ll also talk about more than that.

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Michael will share the dos and don’ts of hiring a contractor as well as discussing sustainability. “That’s a big one, building for longevity, building efficiency, prioritizing your renovation,” he says. He used be intimidated about the idea of following in his dad’s footsteps but has grown confident in himself. “There’s already a Mike Holmes so being Mike Holmes, Jr., I have to be myself, I can’t just try to be the carbon copy of Mike Holmes, Sr. So, there’s definitely big shoes to fill but I feel like I’m filling them out in my own way.”

Sherry, who will talk about women in the trades, has come to terms with the fact that she has become a role model. “If seeing someone else like myself on television is a helpful tool to get other women involved, I am all for being a role model and I think that’s amazing.”

If you go

What: Ottawa Fall Home Show

Where: EY Centre, 4899 Uplands Dr.

When: Sept. 28 to Oct. 1

Hours: Thursday & Friday, 12-9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Admission: Adults $14, seniors (60+) & youth (13-17) $13, children 12 and under admitted free. Get a $2 discount when purchasing online. Parking is $10.

Information: ottawafallhomeshow.com

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