Not every Canadian gets the gift of exploring their country from one end to the other, but with the upcoming second season of CBC reality competition series Canada’s Ultimate Challenge, it will feel as if you’ve got an all-you-can-see pass. 

That’s certainly how new host Brandon Gonez, the Toronto-born founder and CEO of Gonez Media, and host of weekly talk show The Brandon Gonez Show on YouTube, felt.

“I’ve been really fortunate to live in many parts of this country, from Ontario to British Columbia to Saskatchewan, but I’ve never been to Newfoundland, for example, or the Magdalen Islands,” says a joyful Gonez. “So this was a really cool opportunity to get to see the country and places that everyday Canadians [might not] have a chance to experience because it’s expensive or getting time off is difficult. … You also get to meet Canadians from all across the country.”

Twenty Canadians, to be exact, all with feisty, competitive personalities making for ideal reality television characters. Together, they comprise five teams who compete through 16 tough-as-nails challenges through the cold, rain, sweat and tears.

In its second season,  the show offers a closer look at the heat and hostility (and, of course, friendliness!) between the competitors who begin the series as perfect strangers, and end it having seen each other through some of their best and worst moments. 

Watch | The official trailer 

A big part of the fun, too, Gonez adds with a smirk and a glint in his eye, is that “the competition is nice and stiff.” And with the competitors spending the month sequestered (which means they were prohibited from contacting friends and family, and devastatingly did not have access to their phones), while being filmed for very nearly 24 hours a day, “you really get to see the ins and outs, the ugly, the good, the bad, the drama, the heart, the fights…it was giving everything.”

Fortunately, viewers will get to see it all when the seven-episode season premieres, and travel along via bus, ferry, plane, from the sky to the ocean as the series kicks off on St. John’s Signal Hill, where the competitors’ first challenge begins with them zip-lining across the historic site. As one does.

That initial location was Gonez’s most memorable, not only because it’s as far east as North America can take you (as “the edge of the world” as he dubs it in the show), but because of an unexpected personal connection. 

“My parents are from Jamaica, and some Canadians — especially those on the Atlantic coast — might know there was a really strong trade relationship between them,” shares Gonez.

Indeed, once upon a time, Jamaica and Newfoundland would exchange rum and salted cod, respectfully, as trading partners. It’s partly why Jamaica’s national dish became ackee and cod fish, and why a taste of Newfoundland Screech (a blend of imported Jamaican rum, East Coast water, caramel colour and flavouring) is a must when you’re in town.

“Being able to get Screech after my hosting duties was super fun and exciting,” says Gonez, a grin spreading across his face. “Oh my goodness, it was both of my cultures mixing together.”

The journalist-turned-host’s love of seafood — particularly fresh oysters — and appreciation for Eastern Atlantic hospitality (and accents) made his visit extra special. On more than one occasion, he’d stick around for a meal “right to close until they had to kick me out.”

From St. John’s, the teams will travel across the country, all the way to British Columbia.  

“We had one of the best production teams out there getting all the shots, [so] when you watch the show, yes, you’re going to be astonished by the competition, the challenges, the contestants, their stories, but you’re also going to be stunned by the images of our country,” says Gonez. “I don’t think there’s any country more beautiful than ours, we are so lucky and blessed to live here that we really have to find a way to see more of it, and you get a chance to do that with this show.”

The challenges in each episode demonstrate just how broad the Canadian landscape is, and how diverse geographically. They test players’ mental, physical and emotional strength, and hinge on both individual endurance and teamwork.

“A lot of times, I was just sipping my [metaphorical] tea, praying for these people,” says Gonez, with a laugh. “There were twists and surprises during the season where you will see my reaction, I’m jumping off the screen because there are some teams where there’s no way they’re going to pull this off, but then they do, and you’re just like, ‘Oh my god!’ … There were so many times where they were like, ‘Roll the tape back!’ Delulu becomes the solulu.”

The competitors bring a whole lot of heart too, sharing their incredible personal stories, many about how their families immigrated to Canada and put roots down, all while building connections with each other throughout the series. 

“The show is bringing out a lot of rawness and a lot of realness,” says Gonez. “We’re not shying away from that because…people want to see that. You get to connect with the competitors on a much deeper level. The cameras kept rolling before and after the challenges … so you get insight into how people are thinking and how they react to certain things. And then we also get to experience the disappointment, the heartbreak, the excitement.”

Still, it’s getting to see a sprawling Canada used as an obstacle course by a group of hungry competitors that particularly offers a unique lens, and something far more sumptuous than the average travel brochure or Instagram feed.