The Wise Men of Canada’s Handyman Challenge

Mike Holmes, Scott McGillivray and Bryan Baeumler—they’ve been called the three wise men of home renovations. So, when I met with these makeover magi this past summer on the set of Canada’s Handyman Challenge, I thought I’d explore this idea a bit further. I asked each one which wise man he most resembled and which wise men he thought his fellow judges took after.

Now, before we discuss their epiphanies, let’s review: the three wise men are Melchoir, Caspar and Balthazar. More important for this exercise is what the three kings were carrying: gold, frankincense and myrrh. Frankincense is a resin that smells very nice when it is brunt. Myrrh is also a resin, but it finds more use as a healing balm for cuts.

“I’m the guy with the gold because I do the rental properties.” McGillivray said. “I’m not into fluffing spaces or smelling pretty or healing things. You see, I don’t make mistakes that lead to injuries, so there is nothing to heal! I wear deodorant so I don’t have to worry about smell. But, I’m always looking for gold in the basement. Bryan is frankincense. Holmes would be myrrh because he’s always healing or fixing projects gone wrong.”

Holmes was much more direct with his answer: “I’m carrying gold. Bryan’s carrying the frankincense. And Scott’s got the myrrh.”

“Scott’s got frankincense,” Baeumler said without any hesitation. “Scott is so handsome, he must smell nice. Mike’s got the gold…around his neck and in his watch. And yes, I’m a healer and a very patient man. ‘You broke that. Let’s fix it together.'”

You can see these three witty wise men starting next Tuesday at 10 p.m. on HGTV.