Solid competition: Alberta bricklayers go head-to-head
It's got a name that sounds like it's right out of motorsports -- the 2022 Spec Mix Bricklayer 500. Six teams from Alberta compete by building an eight-metre long brick wall as high as possible in just one hour.
This year's champions are mason Dave Sontag and his tender Sonny Harvey. The two managed to lay 557 bricks for their wall and this is Sontag's 10th year competing.
"Once you try, you really want to succeed every single time be the best bricklayer you can," he said. "We compete against friends that we're talking with back and forth, we're all friends here so it's just competitiveness, that's the industry."
The two have won a trip to the national competition in Las Vegas. Denis Charbonneau has organized the regional event for the last eight years and says the best an Alberta team has done is a second-place finish.
"There's 24 teams nationwide, with three from Canada," said Charbonneau. "A few years ago the first Canadian winner was from Ontario and that was big."
Charbonneau says the side benefit of the annual event is to develop interest in the trade and to entice more young people to choose bricklaying as a career. The judged event is designed to test speed, skill and stamina by challenging teams to build the best brick wall with as few errors as possible in the time limit. The total number of bricks used are calculated and bricks are deducted for various faults found.
"There's deductions for chipped bricks and bad joints," said Charbonneau. "One (of the) penalties is 50 bricks off your count."
Roland Stallknecht has almost 50 years of experience in the industry and volunteers his time to judge the regional event.
"Most of the guys are working to the top of their ability today," he said. "But just like anything else, sometimes you have it and sometimes you don't on a certain day."
Stallknecht was even invited to Las Vegas one year to judge the nationals.
"A lot of companies in the states sponsor their contestants," said Stallknecht. "They practice 12 months of the year and I don't think that happens in Alberta, I wish it did because I think there's some guys that could really take away the prizes."
Donovan Payne is a second-year bricklaying apprentice and is the tender for mason Micky Cardinal. This is his first time competing at this level and he feels he's on the road to success.
"This is where I want to be one day and these guys are my idols," said Payne. "Micky my bricklayer, he's one of my idols, he's amazing, it was so awesome to see him working today and just to see where I need to be at you know, because that's where I aim to be."
Mason Dan Kozey teamed up wth Louis St. Laurent for the event. St. Laurent says he's been trying to get Kozey out for a number of years for the regional event because he says they work well together.
"I make sure that he's got everything he needs where he needs it, that's about it," said St. Laurent. "Then coach, pay attention on time and then you know make sure that I don't cost deduction with the chipped bricks which you miss here and there right."
The two-person teams have to work well together because only the mason can touch the wall while the tender makes sure he always has access to bricks and mortar. Those who've competed say it's an hour of madness.
The winning team heads to the 21st annual Las Vegas World Championships at the World of Concrete in mid January 2023 with a chance to win more than $125,000 in prize money.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Federal government grants B.C.'s request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces
The federal government is granting British Columbia's request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces, nearly two weeks after the province asked to end its pilot project early over concerns of public drug use.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
MPs agree Canadian gov't should improve new disability benefit
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL has suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Trudeau's handling of Poilievre's 'wacko' House turfing a clear sign of Liberal desperation
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
New charges for Ont. woman who previously admitted to defrauding doulas
The Brantford, Ont. woman who was previously sentenced to house arrest after admitting to deceiving doulas has been charged again in connection to a new victim.