Three houses in a housing complex supported by famous person Mike Holmes were denounced by consumer advocacy group Tarion.
In the charming Georgian Bay hamlet of Meaford, Ontario, a bulldozer rips into a modern home. After just two years of occupancy, the house’s expansive windows, lofty ceilings, and terrace in the backyard have been reduced to a pile of broken glass and wood.
Living close down the street, Fayard Johnson described the situation as “traumatic.” “Really surprised to see that my neighbour’s house is going down.”
There are plans to demolish another house that is owned by Fayard’s neighbor next door.
The newest episode in the history of TerraceWood, a much-publicized housing complex in Meaford that opened its doors in 2015, is the demolitions. Mike Holmes, a well-known TV host and celebrity contractor, supported Third Line Homes in the construction of the “boutique” subdivision of homes.
Holmes is renowned for saving homes from poorly executed building projects. Using a billboard among other marketing tools, he marketed TerraceWood as “Holmes Approved Homes.”
In a promotional YouTube video, Holmes stated, “Third Line Holmes Approved Homes are built with innovation, integrity, and a commitment to make it right.”
However, Tarion, Ontario’s new-home consumer protection body, claims that things didn’t go as planned. Tarion filed a $8 million lawsuit against the project’s stakeholders in 2021, as CBC News previously reported, claiming that 14 TerraceWood residences were constructed improperly.
CBC has since discovered that three of those residences have been condemned by Tarion.
Three are awaiting a demolition date, while two have already been demolished.
According to Tarion spokesman Andrew Donnachie, “demolition was a more reasonable option than repair given the nature of the defects discovered” in the homes. A few of the suit’s defendants contend that condemning all three properties was the wrong decision.
