New Amazing Race Season puts Richmond in the Spotlight

Fans of The Amazing Race Canada will themselves be amazed when they sit down to watch the July 16 episode of the blockbuster CTV show––especially if they are familiar with one of Richmond’s most popular city centre shopping malls.

Now in its 10th year, the 2024 edition of the hit reality TV program features 11 two-person teams navigating the country via cars, boats, planes and more. En route, they must solve clues, tackle challenges, request help from locals and try to reach the finish line faster than anyone else. The prize? Nationwide kudos, a $250,000 cheque, two Chevrolet EV cars and a grand round-the-world vacation.

But before they can even think about the prizes, each team has to negotiate a series of increasingly tricky tasks faster than all the other competitors on the show. And in Richmond, that head-scratching early season challenge was recently filmed at Parker Place Mall on No. 3 Road, a five-minute walk from the Canada Line’s Aberdeen Station.

What Happened

Just a few weeks ago, locals began exchanging messages and social media posts about some unusual visitors in the Parker Place food court––a popular Richmond dining spot lined with independent vendors serving authentic Asian dishes. But the unexpected guests, who were on camera as soon as they stepped from their taxis outside the mall, were not here to eat.

Instead, they hustled themselves straight to the mall’s bustling food court area, where a raised stage was studded with special tables––one for each of the show’s nine remaining teams. Their task was to head to their dedicated team table and then arrange a series of scrambled mahjong tiles into the correct order.

The wrinkle? None of the teams knew how to play mahjong––a historic Chinese game involving tiles adorned with specialized symbols––which meant they didn’t even know where to begin. Luckily, the Parker Place food court is a popular destination for locals who love playing the game, so the teams were encouraged to ask for advice from three tables of expert players seated nearby.

If they completed the tile challenge, the teams were then provided with a clue that directed them to another part of the mall. Here, an additional mahjong board awaited them, requiring them to cast their all-important U-turn vote––the team receiving the most votes would be forced to tackle a Detour task they had originally chosen to avoid.

Top-secret Visit

The two-hour TV shoot at Parker Place was a closely guarded secret known only to a few mall employees and a handful of need-know-locals. And since the food court was––as it often is––filled with diners enjoying their lunches, hardly anyone knew exactly what was going on until the filming was well underway.

Hosted by popular former Olympian Jon Montgomery, the 10th season of The Amazing Race Canada premiered on CTV on July 2. Over the years, the show has visited all of Canada’s provinces and territories, as well as making overseas visits to China, France, Mexico and more. British Columbia, one of the show’s most popular destinations, has been featured multiple times––including a 2022 season finale visit to the Richmond Night Market and other city hot spots.

This year’s diverse array of dueling teams includes entrepreneurs Dorothy and Olus from Alberta, father and daughter duo Brad and Samantha from Ontario and former baseball professionals and now youth coaches Tyson and Michael from Vancouver, whose team motto is “Til Everybody Eats”––which might also be the perfect slogan for Richmond’s ever-popular Parker Place food court.

Last Updated on July 17, 2024 by Tourism Richmond