Rick Mercer Report Season 7, Episode 4: October 20, 2009

1

September 29, 2009

Rick starts the season with a trip to Whistler, BC where he bungee jumps with Rick Hansen. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Hansen's 'Man in Motion' marathon wheelchair tour. Also, CHarmony - the online dating site for Conservatives, outtakes from Michael Ignatieff's ads and Rick Rants about the bloodsport of Canadian elections. Plus, Rick kicks off this year's Spread the Net Challenge.

21 min

2

October 6, 2009

Rick joins the crew of the legendary Bluenose II and then races three cars chained together.

21 min

3

October 13, 2009

Rick trains with a Sea King Squadron and participates in a naval boarding party; War of 1812 re-enactment.

21 min

4

October 20, 2009

Rick trains with the competitors of ``Battle of the Blades''; annual Giant Pumpkin Weight-Off and Boat Race.

21 min

5

October 27th, 2009

Rick is in Niagara Falls indoor skydiving with Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson, and then they hang out at Lifeson’s Toronto bar where Rick gets a guitar lesson. Rick also goes behind the scenes on Parliament Hill to find out what makes the place tick— he changes the Peace Tower flag, conducts a tour, among other tasks.

21 min

6

Noverber 3rd, 2009

This week Rick checks into the world of fashion at Toronto’s annual Fashion Week. He gets an overview from Jeanne Beker, chats with Canadian designers, and even joins the models on the runway. He is also in Burnaby, BC at Electronic Arts to see how video games are developed from start to finish.

21 min

7

Noverber 17th, 2009

This week Rick is in London, ON training with members of Canada’s national wheelchair rugby team. Later, he goes to Toronto’s Royal Winter Fair and checks out some ‘super dogs’ in action — a wide variety of canines who dance, catch frisbees and perform other amazing feats.

21 min

8

November 24th, 2009

Tonight Rick is in Edmonton for the 35th annual Canadian Finals Rodeo event. He joins the season’s top point-getters for this grand season finale — Rick barrel-races, does trick riding on a horse, and even helps to get the stock animals in order backstage. Later, he’s north of Toronto getting a fly-fishing lesson from a pro.

21 min

9

December 1st, 2009

Tonight Rick is in Montreal to train and compete with the women of the Montreal Roller Derby; he follows with a trip to Grand Manan Island in the Bay of Fundy, for a lesson in lobster fishing.

21 min

10

January 5th, 2010 (Best of 2009)

A look back at the best reports of 2009 to start off 2010.

21 min

11

January 12th, 2010

Rick is in Vancouver taking a pre-Olympic look at how the airport functions—he checks out baggage-handling, security, emergency services, and even helps getting birds off the runway. He also goes ice sailing on the Bay of Quinte in Trenton, Ontario.

21 min

12

January 19th, 2010

Tonight Rick is in Jasper National Park learning all about how the avalanche control and rescue team works and even experiences first-hand how ace rescue dog Starksy performs his duties. Later he goes on a date to the West Edmonton Mall with leader of the upstart Wild Rose Alliance party, Danielle Smith.

21 min

13

January 26th, 2010

Tonight Rick is at the National Figure Skating Championship in London, ON. He tries synchronized skating and national Olympic-bound champs Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir give him an ice dance lesson. Later he’s off to Alberta’s Elk Island National Park for the annual bison round-up.

21 min

14

February 2nd, 2010

Tonight Rick goes west to check out bobsled action–he’s in Rossland, BC for Canada’s longest-running winter carnival and partakes in the homemade bobsled race down the frozen main street. Then he is in Calgary where our Olympic Women’s Bobsled team, headed by Kailie Humphries, shows him how it’s really done.

21 min

15

February 9th, 2010

Rick visits Calgary’s hotbed of Olympic training with Olympic medalist Kyle Shewfelt to find out how the cutting-edge ‘Own the Podium’ science program is preparing our athletes to win a record number of medals in Vancouver.

21 min

16

March 2nd, 2010

Rick is in The Pas for the annual Northern Manitoba Trapper’s Festival where he tries out events from moose-calling to flour-packing, and then he has lunch with NDP leader Jack Layton at his eco-friendly Toronto home.

21 min

17

March 9th, 2010

Rick finds out first hand how the Toronto Marine Unit makes harbour ice rescues and later goes to an Outdoor Adventure Show where he does some white-water rafting, rock climbing, and learns to scuba dive.

21 min

18

March 16th, 2010

Rick goes to the Toronto Bike Show and visits the Spread the Net Student Challenge winners at Simon Fraser University and the University of Ottawa.

21 min

19

March 23nd, 2010

Tonight Rick is at the Paralympics. In Vancouver, he checks out the action with Rick Hansen, joins the sledge hockey team, and goes ziplining with former mayor Sam Sullivan. He’s also in Whistler with gold medalists Brian and Robin McKeever and meets Canada’s paralympians in the Athletes’s Village.

21 min