''Canada's Worst Driver 7'' is the seventh season of the Canadian
reality TV
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 199 ...
show ''
Canada's Worst Driver
''Canada's Worst Driver'' is a Canadian television series that aired on Discovery Channel from 2005 to 2018, based on '' Britain's Worst Driver.'' It and sister series '' Canada's Worst Handyman'' (2006–2011) are the two highest-rated progr ...
,'' which aired on the
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel, known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery, is an American cable channel that is best known for its ongoing reality television shows and promotion of pseudoscience.
It init ...
. As with previous years, eight people, nominated by their family or friends, enter the Driver Rehabilitation Centre to improve their driving skills. This season makes a particular emphasis on the uniquely Canadian nature of driving, rather than having any driving-related motifs as in past years. This year, the Driver Rehabilitation Centre is located at the
Dunnville Airport
Dunnville Airport was a registered aerodrome located south of Dunnville, Ontario, Canada. It was built during World War II as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan and was home to Royal Canadian Air Force No.6 Service Flying Train ...
in
Dunnville, Ontario
Dunnville is an unincorporated community located near the mouth of the Grand River (Ontario), Grand River in Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada, near the historic List of Ontario Tourist Routes#Talbot Trail, Talbot Trail. It was formerly an inco ...
for the second straight season. The initial drive started in
St. Catharines, Ontario
St. Catharines is the most populous city in Canada's Niagara Region, the eighth largest urban area in the province of Ontario. As of 2021, St. Catharines has an area of and 136,803 residents. It lies in Southern Ontario, south of Toronto ac ...
and the final road test occurred in
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. Hamilton has a 2021 Canadian census, population of 569,353 (2021), and its Census Metropolitan Area, census metropolitan area, which encompasses ...
. This season is the first to be broadcast in high definition, owing to the launch of the high-definition simulcast of Discovery Channel. As part of the promotion for this season, a special Monday edition of ''The Alan Nursall Experience,'' a segment on ''
Daily Planet
The ''Daily Planet'' is a fictional newspaper appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Superman. The newspaper was first mentioned in ''Action Comics'' #9 (November 13, 1939) – Underworld Politics ...
'' (which normally airs on Tuesdays and Thursdays), takes a behind-the-scenes look at the Driver Rehabilitation Centre.
The Discovery Channel reported that it had received roughly 900 driver nominations for the show's seventh season.
One of the drivers nominated was a driver who had difficulty with directions, whose family believed he relied too heavily on his phone's GPS system.
Experts
Three experts return from ''
Canada's Worst Driver 6,'' though Dr. Lauren Kennedy-Smith, psychologist from the past season, is not among them.
*
Cam Woolley is the show's longest-serving expert, having been present in every season except
the first The First or The 1st may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Albums
* The 1st (album), ''The 1st'' (album), by Willow, 2017
* The First (Shinee album), ''The First'' (Shinee album), 2011
* The First (single album), by NCT Dream, 2017
Television
* T ...
and has seen the habits of Canadian drivers change drastically since 2000, with the most common offense having changed from
DUI
Driving under the influence (DUI) is the crime of driving, operating, or being in control of a vehicle while one is impaired from doing so safely by the effect of either alcohol (see drunk driving) or some other drug, whether recreational or ...
to distracted driving. He is the traffic expert on
CP24
CP24 is a Canadian English-language specialty news channel owned by Bell Media, a subsidiary of BCE Inc. and operated alongside the Bell-owned CTV Television Network's owned-and-operated television stations CFTO-DT (CTV Toronto) and CKVR-DT ( ...
in
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
and had a 25-year career as a traffic sergeant with the
Ontario Provincial Police
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is the State police, provincial police service of Ontario, Canada. The OPP patrols Provincial highways in Ontario, provincial highways and waterways; protects Government of Ontario, provincial government buil ...
.
*
Philippe Létourneau is a veteran high-speed driving instructor who counts
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, trading as BMW Group (commonly abbreviated to BMW (), sometimes anglicised as Bavarian Motor Works), is a German multinational manufacturer of vehicles and motorcycles headquartered in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Th ...
and
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello. Founded in 1939 by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988), the company built Auto Avio Costruzioni 815, its first car in 1940, adopted its current name in 1945, and be ...
among his clients. Since joining the show in
the third season, the average car has gained considerably in speed and acceleration, with the high-speed emphasis of this season making his job a particularly important one.
* Shyamala Kiru is an expert on interpersonal relationships and how they can cause emotional breakdowns in drivers. Her experiences have brought her to every corner of the globe.
* Peter Mellor is the show's head driving instructor, a position he has held since joining the show in
the fifth season. With Peter returning for his third season, that ties him with Scott Marshall (the head instructor from the first three seasons of ''
Canada's Worst Driver
''Canada's Worst Driver'' is a Canadian television series that aired on Discovery Channel from 2005 to 2018, based on '' Britain's Worst Driver.'' It and sister series '' Canada's Worst Handyman'' (2006–2011) are the two highest-rated progr ...
'') as the longest-serving head instructor so far.
Contestants
*Lauri Bencharski, 37, from
Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
Prince Albert is the third-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada, after Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan, Regina. It is situated near the centre of the province on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. The city is known as the "Gateway ...
, is an animal lover, but for her fiancé and nominator, Shaun, her love of animals goes a bit too far: she regularly drives with her two dogs, a cat and a bird, all of which he believes is too much of a distraction. She drives a white
Dodge Ram and a silver
Chrysler Intrepid and drove a grey
Ford Five Hundred
The Ford Five Hundred is a full-size four-door, five-passenger, front-engine front- or all-wheel drive, high-roof sedan manufactured in Chicago and marketed in North America and Mexico by Ford in a single generation for model years 2005–2007. ...
to the rehab centre.
*Aaron Cheshire, 30 and licensed for ten years, from
Calgary, Alberta
Calgary () is a major city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a Metropolitan area, metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the List of ...
, is a former parking lot attendant who was once a victim of an accident caused by a distracted driver in June 2005 that left him in a two-month-long coma. Though he has recovered, he was never the same since in terms of his skills on the road. His father and nominator, Lee, hopes that the Driver Rehabilitation Centre will be the last step towards total recovery. He drives a silver
Smart Fortwo
The Smart Fortwo (stylized as "smart fortwo") is a two-seater city car manufactured and marketed by the Smart (marque), Smart division of the Mercedes-Benz Group for model years 1998–2024, across three generations — each using a rear-engi ...
and drove a beige
to the rehab centre.
*Sly Grosjean, 40 and licensed for 17 years, from
Lethbridge, Alberta
Lethbridge ( ) is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. With a population of 106,550 in the 2023 Alberta municipal censuses, 2023 municipal census, Lethbridge became the fourth Alberta city to surpass 100,000 people. The nearby Canadian ...
(moved to
Red Deer, Alberta
Red Deer is a city in Alberta, Canada, located midway on the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor. Red Deer serves central Alberta, and its key industries include health care, retail trade, construction, oil and gas, hospitality, manufacturing and educati ...
; now lives in
Edmonton, Alberta
Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...
), is a
technophile
Technophilia (from Greek τέχνη - ''technē'', "art, skill, craft" and φίλος - ''philos'', "beloved, dear, friend") refers generally to a strong attraction for technology, especially new technologies such as personal computers, the Int ...
who never goes anywhere without his
cell phone GPS; it is a necessity for his job as a deliveryman. However, his brother-in-law and nominator, Fred Hillyer, believes that he is too reliant on new technologies and can't otherwise drive without them. He suffers from
non-verbal learning disorder, which impedes his ability to learn. He drives a green
Pontiac Grand Am
The Pontiac Grand Am is a car model that Pontiac (automobile), Pontiac Division of General Motors produced in various years between 1973 and 2005. The first and second generations were Rear-wheel drive, RWD mid-size cars built on the Pontiac Leman ...
and drove a blue
Chevrolet Optra The Chevrolet Optra is an automotive nameplate used by the Chevrolet marque for three different compact car models, in the following markets:
*Daewoo Lacetti
The Daewoo Lacetti is a compact car manufactured and marketed globally by GM Korea sin ...
to the rehab centre.
*Afiya Lassy, 25, from
Montreal, Quebec
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
, is a road rager out to prove her loved ones, including her friend and nominator, Cindy, wrong—those around her believe that she is a hazard on the road by running red lights and hogging the road; she begs to differ. She drives a red
Kia Rio
The Kia Rio () is a subcompact car manufactured by Kia from 1999 to 2023. Body styles have included a three and five-door hatchback and four-door sedan, equipped with inline-four gasoline and diesel engines, and front-wheel drive.
The Rio ...
and drove a beige
Nissan Altima
The Nissan Altima is a mid-size car manufactured by Nissan since 1992. It is a continuation of the Nissan Bluebird line, which began in 1955.
The Altima has historically been larger, more powerful, and more luxurious than the Nissan Sentra b ...
to the rehab centre.
*Tabitha "Tab" Parks, 39, from
Calgary, Alberta
Calgary () is a major city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a Metropolitan area, metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the List of ...
, is a former
school bus
A school bus is any type of bus owned, leased, contracted to, or operated by a school or school district. It is regularly used to Student transport, transport students to and from school or school-related activities, but not including a charter ...
driver who is a nervous wreck when she is uncomfortable behind the wheel. Her boyfriend, Matt, hopes that the Driver Rehabilitation Centre can help her conquer her fears. She drives a black
Acura EL
The Acura EL is a compact executive car, subcompact executive car that was built at Honda's Alliston, Ontario, plant, and also the first Acura built in Canada. It was also exclusively sold in Canada. The EL is a Rebadging, badge-engineered Honda ...
and drove a blue
Ford Focus
The Ford Focus is a compact car (C-segment in Europe) manufactured by Ford Motor Company from 1998 until 2025. It was created under Alexander Trotman's Ford 2000 plan, which aimed to globalize model development and sell one compact vehicle worl ...
to the rehab centre.
*Jonathan "Jon" Parsons, 24 and licensed for eight years, from
Bowmanville, Ontario
Bowmanville is a community of approximately 40,000 people located in the Municipality of Clarington, Regional Municipality of Durham, Durham Region, Ontario, Canada. It is approximately east of Toronto, and east of Oshawa along Highway 2 (Ontar ...
(near
Oshawa
Oshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario, approximately east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of the Greater Toronto Area and of the Golden Horseshoe. It ...
), has a cocky attitude due to the adrenaline rush brought forth from driving. His girlfriend and nominator, Elise, believes that this can possibly come back to haunt him as they begin the next phase in their ongoing relationship—starting a family. He drives a red
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a line of American two-door, two-seater sports cars manufactured and marketed by General Motors under the Chevrolet marque since 1953. Throughout eight generations, indicated sequentially as C1 to C8, the Corvette is not ...
.
*Benjamin "Ben" Reiman, 36, from
Surrey, British Columbia
Surrey is a city in British Columbia, Canada. It is located south of the Fraser River on the Canada–United States border. It is a member municipality of the Metro Vancouver regional district and metropolitan area. Mainly a suburban city, Surr ...
(near
Vancouver
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
) believes that driving is becoming a major point of contention to their relationship—so much so that he and his wife and nominator, Jan, never drive together anymore. He drives a grey
Hyundai Accent
The Hyundai Accent (), or Hyundai Verna (현대 베르나) is a subcompact car produced by Hyundai. In Australia, the first generation models carried over the Hyundai Excel name used by the Accent's predecessor. The Accent was replaced in 2000 ...
and drove a grey
Ford Focus
The Ford Focus is a compact car (C-segment in Europe) manufactured by Ford Motor Company from 1998 until 2025. It was created under Alexander Trotman's Ford 2000 plan, which aimed to globalize model development and sell one compact vehicle worl ...
to the rehab centre.
*Shirley Sampson, 60 and licensed for 45 years, from
Port Caledonia, Nova Scotia (on
Cape Breton
Cape Breton Island (, formerly '; or '; ) is a rugged and irregularly shaped island on the Atlantic coast of North America and part of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada.
The island accounts for 18.7% of Nova Scotia's total area. Although ...
; now lives in
Donkin, Nova Scotia
Donkin is a Canadian rural village with a population of 532 as of 2021. Located on the picturesque coastline of Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Island, it is a part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. The smaller communities of Port Caledonia a ...
), is a retired elementary school teacher who is comfortable driving around the small towns of rural Nova Scotia; she just merely detests driving into
Halifax where her daughter and nominator, Janis Wall, lives. She breaks down entirely on the highway, even going so far as to stop on the highway in place when she is confused. She drives a grey
Kia Rio5 and drove a red
Ford Focus
The Ford Focus is a compact car (C-segment in Europe) manufactured by Ford Motor Company from 1998 until 2025. It was created under Alexander Trotman's Ford 2000 plan, which aimed to globalize model development and sell one compact vehicle worl ...
to the rehab centre.
Synopsis
: (CWD) The contestant became Canada's Worst Driver.
: (RUNNER-UP) The contestant was runner-up for Canada's Worst Driver.
: (OUT) The contestant graduated.
: (IN) The contestant was shortlisted for graduation.
Episodes
References
External links
*
''Canada's Worst Driver 7''on
watch.discoverychannel.ca
{{Canada's Worst Driver
07
2011 Canadian television seasons