The Search Is Over!

    
               DIY Network Canada And The Home Depot Have Found
                           Canada's Ultimate DIY'er

         Congratulations To Fred Jason of Cambridge, Ontario, On His
                             Winning Renovation!
    

TORONTO, June 24 /CNW/ - This past April, DIY Network Canada and The Home Depot put the call out and challenged Canadians to celebrate their inner handyman/woman, in the search for 'Canada's Ultimate DIY'er'. After a resounding response from over 1000 entrants from across the country claiming they have what it takes to be awarded the crown- the search is over. Five weeks ago, Fred Jason was an engineer with a tool belt and passion for DIY projects. Today he is being crowned 'Canada's Ultimate DIY'er' and taking home the grand prize valued at $15,000.

To enter the contest, DIY Network asked do-it-yourself enthusiasts to submit before and after images of their best do-it-yourself project (small or large scale), along with the reason as to why they should be crowned Canada's Ultimate DIY'er. After carefully considering each entry, Frank Turco (Senior Manager of Trends and Design at The Home Depot) as well as the team from DIY Network, declared Fred Jason of Cambridge, Ontario the winner based on the style, creativity and accuracy of his kitchen renovation. As Canada's Ultimate DIY'er, Mr. Jason's stunning renovation will be showcased on www.diy.ca and he receives a prize valued at $15,000, consisting of gift cards totaling $10,000 from The Home Depot and a selection of tools from Milwaukee, Ridgid and Ryobi.

"I was thoroughly impressed by Fred's DIY kitchen renovation," said Turco. "When looking at the before and after pictures it was evident that the project was well thought out and executed with great precision. It was smart of Fred and his wife to take on a kitchen reno as they offer the best return on investment and significantly boost the value of a home."

Winner Fred Jason and his wife bought their 1970s back-split home in Cambridge, Ontario 16 years ago. The layout of the rear level, which included the kitchen, dining room, small den and hallway, wasn't very practical and made it difficult for them to entertain. Recently, they decided it was time for an overhaul. Fred researched and planned out the entire kitchen renovation. The scope of work included gutting the entire rear level, removing all interior walls, doubling up the ceiling, and installing French doors, countertops, brand new cabinetry and more. The result is an amazing transformation.

"My wife and I are ecstatic that we won! I am a passionate DIY'er and have been doing various home renovations, both small and large scale, for over a decade," said Mr. Jason. "The Home Depot gift cards and various tools will be a great help as we take on our next renovation - the living room and bathroom."

Canada's Ultimate DIY'er, Fred Jason, will be available to conduct phone interviews on Friday, June 25.

DIY Network Canada is a Canwest Broadcasting Channel.

About Canwest Broadcasting

Canwest Broadcasting operates Global Television and eighteen of the country's most popular specialty channels, including HGTV Canada, Mystery TV, National Geographic Channel, Showcase, History Television, Food Network Canada and TVtropolis. Canwest Broadcasting is a division of Canwest Media Inc.

About Canwest Media Inc.

Canwest Media Inc. is a subsidiary of Canwest Global Communications Corp. (www.canwest.com), Canada's largest media company. In addition to owning the Global Television Network, operating 18 industry-leading specialty channels and having ownership in 5 specialty channels, Canwest is Canada's largest publisher of English language paid daily newspapers and owns and operates more than 80 online properties.

About The Home Depot

Founded in 1978, in Atlanta, Georgia, The Home Depot is the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer, currently operating more than 2,200 stores, including 179 The Home Depot stores across Canada. In fiscal 2009, The Home Depot had retail sales of $66.2 billion and earnings from continuing operations of $2.6 billion. The Company employs more than 300,000 people, including more than 28,000 Canadians.

For further information: For media inquiries or other photos from the winning renovation, please contact: Ursula Terlecki, Publicist, HGTV and DIY Canada, Canwest Broadcasting, 416.934.7075, [email protected]; Jaclyn Atwood, Publicity Manager, Lifestyle Channels, Canwest Broadcasting, 416.966.7293, [email protected]