Mike Holmes endorsement ads for renovation company disappear amid CBC investigation
Some customers complain of shoddy work, including unsafe electrical issues
Trusted Canadian TV celebrity contractor Mike Holmes has endorsed AGM Renovations in more than a dozen slick ads on radio, TV and social media.
Famous for fixing botched construction jobs, Holmes has praised AGM — which operates in Ontario and B.C. — with phrases like, "Don't risk just hiring any contractor, trust AGM" and "AGM are the only kitchen and bathroom renovation specialists I recommend."
Holmes also appears in videos for Ontario's electrical safety regulator, the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA), offering safety tips.
Following a CBC News investigation into AGM, which found the company is under investigation by the ESA following electrical safety violations, an AGM webpage embedded in Holmes' Make It Right website disappeared.
AGM video ads featuring Holmes have also been pulled from the company's social media channels.
CBC News spoke to two AGM customers who, among other complaints, had unsafe electrical work done in their home. And for them, the ads' demise comes too late, as they say Holmes' endorsement influenced their decision to hire AGM — a decision they now regret.
"Just a normal renovation is stressful, but this ongoing nightmare has been extremely stressful," said Emily Cartier, standing next to her husband, Eric, in the ensuite bathroom they haven't been able to use in over a year.
The room never got beyond the demolition stage; it remains riddled with debris, exposed pipes and wires, and holes in the floor.
The Cartiers had high hopes when they hired AGM in August 2023 to renovate three bathrooms and one powder room in their Barrie, Ont., home.
Eric had seen AGM ads featuring Holmes, and said AGM used its relationship with the celebrity as part of its sales pitch.
"We actually mentioned bad contractors we've experienced in the past," said Eric. "[They] reassured us that that would not be a problem with AGM because they're a Mike Holmes-endorsed company and everything would be done right."
But when the renovation began a month later, the Cartiers say it was fraught with problems, such as peeling paint, improperly installed fixtures and multiple leaks which caused damage — including a stain on their living room ceiling.
"We just started to really lose trust in the work that was being done," said Eric.
He also started to question the qualifications of the people doing the work, so Eric asked AGM to provide the required work permits and trade licences for the renovation. The company offered no documentation, he said, and soon after, work stalled.
Electrical 'fire hazard'
Eric also reached out to the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA), which did an inspection.
According to the ESA inspection report, AGM violated Ontario regulations by failing to get a required permit and not using a licensed electrician.
A report by a licensed electrician the Cartiers hired to redo the wiring stated that "the non-compliant electrical installations found are a fire hazard."
"We were furious, very angry. It's our home, it's where our kids sleep," said Eric. "We trusted AGM to do it right and leave the home safe."
Shortly after, the Cartiers walked away from their contract, demanding a full refund, which never arrived. So the couple sued AGM in August 2024, alleging breach of contract and negligence.
The Cartiers are out close to $100,000 for the project — money they borrowed through a loan. Because two of their bathrooms never got past the demolition stage, they are now stuck with one working shower for a family of five.
"The state of the house speaks for itself," said the family's lawyer, Cori Singer, with Addario Law Group, in an email. "What happened was appalling and I look forward to having the matter heard in court to get justice for the Cartier family."
AGM told CBC News it can't comment on specific issues before the courts, but that it denies any wrongdoing.
Following the ESA report, the Cartiers say a private investigator hired by the safety authority contacted the couple about their electrical problems with AGM.
"I'm very happy that they are involved," said Emily.
The ESA told CBC News it can't confirm or comment on current investigations. However, the ESA's investigator told CBC in December that he tracks down unlicensed electricians, and that an investigation into AGM is underway.
AGM said it's not aware of an ESA investigation, and did not reply to a question about using unlicensed electricians.
Holmes also has ties to ESA
Since 2021, Mike Holmes' company, The Holmes Group, has been in a paid partnership with the ESA. In online videos, Holmes talks about electrical safety regulations, such as the importance of getting a work permit and hiring a licensed electrician.
"They don't really go together," said Emily about Holmes working with both the ESA and AGM.
"Mike Holmes' endorsement doesn't mean much to me anymore," said Eric. "He should be holding [AGM] to his standard that he says he has, or dropping them."
After CBC began inquiring about AGM and the ESA, AGM ads featuring Holmes disappeared from the internet.
In an email, AGM's director of operations, Evaldi Balla, said the company's relationship with The Holmes Group "is in a transition phase" as AGM works through a "brand refresh."
As for The Holmes Group's partnership with the ESA, it's reviewed annually to ensure it's "still meeting the objectives of the ESA," said Emily LaRose, ESA's vice-president of regulatory and general counsel, in an email.
'That's the fire hazard right there'
Peter Mikhail said Holmes' endorsement of AGM was the main reason he and his wife, Tiffany, hired the company to do a major kitchen renovation in their Caledon, Ont., home in May 2022.
"We knew we were paying more, but we were paying for that recommendation; that kind of Mike Holmes seal of approval."
Mikhail said the $73,450 reno had problems from the start, such as damaged flooring and incorrectly installed fixtures, including a hood fan venting system which blows cooking fumes into the kitchen instead of outside.
"This room will just fill with smoke," said Mikhail, standing next to his kitchen stove. "You're breathing in fumes."
On top of that, an ESA inspection of the renovation's electrical work found six defects, including a missing permit. A report by a licensed electrician who later assessed the work stated that a "complete rewire [is] necessary."
One of the defects refers to a cupboard with an internal electrical outlet for small appliances, which is supposed to power down when the cupboard is closed — but it doesn't.
"That's the fire hazard right there," said Mikhail, referring to the cupboard's outlet. "This is completely illegal."
He said he has yet to get the problem fixed, as it will be a complicated and costly venture. Meantime, his family of four stays safe by unplugging the appliances inside each time they close the cupboard — a step they learned to take after reaching out to the ESA.
In October 2022, three months into the renovation, the fed-up Mikhails refused to pay the final instalment of $37,459. In response, AGM put a lien on their home and sued them for the outstanding amount.
Mikhail and his wife fought back with a countersuit for $65,000 in damages for negligent work.
"Due to my own stubbornness, I'm willing to fight people like this on principle, because it's wrong," said Mikhail.
AGM alleges in a counterclaim that it did quality work, and that the couple forced AGM off their property, so it wasn't able to finish the job and fix any deficiencies.
Reaching out to Holmes
When Mikhail encountered problems with the renovation, he reached out to The Holmes Group for help.
Holmes' company replied, "We will certainly try to assist in getting this renovation back on track."
But Mikhail said he never heard anything further, even after copying The Holmes Group on multiple email complaints to AGM, outlining concerns such as the electrical work.
"If we are choosing things because of you, then you need to be accountable," Mikhail told CBC News.
The Holmes Group did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
When asked about Holmes' association with both the ESA and AGM, Mikhail said he was shocked.
"That kind of relationship is not acceptable."
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