Getting the full Canadian experience may not be too far off for a new Canadian family.
The Diaz family, who came to St. John’s from Chile, was named as a secondary prizewinner of $10,000 in the RBC Home Someday Contest featuring Bryan and Sarah Baeumler, hosts of the HGTV home renovation show “Bryan Inc.” earlier this week.
Ignacia Diaz and her family were presented with the prize at the RBC Elizabeth Avenue branch.
“Someday I would like to own a house in Canada. My husband and I, along with our three sons — now four, 11 and 13 — a dog and a cat moved from Chile to Canada less than two years ago,” Diaz stated in a posting on the HGTV website.
“While we are blessed to live in a nice house, saving for a down payment has been hard. Winning this prize would allow us to give a down payment to buy a house and turn it into our home.”
Contest entrants were asked to share their “Home Someday” story and tell the Baeumlers why they should win the contest. In her entry, Diaz said that she and her family of five moved from Chile to Canada less than two years ago and hope to purchase a home.
After they were presented with their prize, the Diaz family received a personalized congratulatory video message from the Baeumlers.
“With their TV shows, Bryan and Sarah Baeumler have shown me that having the house of your dreams takes work and effort, but is possible and rewarding. Moreover, owning a house helps to develop ties to a place, gives you peace of mind and safety for the future,” Diaz said.
“We would love to have a house with room to play and have fun, but moreover, a warm house full of love where every member of the family feels happy and comfortable, where we have what we need but no more, where we can welcome friends and family.”
Diaz was selected from nearly 6,000 entries. The Top 3 winners represent a range of life stages, needs, cultures and geographic locations across Canada.
The $25,000 first prize went to a couple in Ontario and the other secondary prize of $10,000 was awarded to a young couple in Alberta.
The contest opened Jan. 14 and closed Feb. 28.
“We are thrilled to have a prizewinner from Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John’s,” Colin Krulicki, RBC’s regional vice-president for Newfoundland and Labrador stated in a news release. “Ignacia’s story was touching and we’re proud to help make her Someday come true.”
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