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Private Notes
Robertson gets his first set of coordinates and as his plane touches down in quiet Fort Macleod, Alberta, he discovers that he is to be a ranch hand for a couple of days looking after a private cattle operation. After a morning getting used to the saddle, the afternoon is a lesson in calf wrestling where he learns how to run beside the roped steers and pull them to the ground with his hands. Once down, he keeps the calf calm while the other ranchers teach him how to brand, inoculate and castrate them. There is no room for error when handling 300 cattle between only a few horsemen. When his cell phone rings with another set of coordinates, it’s off to Welland, Ontario, where he will work in a welding shop. But his new boss is not impressed to learn that Robertson has no experience. With a column to be built and Robertson here to do it, a day of welding, cutting and grinding is in store.
In this episode, Robertson flies into Hamilton, Ontario, and finds himself at CFL training camp with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. It only takes a few minutes for him to remember that in high school he spent a lot more time in the band room than on the field. When he’s so battered and bruised that he just can’t take anymore, the coaches evaluate his performance. Will he make the cut, or should he keep his dayjob? After confirming that no bones are broken, Robertson is off to Steelcare, a steel plant in Hamilton, where he must load and unload trucks and trains full of heavy, raw steel, straight from the mills. A giant warehouse serves as a dangerous backdrop and the “steel jockeys” training him delight in tearing him apart – almost literally.
The plane touches down in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where Robertson is immediately put into action at Survival Systems, a company specializing in emergency simulation devices and safety survival training programs for the offshore, marine, aviation and industrial sectors. For every person who wants to work offshore, passing this training is mandatory and can mean the difference between life and death. While the program teaches the skills required to survive crashing a small craft in the ocean, Robertson takes the training very seriously. Next, he’s off to Red Lake, Ontario to work with a forester clearing trees for mine and resource development. With a chainsaw in hand, he better be on the ball or risk losing his fingers – and his livelihood. If he can impress the boss he will work his way up to driving the big clearing machines – and away from the back-breaking labour of cutting by hand.
In this episode, Robertson is invited to work at a tree-planting camp for a day. After landing his Cessna, a helicopter takes him to a remote area where he is given what seems like a reasonable amount of trees to plant. After a few hours of planting, his work is audited and his morale is at an all-time low from the monotony of this dreadful work. His day goes from bad to worse when his self-proclaimed skills are put to the test. When the boss finds out just how he has done, this Barenaked Lady better have a song and dance ready.
With a new set of GPS coordinates Robertson touches down in Wiarton, Ontario for a day of working in a rock quarry. Not just any rock quarry: a flag stone quarry, where the product has to be handled by hand to preserve its condition and its market price. He uses hand tools to separate the layers and shape the slabs and then heads into the cutting room to help make the bigger slabs and blocks. He’s dusty, sweaty and exhausted, but grateful that he has never had to resort to doing this for a living. Then, in North West River, Labrador, Robertson faces a tough new boss and even greater challenges at the local saw mill. A full day of cutting the trees and dragging them to the truck by hand is topped off by a hand sawing and log splitting competition – just for the fun of it.
GPS coordinates lead Robertson to Kingston, Ontario, where he is ushered to the Collin’s Bay Penitentiary. He’s almost immediately thrown up against a mat, with his arm twisted behind his back and he quickly realizes that in this challenge, he better keep his wits about him. After training, he is put to work guarding the general population. Keeping the peace takes on a whole new meaning in this life and death scenario. Upon receiving his next set of coordinates, it’s off to the remote corner of Labrador to join the biggest highway construction project in the region’s history. The bridge and causeway that they are building will cross the Churchill River, spanning 244 metres. Nine metres off the ground, Robertson works securing sections of the bridge while a giant crane swings the pieces – each weighing 20 tonnes – into place.
In The Pas, Manitoba, Robertson joins the region’s forest fire fighters “initial attack crew.” After learning helicopter hover exits, he has to run through the forest with a fully loaded backpack weighing 34 kilograms and join the crew in a simulation complete with smoke canisters and water bombers. While they arrive on site to set up and extinguish the fire, the water bombers prepare to douse the entire area in foam. Complete concentration and nerves of steel are required while this exercise unfolds. The next set of mystery coordinates lead to Thunder Bay, Ontario, where Robertson works at a massive grain silo on the shores of Lake Superior. This is dusty, sweaty work unloading train cars, pushing conveyer belt controls and rolling the shoots to different silos. But he better stay on the ball or risk serious injury.
Upon arrival in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Robertson finds out that this is going to be an excruciating day: working with one the most elite units within the Canadian Navy. This unit (called the “fleet diving unit”) uses their skills to protect, maintain and repair the navy’s ocean vessels from threats including underwater mines, damage from collisions and fires. He begins his day with a jog that would exhaust an experienced runner. Then a 45-minute swim in a heavy, restrictive wetsuit pushes Robertson to the brink. Will he sink or swim? In the afternoon, he is suited up and sent into the dunk tank for underwater problem-solving training. As his body reacts to the increased pressure underwater, his mind has to remain focused. A small mistake here could be dangerous in a reallife situation. Back on dry land and in the fire simulator, Robertson fights a real blaze inside of a mock-up of a battle ship.
Robertson’s coordinates take him to a deserted strip in Hermitage, Newfoundland. Here, fishing is a way of life. He sets out on a commercial cod fishing boat where he has to work fast getting the fish out of the tangled nets. When they get back to port, Robertson follows his catch into processing and packaging. The next day, Robertson’s off to Cove-Boxy, Newfoundland, to work on a fish farm. His job is to maintain farmed fish in their open water penned habitats. From feeding to disease control, he finds out just how difficult it is keeping the fish happy.
Robertson arrives at Camp Aldershot, which the Canadian Armed Forces refers to as “Battle School.” This is where army recruits who have completed basic training go to prepare them for active duty in Afghanistan. He follows the soldiers through various obstacle courses and combat scenarios complete with live ammunition, screaming sergeants and a face painted in camouflage. As the grenades explode around him, Robertson is grateful for his peaceful nonconfrontational music career.
With a new set of coordinates, Robertson is off to the General Motors plant in Oshawa, Ontario to learn how to build a car. After a brief training session, he must correctly install dashboards, mount tires and then drive the cars in the test lane. Keeping up with the fast-moving line, while doing everything correctly will prove to be tougher than he expected. Following the GM plant, Robertson is off to Banff National Park in Alberta where he will work on the park’s search and rescue crew. He is immediately rushed off to participate in a simulated cliff side rescue and after two hours of hiking up a mountain, then suspended over the edge, Robertson becomes an integral part of the rescue unit. After this experience, he’s ready for just about anything.
Robertson lands in Timmins, Ontario, where he discovers that he’ll be spending a day mining for gold. He meets a couple of prospectors who take him deep in the bush to begin their search. A hard day’s work takes on a new meaning when they have to clear their own path through the forest with an axe. During the quest, Robertson learns how to stake a claim, prep the zone and set a charge for explosives. With his ears ringing, all that is left at the end of the day is a pile of rubble and a karaoke machine! Next, hundreds of miles to the north, Robertson travels to Moosonee for a day working on a rail gang replacing rail ties. It is grueling work, but essential in order to keep Canada’s trains running smoothly. Near the end of the day, there is no better way to celebrate than to rip apart a beaver dam before the flooded waters cause serious damage.
In the season finale of Ed’s Up, it’s the home stretch for Robertson as he lands in Malpeque, Prince Edward Island. His last job is a doosy: harvesting mussels. The crew explains that today, they will be working on rougher seas than they usually encounter, so Robertson better brace himself. Watch as he strains to load 36 kg of mussels on board the boat. After loading 5,897 kg of mussels, the crew returns to port for grading, sorting, weighing and cleaning. This job is not only difficult, but it’s also dirty, cold and wet. This is the perfect reality check for a pampered rock star. After cleaning up, Robertson sets off for Camp Oochigeas in Parry Sound, Ontario, where he’ll work as a camp counsellor. At the end of the day, Robertson is joined by his bandmates and together, The Barenaked Ladies play a live, private concert for the kids. This is a day that the kids of “Camp Ooch” won’t soon forget.
Cleaning up bedpans and scrubbing the blood and gore-covered floors of surgery, Ed begins to understand the arduous work involved in keeping places of healing clean and sanitary. For Ed, this may be the most dangerous job he has done to date with the possible contamination from handling bio-hazardous waste along with exposure to blood-borne pathogens and infectious diseases.
In this episode Ed is joining a Louisiana research team which is studying alligators to find out how they manage to heal themselves after the vicious injuries they receive in both territorial and mating fights. The problem is that in order to study the immunology of alligators you’ve got to collect blood samples – and gators don’t surrender their blood without attempting to get some of yours back in return.
Ed’s new coordinates send him to Galveston, Texas where he touches down between several massive off-shore oil rigs.
Ed learns what it’s like to work 4 thousand feet below the earth where it’s pitch-black, cold, and can be very dangerous. Fortunately, he’s in good hands. He’ll learn exactly what it takes to be a miner before he decides weather or not he wants to go underground. After loading the brinks truck with bricks of pure gold, it may be hard for Ed to resist the temptation.
Ed eats meat, and he is proud of it. So why should he have any problems working in a place where animals are turned into meat? Ed’s nerves will be tested working in the kill room. Then in disassembly and butchering, Ed will see what really happens between the ranch and the grocery store.
Ed loves dogs, so will he be able charm the rabid strays into the van, or will he have to use his smarts to catch em’? From unwanted dogs, ready for new homes, to feral cats, running their owners apartments into chaos, Ed is on the team of Animal Control Officers patrolling the mean streets of NYC. Day one is mostly dogs from a pleasant pit bull to a surly spaniel keeping him busy. Day 2 is a little different - lots of cats and a pet store eviction! Two days with Animal Care and Control of New York City teaches Ed some new skills, and all the driving teaches him some new routes to navigate all of the 5 boroughs.
Ed trades in the guitar and mic for a floor jack and spare tire - ready to spring into action as an integral part of an elite stock car Pit Crew. Charlotte based JFco Motorsports team trains in Charlotte, and they’ve been training for months specifically for the USA Pro Cup race at Myrtle Beach Speedway. They have agreed to take Ed on for a day of instruction and intensive training. If he’s able to convince the team that he won’t slow them down too much, he’ll travel with them to Myrtle Beach, SC, where they will compete in an internationally televised event, the Hooters USA Pro Cup.
New Orleans is currently being rebuilt from the ground up. After Hurricane Katrina blew through the city, tens of thousands of residents were left without homes, jobs, and even families. Today, Ed will help a team of builders to gut the houses of their contents, rid them of mould, and begin the reconstruction. In the 35 degree weather, this may be a challenge for the rock star.
In this episode, Robertson flies to London, Ontario, to test his talents as a carnival worker. The crews here know everything there is to know about setting up a travelling carnival. Robertson knows everything there is to know about candied apples and hot dogs. During his day in London, he has to learn how to beat the games before he can run them. Will he be able to keep those gaming secrets to himself? Then, Robertson calls out to everyone on the most daring ride of the carnival - The Himalaya - with his signature rock star style.
Ed wakes up before the birds to get suited up and join his crew at 5:30AM. His colleagues and mentors for the day are grizzled veterans who have seen it all on their tour of early morning Pittsburgh. For the remainder of the day Ed will grunt and groan while heaving the refuse of “the iron city” as his team spins their tales and breaks in their rookie helper.
The residents of a developing Chicago suburb are undergoing a rapid gentrification. As the neighbourhood changes, the new focus is to educate the local youth to stay in school and become upstanding members of society. Robertson hopes to be a great role model and positively influence the kids he encounters. Watch as he sets out to clean up the streets and help the kids take them back.
Watch as Robertson gets intense fire fighter training, including CPR and hose control, when he joins a team of busy firefighters. Robertson helps keep order in the house and the equipment ready for any circumstance - including the trucks. These vehicles have to look clean when they're called out to everything from car accidents to house fires.
Ed is a hot-shot pilot, or so he thinks. He is put through the “assessment” test to see if he has the balls to be behind the stick of an F-18 “super hornet”. Exercises include being hurled around a centrifuge to 7G’s, drugged to confusion by altitude hypoxia, and otherwise being pushed to the limits of physical and mental exhaustion, including several hours in the flight simulator. Will he get the golden carrot - a flight in an F-18? This will be a nail biter for Ed who considers himself an expert at just about everything.
Over the seasons Ed has really stuck it out when it comes to the messy jobs – and believes he has seen the worst. This episode will really test Ed on a number of levels as he is introduced to cleaning up the grisly remains of human beings who have shed their mortal coil. Ed will learn how to deal with the remains of human remains and perhaps learn a little about himself and his own mortality.
While it’s not particularly a grubby job it’s a dirty job and someone has to do it. Ed spends a lot of his time making people happy with his music and personality but not so this time. He’ll be making people very unhappy as he tears peoples dreams apart repossessing their cars, trucks, and boats.
Ed is thrust into the restless world of aircraft management, from the ground crews perspective at Vancouver International Airport (YVR). From playing luggage Tetris with the bags in the belly of a small Embraer, to emptying various fluids from a giant A340 in from Shanghai, there is a ton to do between flights. The planes need to be in the air where they belong, not on the ground, every minute counts.
Living history is often hard to find outside of mothballed fighters and the remains of castles. In San Francisco it’s a whole different story. Over a hundred years and showing no signs of going anywhere is the antiquated fleet of Cable cars. Ed’s not only going to work on but help maintain a transportation system that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world. It’s no easy feat getting a car online and keeping it that way throughout the day, never mind the years. Ed is shoved in feet first helping upkeep this historical transportation system.
It’s a race around the world on some of the fastest and sleekest yachts going. New designs and safety measures keep these up to date racers moving and Ed is to jump aboard to help one team on to victory, at the very least the finish line. With the multitude of positions he’ll have to fill in on, Ed is sure to find this adventure one of his biggest. Fixing sails, cooking and cleaning, being the “bowman” and “Mast Monkey” to name a few. He’ll be put through the wringer for an amazing adventure through the Irish Seas.
Good grace and manners were once found and practiced in that art of letter writing. Today we use the “email” or a “text” to communicate. Ed finds his way to Vancouver to help those that still use the printed page at the Post Office. While the writing might be simple, the delivering of mail is not and Ed gets tested several times for several different responsibilities of mail service from sorting and dispatching to foot delivery. With the multitude of jobs that await one at a postal depot, Ed sure has his hands full measuring up to strict expectations.
The daily grind doesn’t always refer to work. Ed jumps into a whole world of food prep on what could easily be considered North America’s most important drink. Ed is going to be on a whirlwind of learning while he makes his way through one of the oldest Coffee manufacturers in Jamaica. He’ll do everything it takes to get to his tasty cup of coffee including tend to the plants with manure and pest control, dry and grade the harvest, bag ‘em up, and off to the factory to roast and grind.
One of the most disrespected professions, schoolteachers get no glory. Ed arrives to take over a class of grade 6 in Mandeville, Jamaica, far from the resorts and beaches. Hopefully, the kids are all right as Ed runs through the various lessons and activities. However, the class won’t -be the only one being tested as Ed’s nerves are tried to their limit by the assorted class clowns, know it alls, show offs and of course, brats. And he better be on his best. The full-time teacher, Ms. Auld is watching to make sure he behaves himself.
Ed lands in Bamfield British Columbia to dive and avoid being swept out to sea while working at the Bamfield Marine Science Centre. Ed needs to master all kinds of new gear before he can join the scientists and count Abalone. The centre’s Dive Master Tom Bird puts him through the paces. After that, Ed will learn a whole new language and way to work as he and another scientist harvest Barnacles off the dangerous seaside coast of the island. Wave dodging and jumping on and off moving boats are not normally what one would associate with science.
Canada is a BIG country. It’s citizen’s love of the outdoors keeps one organization very busy throughout the year. The Canadian Forces Search and Rescue is on standby 24hrs a day, 365 days a year to respond to just about every emergency. From injured hikers, downed aircraft, and capsized boats, the team has a system that works, and Ed has been recruited to do it. From skydiving out the back of a giant Hercules into a massive airliner crash simulation, where he’ll have to perform triage to the survivors, to joining the elite dive team as they jump from a helicopter into the frigid waters of lake Ontario, Ed sees a better use of the military than what he sees on the news.
If you want to do something like this, you have to go where the heavy equipment is. In this case, he’s in Fort McMurray Alberta, the tar sands. Ed’s big adventure in what could be termed as “The New Wild West” will take him not only to the site for work but to the towns and work camps that make up this industrial trek. He’s going to be working on the biggest toys a boy could ever want to run around in the sandbox.
The world is a dangerous place, and somebody has to tell the story. Before a journalist can travel to an earthquake, war zone, or other disaster, there are a few skills to learn. What if they are taken hostage, get in a car accident, or some other unplanned diversion. A group of ex Navy-Seals and British SAS Commandos have seen it all and have learned the various confrontations. At this “Top Secret” location, those skills are available to anyone brave enough to find working in a cubicle a little to dry for them.
Seriously, Ed has NEVER been this scared to host an episode. He knows how dangerous it is to even walk around London, and when was the last time he rode a bike?! He!ll have to swallow his nerves as he attempts to shadow a seasoned courier on his so-called daily routine (hardly routine if you never do the same route twice). From dodging traffic to rush orders across town, he!s never seen this side of London and likely never will again.
If you want to do something like this, you have to go where the heavy equipment is. In this case, he’s in Fort McMurray Alberta, the tar sands. Ed’s big adventure in what could be termed as “The New Wild West” will take him not only to the site for work but to the towns and work camps that make up this industrial trek. He’s going to be working on the biggest toys a boy could ever want to run around in the sandbox.
The world is a dangerous place, and somebody has to tell the story. Before a journalist can travel to an earthquake, war zone, or other disaster, there are a few skills to learn. What if they are taken hostage, get in a car accident, or some other unplanned diversion. A group of ex Navy-Seals and British SAS Commandos have seen it all and have learned the various confrontations. At this “Top Secret” location, those skills are available to anyone brave enough to find working in a cubicle a little to dry for them.
Seriously, Ed has NEVER been this scared to host an episode. He knows how dangerous it is to even walk around London, and when was the last time he rode a bike?! He!ll have to swallow his nerves as he attempts to shadow a seasoned courier on his so-called daily routine (hardly routine if you never do the same route twice). From dodging traffic to rush orders across town, he!s never seen this side of London and likely never will again.
