Hamilton man becomes Canada’s first bricklaying champion

Hamilton’s Mario Alves is the world’s best bricklayer.

Alves, 30, became the first Canadian to win the title at the 2019 Spec Mix Bricklayer 500 World Championship in Las Vegas last Wednesday.

Alves laid 760 perfect bricks in 60 minutes in the 17th annual competition that pitted 27 world-class bricklayers against each other.

The mason from A & M Masonry in Hamilton won a 2019 Ford F-250 XLT 4×4 truck, an Essick EM120 HYD mortar mixer, and $10,000 in cash and prizes.