The academy awards were presented last weekend and that means it’s time for the Eugenes – the Western Producer agricultural and Canadiana awards invented on a whim and named in honour of former federal agriculture minister Eugene Whelan.
And now, without further ado and in no particular order, we present (insert fanfare here) … the Eugenes.
Best costume: Prime minister Stephen Harper at the Olympics – patriotic clothing ranging from hockey jerseys to zippered jackets. A refreshing and appropriate change from the shirt and tie and the sweater vest used for election campaign ads.
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Best animation: Michael Ignatieff, for this year becoming surprisingly animated in describing his realization that farmers are important to the nation and possibly to the future of the Liberal party.
Best supporting actress: Rosann Wowchuk, longtime Manitoba agriculture minister who was promoted in 2009 to finance minister.
Best picture: Canada’s performance at the Vancouver Olympics, including the greatest number of gold medals ever won by any country at any winter Olympic games.
Best short subject: The talk about the danger of fall frost, much feared due to a late seeding start, but which failed to materialize.
Best editing: Jim Flaherty’s “recalibration” of the federal budget.
Best makeup: Canada and China, who made up their differences over pork when China agreed to accept Canadian product again.
Best sound: The silence of prorogation in February.
Best musical score: O Canada, sung from the Olympic podium 14 times, with pride.
Best (actually worst) adaptation of a screenplay: Day of the Triffids, remade as another sci-fi horror film that sees Europe reject Canadian flax due to the presence of deregistered Triffid content.
Best producers: Western Canadian farmers and ranchers.
Best special effects: Canada’s trade challenge of American country-of-origin labelling.
Best actress: Mother Nature, who has received every best actress Eugene award, for her beauty, strength and capacity for surprise. She always wins.
