OTTAWA: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) will host its 12th annual "Teddy" Waste Awards ("The Teddies") with a black tie ceremony in the Charles Lynch Press Theatre on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Wednesday, March 10th at 10:30 a.m. Like last year, the entire announcement/ceremony will last between 8 and 10 minutes.
This year's host of the national awards will be CTF Prairie Director Colin Craig. He will be joined by Porky the Waste Hater (CTF's tuxedo-wearing pig mascot), and Natasha - a government waste awards hostess. As in past years we will start with the municipal nominees and winner, followed by the provincial nominees and winner, followed by the federal nominees and winner, and capped off with the lifetime achievement winner.
This year there are 13 nominees in the three categories, plus a lifetime achievement winner.
Last year's winners were:
Municipal Waste: The City of Vancouver for its $875 million athletes' village fiasco.
Provincial Waste: A Manitoba child care agency for holding a "Spa Day" for staff which featured $2,292 of tarot card readings, manicures, pedicures and make-up lessons for staff.
Federal Waste: The Canada Council for the Arts for spending $15,000 to bring a Belgian 'poop machine' to Canada and $40,000 on an artist's dream to fly a giant banana over Texas.
Lifetime Achievement: The "Big 3" auto makers for the millions (now billions) they had received in funding during the previous decade.
