My awards for those who made the headlines in 2010 in the spirit of this site. The nominees where taken from the posts I made this year and cover local, canadian and international persons that made headlines.
Welcome to the sixth annual "Kenaz Awards". Still no glitz, no glamour, no expensive bling. Just a cold beer and some cheese to celebrate the stories that made you cheer,jeer,get angry,cry or say 'Good lord!".
Justice Served Award
Even though Canada's justice system is severely flawed in their thinking that everyone is capable of rehabilitation and therefore life sentences are only granted to only the sickest humans. The problem is the definition of 'deserving' differs greatly amongst judges. In the case of Billy Mason who's body was never found because their was no body to be found. The young man was murdered in cold blood, burned and then indignantly stuffed into feed bags and fed to animals. For four years Billy's mother Donna never gave up hope and refused to believe the inevitable, at least this week she was given some solace in that one of her son's sadistic killer was given ten years for his actions. The other still faces first degree murder charges. Sure everyone deserves a break but for these two vile animals only a date with the devil can be considered justice served.
Finally Something Good on TV
At the Vancouver Olympics Canada finished third overall in medal standings with 14 Gold, 7 Silver and 5 Bronze. Canada led all other countries in the Gold haul including the first ever won by a Canadian on Canadian soil.
Warm and Fuzzy Award
Their wasn't a dry Canadian eye in the country in February after watching Joannie Rochette overcome a storm of emotions after losing her mother days before she was set to skate at the Vancouver Olympics and win the Bronze medal.
Stories of the Year
Local
The November municipal election saw a small torrent of angry voters try to right the mutinous crew of the leaky ship that is Hamilton City council. Fed up with four years of childish antics and frustratingly slow to respond to change actions, the people spoke booting the Mayor and three councilors. Hopefully the changes can get the stadium debate back on track, the light rail construction started and numerous toxic sights cleaned up.
Canadian
Col. Russell Williams was exposed in October as a cross dressing rapist and serial killer and sentenced to at least 25 years in prison with no chance of parole.
International
April 14th a previously dormant volcano in Iceland irrupted covering much of western Europe in a cloud of ash closing much of Europe's air space to hundreds of flights.
Iron Man Award
The world was captivated by the fate of 33 miners trapped nearly a 1km below the surface in a Chilean mine. The men became international celebrities during their long ordeal and when they were finally rescued in October after 69 days some signed deals for movie rights and appeared on several talk shows.
Injustice Award
Canada hosted the G8 meeting in Huntsville,ON and the G20 in Toronto. 95 million was spent on the pavillion which included a so called "reflecting pool", it quickly was dubbed the "fake lake". A total of 1.2 billion was spent including 10 million for hotels for RCMP officers who where widely chastised for their over bearing control tactics that seen thousands arrested and detained without charges ever being laid or dropped after the meetings where over.
Co-winner of the award goes to the government of Haiti. In nearly a year after a 7.0 earthquake devistated the island and a social media led fundraiser provided much needed cash to help start repairs, not much has been done. Many of the displaced residences still live in sqaller tent cities.
Biggest Loser
In April an explosion on the deepwater Horizon oil rig killed 11 workers and covered the Gulf of Mexico in thick Brown sludge that destroyed fishing and tourism in the region. After several failed attempts the well was capped in July and permanently sealed in September but not before more than780 million litres was spilled. Costs are expected to exceed 32 Billion dollars. During the whole ordeal the CEO of BP was seen on his boat acting like a man without a care in the world.
Wack Job of the Year
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is a complete idiot for publishing classified documents about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that could potentially put soldiers still serving in these areas in harms way. Conspiracy theorists have gone way to far in asserting their rights in knowing what their government is up to. The freedom of information act was not designed to give unbalanced people access to national secrets designed to keep everyone alive.
Funny News Story or Post of the Year
A women in Los Angeles in suing Google Maps for giving her the wrong directions that told her to walk down a rural highway- which had no sidewalk or pedestrian paths- and was struck by a car. She is suing Google for her medical expenses ($100,000) as well as punitive damages. She is also suing the driver of the vehicle. Crap remind me to never complain again when Google Maps gives me completely stupid bus route info. Always double check!
Bizzaro World Award
Brett Favre taking pictures of his penis and sending them along with some racy texts to a female reporter proves that Favre has taken a few to many fits to the head.
On the Horizon Award
Canadian troops have been serving in a combat role in Afghanistan for almost nine years. But that's coming to an end in July of 2011, although a small transition group will stay on in a training capacity until 2014.
Career Achievement Awards For those lost in 2010
Art Linkletter
Dino De Laurentiis
Lena Horne
Tragic story of the year
Seven people killed in an explosion at a Mexican resort. The resort was fined more than $480,000 for not complying with origional building plans.
Destined Hero's Award-All the soldiers that we have lost in Afghanistan in 2010.
| Name | Rank | Hometown | Age | Spouse | Children | Unit | Date | Circumstance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 139. | John Wayne Faught | Sergeant | Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario | 44 | - | - | 1 PPCLI | 16 January 2010 | Killed after stepping on an improvised explosive device in the Panjwaii district of Kandahar province while on a joint foot patrol.[142][143] |
| 140. | Joshua Caleb Baker | Corporal | Edmonton, Alberta | 24 | - | - | Loyal Edmonton Regiment | 12 February 2010 | Died in a weapons training range accident northeast of Kandahar city. Four other Canadian soldiers were wounded in the incident which the military said it would investigate.[144] |
| 141. | Frank Paul | Captain | Badger, Newfoundland and Labrador | 53 | wife | 2 children | 28 Field Ambulance | 10 February 2010 | Died of a stroke in Canada two days before he was due to return to Afghanistan from leave. [145][146] |
| 142. | Darren James Fitzpatrick | Corporal | Prince George, British Columbia | 21 | - | - | 3 PPCLI | 20 March 2010 | Wounded by an improvised explosive device during a patrol in the Zhari district, west of Kandahar city, on 6 March 2010, he was initially treated in Kandahar, moved to Germany, before being taken to an Edmonton hospital where he died of his wounds.[147] |
| 143. | Tyler William Todd | Private | Bright, Ontario | 26 | - | - | 1 PPCLI | 11 April 2010 | Killed by a powerful improvised explosive device that detonated during a dismounted security patrol in Dand district[148][149][150] |
| 144. | Douglas Craig Blake | Petty Officer 2nd Class | Simcoe, Ontario | 37 | wife | 2 sons | Fleet Diving Unit Atlantic (FDU-A) | 3 May 2010 | Killed by an improvised explosive device that detonated about 25 kilometres southwest of Kandahar City. Blake was an explosive ordnance disposal operator. Canadian military officials refused to disclose whether any other soldiers were wounded in the explosion, citing a new policy decision to withhold any mentions of injuries outside of yearly statistics.[151][152] |
| 145. | Kevin McKay | Private | Richmond Hill, Ontario | 24 | - | - | 1 PPCLI | 13 May 2010 | Killed by an improvised explosive device while on foot patrol southwest of Kandahar city.[153][154] |
| 146. | Geoff Parker | Colonel | Oakville, Ontario | 42 | wife | 1 son, 1 daughter | Royal Canadian Regiment | 18 May 2010 | Killed when a man believed to be working for the Taliban drove a car full of explosives into a NATO convoy during morning rush hour on the edge of Kabul.[155] |
| 147. | Larry Rudd | Trooper (Private) | Brantford, Ontario | 26 | - | - | Royal Canadian Dragoons | 24 May 2010 | Killed by an IED during a combat re-supply patrol near the village of Salavat, about 20 kilometres southwest of Kandahar city.[156] |
| 148. | Martin Goudreault | Sergeant | Sudbury, Ontario | 35 | - | - | 1 Combat Engineer Regiment | 6 June 2010 | Killed by an improvised explosive device while on foot patrol about 15 km southwest of Kandahar city in the Panjwaii district. Goudreault was on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan.[157][158][159] |
| 149. | James Patrick MacNeil | Sergeant | Glace Bay, Nova Scotia | 28 | fiancée | - | 2 Combat Engineer Regiment | 21 June 2010 | Killed by an improvised explosive device after he had dismounted from his armoured vehicle in Nakhonay about 15 km southwest of Kandahar city in the Panjwaii district, on one of the deadliest days for foreign soldiers in the war, with nine deaths. MacNeil was on his fourth tour of duty in Afghanistan.[160][161][162] |
| 150. | Kristal Giesebrecht | Master Corporal | Wallaceburg, Ontario | 34 | husband | - | 1 Canadian Field Hospital | 26 June 2010 | Killed when their vehicle detonated an improvised explosive device about 20 km southwest of Kandahar city while responding to a report of a mine found in the doorway of a home. A third Canadian soldier was also wounded in the blast.[163][164] |
| 151. | Andrew Miller | Private | Sudbury, Ontario | 21 | - | - | 2 Field Ambulance | ||
| 152. | Brian Collier | Sapper | Bradford, Ontario | 24 | - | - | 1 Combat Engineer Regiment | 20 July 2010 | Killed by an improvised explosive device after he had dismounted from his armoured vehicle near Nakhonay about 15 km southwest of Kandahar city in the Panjwaii district.[165] |
| 153. | Brian Pinksen | Corporal | Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador | 20 | - | - | 2nd Battalion, Royal Newfoundland Regiment | 30 August 2010 | Died of his wounds inflicted by an improvised explosive device eight days earlier on August 22, 2010 while on foot patrol near Nakhonay, about 15 kilometres west of Kandahar city. A second Canadian soldier was also wounded by the blast and both were transported to Germany where Pinksen died.[166][167] |
| 154. | Steve Martin | Corporal | Saint-Cyrille-de-Wendover, Quebec | 24 | - | - | 1st Battalion, Royal 22e Regiment | 18 December 2010 | Killed by an improvised explosive device while on foot patrol near a major road construction project that U.S.-led military forces are pushing into Taliban territory in Panjwai district as part of a fresh offensive. On his second tour of duty in Afghanistan, he died two days before his 25th birthday. The Canadian military refused to disclose whether any other Canadian soldiers were wounded by the bomb blast.[168][169][170] |
| 16 | TOTAL YEAR TO DATE | ||||||||
