Winkworth winked-at

Brian Winkworth, this year's Kiwanis Club Citizen of the Year.
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Brian Winkworth normally oversees Cogeco Cable’s local programming. But the programming sort of oversaw him Thursday night at the Clarion Resort-Pinewood Park.

Winkworth was honoured there as this year’s Kiwanis Club Citizen of the Year, and part of the evening featured, appropriately enough, a television tribute to the 48-year-old Montreal native.

“After seeing this,” said David Kilgour, president of the North Bay Kiwanis Club, alluding to a well-known catch phrase, “I said Cogeco is truly zany television."

The video included the usual ernest greetings and best wishes, but overall took on the tone of a well-known sandwich: ham and cheese.

Memorable sequences
There were some memorable sequences.

In one, Mayor Vic Fedeli, working two phones simultaneously—“the answer is ‘no’ and what part of ‘no’ don’t you understand"—puts on his chain of office while playing with toy cars and building blocks.

Then he’s asked by a camera crew for a quote about Winkworth as citizen of the year.

“Shows you what kind of a year it was,” Fedeli says deadpan.

Another humorous bit shows Winkworth’s wife Nancy and their four children stuffing the citizen of the year ballot box and then exchanging high-fives all around.

An actual video clip is included showing Winkworth receiving another award. The only problem is his last name on the award has been misspelled as Wenkworth.

Psychological trauma
Cogeco North Bay News anchor Greg Estabrooks participates in an inspired take-off of The Sopranos.

Estabrooks, as a de-Italianized version of Tony Soprano, talks anxiously to his psychiatrist, Dr. Jennifer Melfi, played, in this case, by Patty Fedeli.

It appears the source of Estabrook’s anxiety isn’t some deep-rooted psychological trauma, but the thought that his employer, Brian Winkworth, could ever make citizen of the year.

Plunging neckline
The funniest vignette, though, belonged to Cogeco reporter Dennis Chippa, who, in a close-up, compliments Winkworth for never judging people or casting aspersions on who they are.

As the camera slowly zooms out, it reveals Chippa wearing a spaghetti-sleeved, knee-length dress with plunging neckline.

When it was Winkworth’s turn to speak, he expressed his gratitude and shared some of his favourite sayings with the audience.

“North Bay is a great place to work and live, Cogeco News is truly local television, start every day off on the right foot,” Winkworth said.

“And my family and I are from North Bay and we’re proud of it.