Much more telling (particularly in light of efforts in progress to determine whether Winnipeg should build a rapid-transit system and if so, in what form) than Alan Forsythe's rote account of Jennifer Gerbasi and Donald Benham's having been in contention in an "Eco-Councillor of the Year" competition mounted by the C.I.B.E. newsletter, is a crucial detail that was left out: who actually won and, why.

That distinction was awarded instead to three-term Ottawa Councilman, Clive Doucet.

Mr. Doucet triumphed largely on the strength of his successful championing (joined later by current Mayor Bob Chiarelli) of light rail as Ottawa's mode of choice for its rapid-transit expansion plans - repudiating the busways that have been used there in past.

"Bus rapid transit" was dreamt up by the automotive, road-construction and fossil-fuel lobbies as a means of diverting monies ostensibly to be spent on capital-intensive transit improvements, toward their own ends.

Aside from its dependence on diesel power, even BRT apologists confess it's designed to serve sprawl - not to correct or, curb it.

As such, it exemplifies "greenwashing" at its most insidious.

As for its alleged "flexibility", a BRT's dedicated roadways and stations can no more be re-arranged or picked up and moved, than can an LRT or subway.

Clearly, the contest-judges knew the difference between the real contenders and the fake.