OK, which is the greatest Canadian invention – the Ski-Doo or the birchbark canoe? Instant replay or the goalie mask? The alkaline battery or the light bulb? Pablum or the pacemaker? The BlackBerry or the Ardox spiral nail? The Wonderbra or (my favourite) the Robertson screw?

Well, here’s your chance to decide. Our colleagues in CBC-TV are putting together a special called The Greatest Canadian Invention to be hosted by our own Bob McDonald. And they want you to vote on the winner. They have already decided on a short list of 50 inventions (if you can call poutine an invention) and you can go to their website and vote on your favourite from that list.

Then on January 3, 2007, they’ll have a two-hour special on CBC-TV, featuring portraits of the inventions and the inventors, as well as famous Canadians talking about their own picks. And, of course, they will reveal the winner from the website poll. Voting is open until Sept. 28.

So go to their web page, and vote for the Robertson screw. Really. I mean it.

– Jim Handman