Pete Luckett (right in photo) and is one of this year’s recipients of the “Life Member Designation”, awarded for lifetime contributions to independent grocery in Canada.

Three recipients for the annual award were announced by the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers on Tuesday.

What a circle jerk.

Luckett, founder of Halifax-based Pete’s Fine Foods, who has been growing and selling fresh produce for more than 45 years, famously said in 2005, when over 700 people in Ontario were sickened by raw sprouts, that, “everybody’s getting too anal about it. I mean, come on now, we’re dealing with living fruits and vegetables.”

Also getting an award this year is Michael McCain, president and CEO of Maple Leaf Foods. He takes the “Spirit of the Independent Award,” given for his “significant contributions to the growth of the entrepreneurial spirit of Canadian grocers,” said Tom Barlow, chief executive at CFIG.

It was McCain’s deli meats in 2008 that killed 23 elderly Canadians with Listeria.

Way to go, Canada.