Rex Goudie, from Burlington, N.L. hugs Melissa O'Neil, from Calgary, after she won the Canadian Idol contest in Toronto Wednesday Sept. 14, 2005 (CP PHOTO/Adrian Wyld)

It took three years, but Canadian Idol came of age last night.

Always a monster hit, the show was never popular in my house. It always smacked of American Idol lite. Too wannabe, too much about feeding the fame machine and CTV selling shampoo than about kids and talent and discovery.

All that changed last night when 17-year-old Calgary girl Melissa O'Neil was named the first female Canadian Idol. And if you didn't want to jump through the set and give her a big hug at the end, then you were made out of stone.

In what host Ben Mulroney said was the closest final ever (a record 3.6 million votes were cast), the Calgary girl beat the guy in the white cap, Newfoundland-native Rex Goudie.

Goudie, 19, who slipped on a Toronto Maple Leaf jersey just before O'Neil's name was announced, scooped the winner in his arms and gave her a victory heave. Her father Tim, watching in the auditorium, put his face in his hands and wept.

"Calgary, yes!" she exclaimed as the confetti rained down. "Hats off to Canada! My mom is crying!"

Mom Sherri was back in Calgary where thousands rocked the Roundup Centre.

You had to love both these finalists, even if neither had the greatest voice in the world (or even in the contest). There was something endearing --even Canadian? -- about the rawness of their talent. Neither are slick singers and both are works in progress. They look like they're playing dress-up sometimes, particularly last night during a vocally strained rendition of Against All Odds.

But, as a parent, you could flat out root for these kids; that's not always the case with American Idol.

These weren't posers, they were sincere and genuine. As judge Farley Flex said of Goudie, "This is a good citizen. This is a guy you want to hang with."

It probably all seemed pretty corny to younger viewers. But last night's Canadian Idol was aimed squarely at its most loyal audience: Parents. This is a good old-fashioned variety show. There is almost no new music. Instead, kids sing songs written decades before they were born (like the jazz classic It's De-lovely, sung last night by O'Neil).

A well-packaged segment on the parents and their Idol experience was especially apt last night. "She has bloomed in front of our eyes," said one teary mom.

The closeness of the competitors and families and even of the judges and host all seemed genuine.You could nod along with Green Day's I Hope You Stay as moms and dads and their young adult children cherished the moment.

It even got to host Mulroney (never better, it must be said), who took the opportunity to salute his own embattled father. (The former prime minister, you may have read, has had better weeks.) Mom Mila gave an understanding nod from the auditorium.

It really helped that the jokey Idol shtick, so annoying on the American version, was kept to a minimum.

The show opened, for once, with cool songs. Somebody must have noticed that Rock Star: INXS (where Toronto's Suzie McNeil was sadly dumped last night) was kicking this show's ass. A heavenly choir set up The Stones' You Can't Always Get What You Want, with the Top 10 finishers joining in on Ruby Tuesday, Imagine, Satisfaction and Queen's Somebody To Love.

Later on, though, it was back to songs from Disney's Pocahontas.

Judge Sass Jordan bravely took the stage for a song, something American Idol judge Paula Abdul would never have the guts to do. Vocal coach Debra Bird sang a simple, understated rendition of I Know I'll Never Love This Way Again. It was an perfect example of pure singing. Big finish, big hug from Flex, big ovation.

Her students serenaded her with the old Mommas and Poppas standard This Is Dedicated To The One I Love. It was the sweet highlight of the show.

Last year's winner, Kalan "Jagger Legs" Porter, rocked the house with his hit single In Spite Of It All. The dude can play a mean fiddle.

There were a few mike outs on the two-hour finale, but overall, producer John Brunton should take a bow. A tape of this sweet, heartfelt Canadian Idol finale should be sent directly to the folks who make American Idol. After a season of arrogance and scandal, this is just the right grace note for getting this franchise back on track.