Sticking with the Canuck yuks

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This article was published 29/03/2025 (199 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There will definitely be jokes about the American political circus at this year’s Winnipeg Comedy Festival, but the comics telling them will all come to town carrying Canadian travel documents.

“We’ve been pretty much 99.9 per cent Canadian since our start in 2002,” says artistic director Dean Jenkinson, who announced the festival lineup earlier this week.

“This festival’s mandate has always been to promote Canadian talent and elevate them to a national audience on CBC and expose them to a Winnipeg audience that otherwise would not get to see them perform.”

The commitment to Canadian talent is nothing new for the festival, says Jenkinson, but this year, amid ongoing trade scuffles and cross-border jabs, he says the festival’s ideals were reaffirmed.

“I’m hoping this trade war ignites national pride in Canadian comedy. It would be lovely if this reminds Canadians of the importance of not giving up control of our culture,” he says.

At this year’s fest (April 28 to May 4), national acts Steve Patterson, Jon Dore, Wafik Nasralla, Martha Chaves, Jackie Pirico, Derek Edwards, Heidi Foss and Dave Hemstad are due in town.

Manitoban talent sharing the spotlight includes Spencer Adamus, Jaydin Pommer, Chad Williams, Barney Morin, Taylor Paige, Kristen Einarson, Tyler Kotowski and Garrett LeBlanc.

Jenkinson, who took over the artistic directorship from festival co-founder Lara Rae in 2019, says the festival has developed a few new showcases he’s particularly excited to see, including an all-crowd work show hosted by B.C. comics Nash Park and Alex Forman, and Bannock Bums, an all-Indigenous showcase. Both events will be held at the Gas Station Arts Centre.

One comic he can’t wait for Winnipeg to meet is Syd Bosel, who will perform in the Old School showcase at the Burton Cummings Theatre (May 3). Bosel, voted B.C.’s funniest new female comic, took up comedy in her 60s.

“She just did The Debaters, and she absolutely destroyed,” he says.

For the broadcast shows, the festival has called upon hosts Dore, Arthur Simeon, K. Trevor Wilson (Letterkenny), Stacey McGunnigle (22 Minutes) and Ashley Callingbull, the first Indigenous Miss Universe Canada.

While new programming is emphasized, the festival is returning to proven favourites, including The Debaters (May 2 and 3), The Dark & Dirty Show (May 2) and Laughing with the Stars, a showcase of local non-comics — CJOB’s Richard Cloutier, CBC’s Marcy Markusa, entomologist Taz Stuart and Free Press favourite Jen Zoratti — vying for standup glory.

Jenkinson says on a personal level, he’s always been proud to see Canadian comics make an impact south of the border, but just as impressive to him are those comedians who choose to remain in Canada and enrich their local and national standup scenes.

The comedy festival, founded in 2002, is produced by the Gas Station Arts Centre, providing the Osborne Village institution with its main source of capital income.

Next year will be the 25th anniversary of the event, which draws over two-million viewers to CBC annually through its recorded performances.

This year’s venues include the Gas Station, the Burton Cummings Theatre, Jubilee Hall at the Mennonite Brethren Collegiate Institute and Good Neighbour Brewing.

ben.waldman@winnipegfreepress.com