Natalie Sue’s ‘I Hope This Finds You Well’ among Leacock humour writing prize finalists

Kinew won’t budge on opposition to criminalizing residential school denialism

Premier Wab Kinew stood by his opposition to the proposed criminalization of residential school denialism Wednesday, after some First Nations leaders criticized his earlier comments and asked him to reconsider.

Kinew said he doesn’t think Canada should make residential school denialism a crime, nor does he think it’s feasible to do, and he’d prefer to see it combated with education.

“When somebody has a question or wants to make a statement from a place of ignorance, the response isn’t to try to criminalize,” he told reporters.

“The response should be to try to heal whatever is going on with them that would cause them to say something hurtful, to try and educate whatever they lack in terms of knowledge about the true history of our country, and ultimately to find a way for us to all live together.”

Natalie Sue’s ‘I Hope This Finds You Well’ among Leacock humour writing prize finalists

Calgary writer Natalie Sue's debut novel about the absurdities of office life is one of three finalists for the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour.

The $25,000 award, named for essayist and humorist Stephen Leacock, honours the best Canadian book of literary humour published in the past year.

Sue's "I Hope This Finds You Well," which centres on a burnt-out office worker whose unsent email drafts accidentally go public, is on the short list. 

Also making the cut is Toronto author and playwright Greg Kearney's "An Evening With Birdy O'Day," about an aging hairstylist revisiting his friendship with a washed-up pop idol.

Letters, Oct. 15

Your news and reporting on the positive results of co-ordinated outreach coupled with enforcement combining social, medical and police services is important progress towards a safer and healthier Winnipeg.

Chief says minister offered money to remove highway checkstop

The chief of the Bloodvein River First Nation says a Manitoba cabinet minister offered up to $250,000 for economic development as he was trying to persuade her to remove a highway checkstop that has outraged hunters.