
Doug Speirs
Columnist
Doug Speirs’ humour column, In the Doug House, has appeared on Page 2 of the Winnipeg Free Press at least three times a week since 2006. No one is exactly sure why.
Doug has held almost every job at the newspaper — reporter, city editor, night editor, tour guide, hand model — and his colleagues are confident he’ll eventually find something he is good at.
In his columns, Doug strives to focus on the vital issues of the day, but generally ends up writing about himself and his family, especially his two dogs, because he isn’t overly fond of getting out of bed or leaving the house.
For column fodder, he has tried his hand at everything from barrel racing to playing Santa Claus for hundreds of screaming schoolchildren on a jumbo jet to performing with Canada’s top Elvis impersonators. He also bravely writes about the weather every Saturday, pets every second Tuesday and writes a new column, Speiriscope, in Saturday’s 49.8 section.
No topic is too small to escape Doug’s keen journalistic eye, especially if it involves his infamous war with the army of mice living in his basement or his frequent run-ins with public relations professionals who are just trying to do their jobs.
He is also known for columns on quirky news events, his insights on raising teenagers, his helpful insights on the key differences between men and women and his penchant for spending up to three hours floating in the bathtub.
Doug was born in Vancouver and still worships the B.C. Lions. Despite this flaw, readers find him approachable, especially in the checkout aisles at crowded grocery stores. He was a finalist at the 2008 National Newspaper Awards for column writing.
He and his wife, She Who Must Not Be Named, have two children, neither of whom thinks he is the least bit funny.
Recent articles of Doug Speirs
Bidding fond farewell to a career full of hilarity and hijinx
5 minute read Preview Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022A valuable lesson from the book of Bogey
5 minute read Preview Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022Columnist really nailing the holiday spirit
5 minute read Preview Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022I’m dreaming of a grape Krampus, just like the ones I used to know
5 minute read Preview Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022It’s shortly after noon on a frigid Tuesday and I’m sitting in the food court at The Forks Market enjoying lunch with one of my favourite holiday companions, Krampus.
What’s in a name? Whatever you call your pet is still just as sweet
6 minute read Preview Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022Ho, ho, hold on a minute
5 minute read Preview Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022Dazzle fellow fans with loopy Grey Cup lore
5 minute read Preview Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022Love for CFL’s toothless Lions brings torment, taunting
5 minute read Preview Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022I was lounging on the couch in our den Monday afternoon when, suddenly and without warning, a text popped up on my cellphone.
I, for one, welcome our new feline overlord
6 minute read Preview Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022There’s no easy way to say this, so I’m just going to blurt it out — my family is going to the dark side!
You can have my candy when you pry it out of my zombie hands
5 minute read Preview Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022Once upon a time… a columnist turned into a puddle of goo
5 minute read Preview Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022Grab a book and prepare to curl up on the carpet, kids, because today we are heading to the library for family storytime.
It’s a dog-eat-remote-control world
5 minute read Preview Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022In the high-pressure world of big-time journalism, your classic dog-bites-man story doesn’t grab many headlines.
Tables work their magic with dementia patients
7 minute read Preview Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022It’s a dog-eat-pumpkin-spice world… and I’m wearing whipped-cream underwear
5 minute read Preview Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022When it comes to style, I’m just playing ketchup
5 minute read Preview Saturday, Sep. 24, 2022Regular readers will not be surprised to hear that, for most of my life, I have been a self-styled slob.
Tims’ cookie campaign something to smile about
4 minute read Preview Saturday, Sep. 17, 2022Three dog nights over: Joy returns to Doug’s world
5 minute read Preview Saturday, Sep. 10, 2022Our three dog nights are about to end — and I could not be more relieved.
Now matter how you slice it, bacon’s worth celebrating
5 minute read Preview Saturday, Sep. 3, 2022Of all the special days on the calendar, today is arguably the most special of them all.
Vancouver visit turns into Hitchcock meets Animal House
5 minute read Preview Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022It was a sweltering afternoon in Vancouver and I was doing what I do every time I visit the West Coast — sweating like a Butterball turkey on Thanksgiving.