Horror and stories
Near the end of October, coffee shop chatter and other generic small talk gravitates towards predictions about whether or not we’ll have snow before Halloween. It’s a perennial question that echoes our basic Winnipeg conversational template: one current event + the weather.
The Uniter isn’t going to take a stand either way on that debate. We’ll leave the forecasting to the forecasters, and instead report on what we know to be true this week. If you’re into celebrating Halloween, there’s a lot going on. And if you’re not into spooky stuff and/or candy, you’re still in luck.
In the news this week, vaping has been ruled out at the University of Winnipeg, transgender kids are being welcomed into the Girl Guides and a group of agencies work on a census of Winnipeg’s homeless population.
There’s a lot going on in arts and culture too, from an exploration of Artist’s Alley at Comic Con, to an invitation to a province-wide book club and a night at the movies with a mystery feature – that is, you won’t know what’s playing until you’re in your seat.
Perhaps that’s enough of a thrill for some. For those who seek more ghostly horrors, read on.
One of our braver contributors gives you a sneak peek of Fright at the Fort, an annual event held at the historical site of Lower Fort Garry. In our cover feature, we profile some seasonal haunts as well as a few local groups who play with the paranormal year round.
And while it’s not directly linked to this year’s Halloween, we’re also reporting on an important (potential) death. A University of Winnipeg prof is ready to write the epitaph for Lake Winnipeg, a popular summer destination and one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world. It’s a scary prospect, and a timely reminder that our relationship with the natural world goes a little deeper than the daily weather.
And as for the snow on Halloween? Once again, we’ll wait and see how that one plays out.
-Anastasia Chipelski, Managing Editor
Published in Volume 70, Number 8 of The Uniter (October 29, 2015)