Meet the five Canadian authors vying for the $100K Giller Prize

TORONTO - Five Canadian writers are first-time finalists for the prestigious Giller Prize, which awards $100,000 to the author of the best Canadian novel, graphic novel or short story collection published in English this year.

For the first time, the prize will be decided by a jury of nine independent booksellers from across Canada. The winner is scheduled to be announced at a glitzy gala hosted by Rick Mercer on Nov. 16 at the Ritz-Carlton in Toronto.

Here is a closer look at the authors and their books.

MICHELLE GOOD BALANCES TRUTH WITH FICTION IN ‘ELIZA SUNSHINE’“Eliza Sunshine” follows three generations of Cree women connected by their family’s tradition of storytelling. Good has said the novel is “very personal” as it’s based off her mother and great-grandmother’s life.

Carney heads to Southeast Asia summit as Rohingya refugee crisis grows worse

DUBLIN - Prime Minister Mark Carney is heading to a major summit of southeast Asian leaders as the ongoing Rohingya refugee crisis shows no sign of easing.

Randeep Sarai, Canada's secretary of state for international development, said the federal government is not abandoning the nearly one million Rohingya people expelled from Myanmar into Bangladesh.

"They know that Canada is there for them," said Sarai, who visited the world’s largest refugee camp in Bangladesh last month. He said he met Rohingya children there who were born in the camp nearly a decade ago.

"They’ve only seen one life, which is at a refugee camp."

Calgary water rules not expected to hamper Grey Cup, pubs promise plenty of beer

CALGARY - Calgary residents and businesses are being asked to restrict their water use for the month, but local pubs are telling football fans not to worry.

There will be enough beer to go around for Grey Cup.

"We're trending so that we shouldn't be running out of our own product," said Geoff Allan, general manager and co-owner of Bottlescrew Bill's Pub.

"If we do, we do know lots of other guys here we can buy similar stuff from.

Man who killed 5 deserves lowest possible sentence: defence

WINNIPEG — Lawyers for a man convicted of murdering five people in a Langside Street drug house have urged a judge to impose the most lenient sentence allowed by law, arguing he was manipulated into a homicidal rage by his father and brother.

“It was his family that provided him all the necessary ingredients for this atrocity,” Jamie Felix’s lawyer Ted Mariash told Court of King’s Bench Justice Alain Huberdeau at a sentencing hearing Thursday.

Felix, 35, was convicted after trial last winter of five counts of second-degree murder in the November 2023 killings. Melelek Lesikel, 29, Crystal Beardy, 34, her sister Stephanie Beardy, 33, and Dylan Lavallee, 41, all died at the scene or in hospital a short time later. All four had been shot in the head. Shawn Marko, 56, was shot three times and died in hospital from pneumonia, a result of complications from his gunshot wounds, 18 months later.

Mariash recommended Huberdeau sentence Felix to life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years, the minimum period allowed by law. On Tuesday, Crown prosecutors called on Huberdeau to sentence Felix to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years, the same sentence for first-degree murder.

Chipman family donates $500K to LGBTTQ+ project

WINNIPEG — Rainbow Resource Centre broke ground on Phase 2 of its LGBTTQ+ campus Thursday, with the help of a significant donation from the Chipman family.

The family contributed $500,000 to the $23-million project, called Place of Pride. Rainbow Resource Centre began the project in late 2022.

“We believe everyone deserves a place where they feel welcome, supported and accepted for who they are. Rainbow Centre is creating that kind of place for generations to come,” said Ruth Chipman, spokesperson for the family, in a news release announcing the donation.

“We are proud to support a project that will make such a meaningful difference in people’s lives and help build a stronger, more inclusive community.”

Dangerous driver handed 285 days in jail

A man who ran a red light near two schools in Brandon as he was fleeing police after stealing from Giant Tiger in July was sentenced to 285 days in jail.

“This conduct created the potential for catastrophic consequences,” provincial court Judge Shauna Hewitt-Michta said Thursday afternoon as she delivered her sentencing decision for 45-year-old William Beaulieu.

Last week, the accused pleaded guilty to dangerous operation of a vehicle, theft under $5,000 and mischief under $5,000 for an incident that occurred on July 16. The Crown stayed charges for fleeing police and impaired driving.

Crown attorney Melania Cannon and defence lawyer Chian Jok jointly recommended a 60-day sentence for the dangerous driving charge, but it was rejected by Hewitt-Michta, who said it was “markedly disproportionate” to the gravity of the offence and would have been contrary to public interest.

Homeless count set for this morning

One simple question — where did you sleep last night? — will help the city determine what it needs to support its most vulnerable residents.

Today from 6 to 8 a.m., roughly 30 volunteers will canvass the downtown area and ask every person they see where they had slept the previous night for the annual Point in Time (PiT) count.

The count provides a “snapshot of homelessness in the community,” said Annelise Wilchowy-Hagman, PiT count co-ordinator for the Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation.

Wilchowy-Hagman — who started the role in June — said while the PiT count isn’t perfect, it helps the city advocate for provincial and federal funding to support unhoused people.

Surprise honour for Waves of Hope

» Photos by Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun

Liberal MP touts budget’s affordability ‘boost’

Federal government officials were in Brandon on Thursday to highlight affordability measures contained in last week’s budget.

Liberal MP Ginette Lavack’s stop came after Westman’s two Conservative MPs criticized the budget last week for overspending.

“Budget 2026 is about building a stronger economy while making life more affordable for Canadians. It gives Canadians a boost today and a bridge to tomorrow, with immediate relief for families and long-term investments that address the underlying pressures driving up costs,” said Lavack, the MP for St. Boniface-St. Vital and parliamentary secretary for Indigenous Services Canada Minister Mandy Gull-Masty.

Lavack spoke to a handful of attendees in a corner of Chez Angela Bakery and Café, where about a dozen people listened on while patrons continued to eat their meals and talk with friends, and some students studied.

Stolen goods; collision leads to charges

TRAFFICKING STOLEN GOODS

Two men are facing charges after several items were stolen from a Brandon residence last week when the homeowner was out of town, police say.

On Nov. 7, officers received a report of a break and enter at a home on the 1400 block of 18th Street, police said in a news release on Thursday.

The incident occurred around 2:30 a.m. Investigators later discovered that the stolen items had been listed for sale online and identified two suspects.