Aussie Author Book Event

You are invited to an Aussie author book event on Saturday October 20 at 7:00 pm at McNally Robinson (Grant Park).

One of the world’s most acclaimed authors of thriller fiction, Aussie Michael Robotham will be in conversation with Terry MacLeod, after which he will sign his latest book “The Other Wife” (Little, Brown and Company).

Childhood sweethearts William and Mary have been married for 60 years. William is a celebrated surgeon, Mary a devoted wife. Both have a strong sense of right and wrong.

This is what their son, Joe O’Loughlin, has always believed. But when Joe is summoned to the hospital with news that his father has been brutally attacked, his world is turned upside down. Who is the strange woman crying at William’s bedside, covered in his blood – a friend, a mistress, a fantasist or a killer?

Against the advice of the police, Joe launches his own investigation. As he learns more, he discovers sides to his father he never knew – and is forcibly reminded that the truth comes at a price.

This event is being co-presented by the DUCW, and we would love to have a big turnout of members and friends to welcome Michael and hear about his work. You might even see a familiar face introducing Terry before he introduces Michael. How exciting!

Michael has been an investigative journalist in Britain, Australia and the US. His series of psychological thrillers featuring psychologist Joe O’Loughlin have sold millions of copies around the globe. Robotham lives in Sydney with his wife and three daughters.

Host Terry MacLeod is an independent Emmy-nominated journalist, Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal Recipient, and former CBC Radio and TV host, presenter and producer.

For more information about the event, check out the write-up on the McNally Robinson website.

Yarn October-November

The Autumn (October-November) 2018 version of The Southern Yarn greets us with the arrival of chilly weather and colourful leaves, and some early snowfalls. Read it all here!

All our back issues are available at the Yarns page, too, of course.

Editorial: 
Lots of bits of news for your reading pleasure again this issue. While browsing, the persistent story that kept coming up was the drought that is affecting widespread parts of Australia, as well as New Zealand. Folk have even resorted to rain dances!  While it is a good example of typical Aussie humour in the face of hardship, it could be taken as a bit too light-hearted for such a critical issue. I believe the “performers” are dead serious and desperate to get the attention of the public and the politicians any way they can. For many, it is past the point of rain now providing relief: they need financial and emotional assistance. And in the longer term, some new strategies to mitigate the hardships of future prolonged extreme dry seasons. Obviously great minds have been at work addressing this challenge for some years. A good summary of one such effort is the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) publication: “The science of providing water solutions for Australia” [available online here]. For our part, we catch what spring run-off we can and pump it into barrels for use on the garden. This year there was precious little (yes, Manitoba experienced a drought, too), so plan B was drip-irrigators, sprinklers and buckets. My thanks, on your behalf, to the other contributors to this Yarn: Jenny, Ed, Peter, Judy, Murray, Brian and our advertisers! Enjoy, Charlie.

AFL Grand Final this Friday night!

Join us this Friday September 28 for the 4th Annual AFL Grand Final Night in Winnipeg.

Members and friends of the Winnipeg Bears Australian Football Club and the DUCW will be at Boston Pizza, 1475 Henderson Hwy, from 9:30 pm onward.

The Aussie Rules football grand final is the biggest event on the Australian sporting calendar, and will be broadcast live from Melbourne. This year it’s the Collingwood Magpies versus the West Coast Eagles. The large projector screen will be going, with all the pre-game live music and, of course, a rousing rendition of the Australian national anthem. Can we top last year’s effort?!?! Yes, we can!

No need to RSVP. Just turn up and be part of the event. Family and friends welcome.

More details at the WBAFC’s Facebook page.

Australian Passports in Winnipeg

Need to renew or apply for your Australian passport?

Representatives of the Australian High Commission in Ottawa are coming to Winnipeg on Tuesday August 28 to conduct passport interviews and address related concerns and questions. Note that you need an appointment for each application lodged.

If your passport is due to expire, this is your chance to have it renewed and save yourself a trip to Ottawa or Toronto or Vancouver.

To book at appointment, visit: http://canada.highcommission.gov.au/otwa/01.html .

And if you have any questions, please email the AHC at otwa.passports@dfat.gov.au or phone 1-613-236-0841.

Book now and make sure you get an appointment before they all fill up.

Yarn August-September 2018

Yarn2018_08-09-AugSepThe Yarn for August and September 2018 is ready for you to download.

Editorial:
G’day. Welcome back. I have to admit that it was a challenge for me getting this issue together. I found that the change in frequency from monthly has thrown me off my stride. However, I am sure I/we will adjust. And, if you value this newsletter, please take the time to send in ideas (eg, for “Getting to know”) and snippets for inclusion. I, and I am sure most readers, especially like to get info on personal encounters and anecdotes as well as news items that are less-out-there. Thank you again to those who are already contributing in this way. Thanks to Jenny Gates for collecting the “We Recommond” section on page one. Your suggestions are always welcome, as we all come across such things to share. As Peter Munn mentions in his President’s Message, one of our summer pleasures is being able to observe the activity at our bird-feeder and the nearby bird-bath. However, this year things did not start out very promising. No birds, apart from the occasional crow, or chipmunks or squirrels were showing up! We soon realized the cause was our new neighbour’s cat, which was being indulged with free range! This called for some careful diplomacy – balancing friendly neighbourliness with firm expectations and reminders of the City By-laws concerning restraining of pets. It seems that the message must have got through (it didn’t hurt that another bird-loving neighbour threw diplomacy to the wind and trapped the offending feline so that it had to be claimed back from the City compound!) as all the usual wildlife have returned and “Frankie” is learning her place in our eco-system. I hope that your summer/winter is also proving interesting and exciting. Enjoy, Charlie