Irwin Barker
Irwin Barker was a comedy writer and performer who worked as a staff writer for the award-winning Rick Mercer Report. He made several appearances on CBC radio’s Madly Off in All Directions, and was a regular writer/performer for CBC Radio’s Debaters series. Irwin appeared in numerous television comedy specials including Comics!, Comedy Night in Canada, The Winnipeg Comedy Festival and Just for Laughs International Comedy Festival. His comedic style was described as “cleverly thought out introspection,” and delighted audiences everywhere he performed. Diagnosed in 2007 with leiomyosarcoma, Irwin’s first year of cancer treatments was the subject of a CTV documentary entitled That’s My Time. A good friend of the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, Irwin passed away in 2010, and will always be remembered.