CHIP & PEPPER SAVE 99 YEAR-OLD WINNIPEG LEGACY, KUB BAKERY

Chip and Pepper Foster with “the Nike of bread” at KUB Bakery in Winnipeg. Photo by Travis Ross.

Known across generations for NBC series, Chip and Pepper’s Cartoon Madness and iconic global denim brand, Chip & Pepper California, Winnipeg-born twins, Chip and Pepper Foster have announced their purchase of Winnipeg-based legacy brand, KUB Bakery. At today’s press conference produced by JPPR, the super twins and previous KUB Bakery co-owner, Lisa Perkovic, confirmed that KUB Bakery will hit its 100th birthday and beyond. In November 2022, KUB Bakery announced the closure of the brand spurring a wave of heartbreak to its loyal customers across the province. Fans can rejoice knowing this legacy is here to stay.

“Breaking bread brings people together in such a heart-centred way. KUB Bakery has been a constant in our lives and it has brought together countless friends and families across Manitoba. We are ecstatic that these cherished recipes will live to see their 100th birthday and beyond,” shared Perkovik. “Today marks the day we pass the torch to Chip & Pepper to continue that legacy for Manitobans.”

From shelves of major retailers like CO-OP, Costco, Safeway and Shoppers Drug Mart to Manitoba eateries like the Pancake House and Nick’s Inn to wedding social late-night feasts, KUB Bakery houses a magnificent infrastructure connecting the province’s signature grain with its residents.

“Bread from Manitoba is on another level. The wheat here is one of the best things in the entire world to me and mixed with that secret ingredient of love that’s the trademark of Friendly Manitoba, they are truly little slices of heaven,” shared Chip Foster. “We used to go clubbing. Now we go KUB-ing!”

While the name “Chip & Pepper” is often paired first with fashion and entertainment, the food business is not a new venture for the Foster family. In 1938, the twins’ grandfather, Samuel Finkleman, started Elman’s Food Products. Selling delicacies like pickles, sauerkraut, horseradish and mustard, the Winnipeg-based business continues to this day. Passed on to Chip and Pepper’s father, Manny Finkleman, Elman’s family recipes continue to delight across the country.

Winnipeg small-batch artisan bakery, The Pennyloaf is another venture tied to the Foster family. Pepper and Vanessa Foster co-own The Pennyloaf, the maker of to-die-for loaves playfully called “the Gucci of bread” by local fans.

Alongside their culinary adventures, the duo’s 1980s television series has been reprised on Netflix with the release of Saturday Morning All Star Hits! The show is a parody of Saturday-morning cartoons from the 1980s and early 1990s, including Chip and Pepper's Cartoon Madness. With Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels as an Executive Producer, the show is hosted by twin brothers Skip and Treybor (parodies of Chip and Pepper), both played by American actor, comedian and former Saturday Night Live cast member, Kyle Mooney. 

“When we moved to LA and people would reference the 60s and would talk about being a “flower child,” for a hot second, we thought they meant “flour child” and nodded along like, “Yeah, totally!” shared Pepper Foster. “That’s just one wild example of how Winnipeg is a part of our DNA. As proud flour children, we could not be more excited about carrying on such a precious part of Manitoba history.”

BRILLIANT CAST OF FEMALE AND TWO-SPIRITED INDIGENOUS COMEDIANS BRING BELOVED COMEDY SHOW TO VANCOUVER

On the heels of two sold-out performances in Saskatoon and Winnipeg, IndigE-Girl Comedy brings their stand up comedy showcase to Vancouver.  It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Aunties debuts at the Fox Cabaret with a hilarious cast of female and Two-Spirited Indigenous comedians on Thursday, December 8. Raised in Kikino Metis Settlement and Cold Lake First Nation, Host Savannah Erasmus' fashion-focused comedic lens creates a fresh and unique stand up persona that audiences adore.

“So often, Indigenous identity reaches audiences through the lens of residential schools and colonialism. In this performance, we want to share the joy, laughter and humour that has always been a part of the Indigenous way of life,” shared Debbie Courchene, Artistic Director of IndigE-Girl Comedy and owner of Miskoway Productions. “We created this showcase to break barriers for the Indigenous comedians to access and practice their comedy vocabulary. By engaging with a range of established, emerging and aspiring comedians, we hope to build a community of support that will encourage Indigenous women and LGBTQA2S to advance their artistic practices in comedy.” 

 It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Aunties featured performers include:

• Creator of the TikTok @Auntie.Lah, Laura Lewis, puts an Indigenous spin on regular songs with her "rez-mixes" brilliantly showcasing her perspective of Indigenous humour.

• From Iqaluit, Nunavut, Inuk comedian Nicole Etitiq continues to bring the house down with her performances at Canadian North Arctic Comedy Festival and Toronto's Just For Laughs Festival.

• Anishinabe and Bear Clan comedian Brenda Prince is a graduate of the Stand Up for Mental Health Program and Laughterzone 101. She was a finalist in BC’s Funniest New Female Comic 2021 and 2022 and won the hearts of fans at the Arctic Comedy Festival.

• Celebrated performing artist, Nyla Carpentier, whose credits include beloved shows at Theatre Cercle Moliere, Castlereigh Productions and the Victoria and Vancouver Fringe Festival.

• Artist, involuntary comedian and two-spirit activist, Raven John is a BFA graduate from Emily Carr University of Art and Design and excels as a visual artist, cultural consultant, storyteller, sculptor and more. Find Raven on TikTok @twospiritstrickster.

• Hilarious TikTok Creator, Ticia Aks (@ticaks2.0) from the unceded territory of Gitxan Lax Yip rounds out the lineup.
  
  Tickets are available for the in-person performance and the digital live stream here.
  
  “It was important for us to have this performance available both in-person and online. As these incredible female and Two-Spirited Indigenous comedians take the stage, we want to be able to share this performance with both urban and remote communities,” shares Courchene. “We hope this performance helps Indigenous youth envision themselves on major festival stages alongside talent of all backgrounds.”
  
  IndigE-Girl Comedy sold out their last performances in Saskatoon (Nov 2022) and at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival (May 2022). With this all-star lineup, be sure to get your tickets while you can.
  
  The performance goes live at the Fox Cabaret in Vancouver on Thursday, December 8 at 7pm. This performance is for an age 19+ audience. Parental discretion is advised.

CANADA'S DRAG RACE STAR, CHELAZON LEROUX PERFORMS WITH SASKATCHEWAN'S BEST FEMALE & TWO-SPIRITED INDIGENOUS COMEDIANS

On September 11, Aunties Say The Deadliest Things debuts at the Park Town Hotel Saskatoon with a hilarious cast of female and Two-Spirited Indigenous comedians. Presented by IndigE-Girl Comedy Festival, hosted by Dakota Ray Hebert alongside a guest performance by Canada’s Drag Race star, Chelazon Leroux, the stand-up comedy lineup lets you in on the joy, laughter and humour that has always been a part of the Indigenous way of life. 

“So often, Indigenous identity reaches audiences through the lens of residential schools and colonialism. In this performance, we want to share the joy, laughter and humour that has always been a part of the Indigenous way of life,” shared Debbie Courchene, Artistic Director of IndigE-Girl Comedy and owner of Miskoway Productions. “We created this showcase to break barriers for the Indigenous comedians to access and practice their comedy vocabulary. By engaging with a range of established, emerging and aspiring comedians, we hope to build a community of support that will encourage Indigenous women and LGBTQA2S to advance their artistic practices in comedy.” 

Winner of Best Actress at the American Indian Film Festival, Dakota Ray Hebert is certified to get you laughing as she hosts this matinee stand-up comedy show. With experience performing across North America and overseas, Hebert is celebrated for her roles on CTV, APTN and in feature film, Run Woman Run. 

Aunties Say The Deadliest Things featured performers include:

• One of CBC's National Top 100 Comics, Annie Brass, known for her deadly national televised appearance in CBC's The Last Bannock Standing with the Bionic Bannock Boys

• From Little Pine First Nation, Cheyenna Sapp shines on screen in Shawn Cuthland productions and in the latest CTV Comedy sitcom, Acting Good

• From Moosomin First Nation, Crystal LaPlante is a fresh new comic on the scene with tales of her dysfunctional family, urban auntie adventures and masterfully wasting away her hard-earned business degree

• With a background in acting, singing, designing, writing, and directing, Ezra Forest is a Two Spirit, non-binary artist based in Saskatoon from Samson Cree Nation

• Dene, Métis artist from English River First Nation, Tenille K Campbell is a poet, photographer, and grad student who likes the early emergence of Christmas decor in stores and ignoring everyone she matches with on Tinder

• Two-Spirit, Dene drag performer Chelazon Leroux experienced their meteoric rise to fame as a contestant on Canada's Drag Race and on TikTok with a loyal audience of more than 500,000 followers

The matinee performance goes live at the Park Royal Hotel in Saskatoon on Sunday, September 11 at 2pm. This performance is for an age 16+ audience. Parental discretion is advised.

Tickets are available for the in-person performance and the digital live stream here. 

“It was important for us to have this performance available both in-person and online. As these incredible female and Two-Spirited Indigenous comedians take the stage, we want to be able to share this performance with both urban and remote communities,” shares Courchene. “We hope this performance helps Indigenous youth envision themselves on major festival stages alongside talent of all backgrounds.”

SQUAMISH CONSTELLATION FESTIVAL REVEALS 2022 LINEUP AS LIVE MUSIC RETURNS TO BC

Photo by Dave Humphries

Live music is set for an extraordinary West Coast comeback as the Squamish  Constellation Festival returns to Hendrickson Field in Squamish, British Columbia from July 22 - 24. In the heart of the Sea to Sky Corridor between Vancouver and Whistler, the multi-genre, zero-waste music festival brings world-class talent and a new on-site camping experience to a backdrop of stunning glacial vistas.

Headlining the three-day, two-stage event, SCF welcomes Canadian rock icons July Talk (Friday), Austin-based psychedelic rockers and Grammy Award-nominees Black Pumas (Saturday), and angelic singer-songwriter, multi-Grammy and Juno Award-winner, Sarah McLachlan (Sunday).

“This summer marks a welcome return for live music in British Columbia. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of Squamish Constellation Festival,” shared McLachlan, who will be headlining the 3-day event Sunday, July 24. “We all benefit from live music and collectively need it now more than ever. The essence of Constellation, which brings people together in community to celebrate not only the arts, but one another, is something I deeply connect with and am proud to be a part of.”

“Live music connects us like nothing else can and we truly cherish the opportunity to bring people together after two long years apart,” shared SCF partner and former Squamish mayor, Patricia Heintzman. “More than ever this year, there is so much anticipation to reconnect and be together again. We've chosen this lineup to uplift music fans and joyously rekindle community connection."

Tickets for Squamish Constellation Festival are available at constellationfest.ca.

BRILLIANT CAST OF FEMALE AND TWO-SPIRITED INDIGENOUS COMEDIANS JOIN WINNIPEG COMEDY FESTIVAL

Come ‘N Get Your Auntie lineup includes TikTok star, Sherry Mckay.

On May 7, Come ‘N Get Your Auntie lands on the Gas Station Arts Centre stage as the hilarious cast of female and Two-Spirited Indigenous comedians premiere their Winnipeg performance. Presented by the Winnipeg Comedy Festival and IndigE-girl Comedy, the stand-up comedy lineup lets you in on the joy, laughter and humour that has always been a part of the Indigenous way of life.

“So often, Indigenous identity reaches audiences through the lens of residential schools and colonialism. In this performance, we want to share the joy, laughter and humour that has always been a part of the Indigenous way of life,” shared Debbie Courchene, Artistic Director of IndigE-girl Comedy and owner of Miskoway Productions. “We created this showcase to break barriers for Indigenous comedians to access and practice their comedy vocabulary. By engaging with a range of established, emerging and aspiring comedians, we hope to build a community of support that will encourage Indigenous women and LGBTQA2S to advance their artistic practices in comedy.” 

Anishinaabe, Two-Spirited comedian, journalist and producer, Issa Kixen, hosts the matinee stand-up comedy show. From WOKE Comedy Hour to CBC to the Bannock Babes Drag Collective to APTN’s Laughing Drum, Kixen has been featured on stages and on the air across Canada and the US. Come ‘N Get Your Auntie’s featured performers include:

• Anishinabe content creator and TikTok star, Sherry Mckay from Sagkeeng First Nation

• Winner of the Native American New Play contest for her production of Neechie-itas, Jo MacDonald

• Elder, Actress and Stage Manager, Heather Bjorklund

• Duck Bay comedian, filmmaker and TOSketchFest ‘Best of the Fest’ winner, Joyce Delaronde brings her character we know and love to the stage: the brutally honest grandma, “Skinny Kookoo”

• Known for her role on the "Crying, Loving and Leaving" Radio Show, content creator and performer, Shelby Tobacco of Northern Manitoba’s Mosakahiken Cree Nation rounds out the cast
  
  “It was important for us to have this performance available both in-person and online. As these incredible female and Two-Spirited Indigenous comedians take the stage, we want to be able to share this performance with both urban and remote communities,” shares Courchene. “We hope this performance helps Indigenous youth envision themselves on major festival stages alongside talent of all backgrounds.”
  
  The matinee performance goes live at the Gas Station Arts Centre in Winnipeg on Saturday, May 7 at 2pm.
  
  Tickets are available for the in-person performance and the digital live stream here.