On Saturday evening we learned that our friend and colleague, Shane Whiteside, had passed away a few months ago.
Shane was a loyal and trusted friend, starting with our first meeting at the Osborne Village Inn, and progressing for almost 30 years. He was a working-class everyman, raising a family of 3 kids with his wife Joy in the North End.
Shane progressed through careers as a nightclub DJ (using the moniker Monkey Man), courier driver, a vendor clerk at the Marion Hotel, and especially as one of the most knowledgeable and clever computer techs around.
He knew lots of people and was a tremendous source of information and a sounding board for issues that affected families like his – from inadequate Child Care Centre funding to the botched Transit relaunch to the never-ending construction on Redwood Avenue. He was connected to all sorts of performers, from rock bands to cosplay to professional wrestlers. For the last decade or so he was battling health issues that finally took him from us.
Episode 45 is entirely dedicated to Shane Whiteside, who supported TGCTS and City Circus with his technical know-how, wise counsel, good humour, and insights into life in Winnipeg and Canada. Never to be forgotten.
