Irwin Barker
Encyclopedia
Irwin Barker was a Canadian
comedian and writer. He wrote for This Hour Has 22 Minutes
and The Rick Mercer Report, and was nominated for four Gemini Awards as a writer and one as stand-up performer for his 2005 performance at the Halifax comedy Festival. Barker was also nominated for three Writers’ Guild of Canada Screenwriter’s awards, and won the award in 2008. He was also a regular writer and contributor for CBC Radio
's The Debaters
.
In June 2007, Barker was diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma
, a rare type of terminal cancer. He joked that his doctor had given him twelve months to live, "but my lawyer says he can get it down to eight".
After his diagnosis, he was active as an inspirational speaker on how he used humour as a vital coping mechanism in his personal fight against cancer. He was a headline performer at numerous cancer fundraisers, as well as a keynote speaker for conferences dealing with cancer and palliative care
.
His first year of cancer treatment was the subject of a CTV
documentary entitled “That’s My Time.” The documentary debuted at the 2008 Atlantic Film Festival
and was nationally televised in September 2008.
Reactions to Barker’s presentations on comedy and cancer were overwhelmingly positive. In Barker's own words. “Cancer has my body but not my spirit, and I’ll continue to make jokes, not so much about cancer, but in spite of it.”
He died in Toronto on June 21, 2010.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
comedian and writer. He wrote for This Hour Has 22 Minutes
This Hour Has 22 Minutes
This Hour Has 22 Minutes is a weekly Canadian television comedy that airs on CBC Television. Launched in 1993 during Canada's 35th general election, the show focuses on Canadian politics, combining news parody, sketch comedy and satirical editorials...
and The Rick Mercer Report, and was nominated for four Gemini Awards as a writer and one as stand-up performer for his 2005 performance at the Halifax comedy Festival. Barker was also nominated for three Writers’ Guild of Canada Screenwriter’s awards, and won the award in 2008. He was also a regular writer and contributor for CBC Radio
CBC Radio
CBC Radio generally refers to the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which are outlined below.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language...
's The Debaters
The Debaters
The Debaters is a Canadian radio comedy show hosted by Steve Patterson. It airs on CBC Radio One Saturdays at 1:00PM and Wednesdays at 11:30AM ....
.
In June 2007, Barker was diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma
Leiomyosarcoma
Leiomyosarcoma , aka LMS, is a malignant cancer of smooth muscle....
, a rare type of terminal cancer. He joked that his doctor had given him twelve months to live, "but my lawyer says he can get it down to eight".
After his diagnosis, he was active as an inspirational speaker on how he used humour as a vital coping mechanism in his personal fight against cancer. He was a headline performer at numerous cancer fundraisers, as well as a keynote speaker for conferences dealing with cancer and palliative care
Palliative care
Palliative care is a specialized area of healthcare that focuses on relieving and preventing the suffering of patients...
.
His first year of cancer treatment was the subject of a CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
documentary entitled “That’s My Time.” The documentary debuted at the 2008 Atlantic Film Festival
Atlantic Film Festival
The Atlantic Film Festival is an international film festival held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.Held annually, the ten-day celebration of film and video from Atlantic Canada and around the world is committed to screening an inspiring and engaging collection of films and videos from Canada and the...
and was nationally televised in September 2008.
Reactions to Barker’s presentations on comedy and cancer were overwhelmingly positive. In Barker's own words. “Cancer has my body but not my spirit, and I’ll continue to make jokes, not so much about cancer, but in spite of it.”
He died in Toronto on June 21, 2010.