Former resident writes book

Beatrice Fines is 83 years old, lives in Winnipeg, and has done things many people only dream about–like writing a book.
“This is my first published collection of short stories,” Fines, a former Fort Frances resident, said Tuesday from her home in Winnipeg.
Entitled “Neighbours,” it is due out sometime this month.
“All of the short stories in my book are things that could happen to people but they are not actual events,” Fines stressed.
“Some of the stories in the book are based in the early 1900s, some are based in Fort Frances, some in the city . . . it is contemporary,” she added.
Fines was born and raised in Fort Frances but moved to Winnipeg in 1939 after she was married.
She plans to attend the Fort Frances High School Millennium Reunion in July, and will be promoting her new book. Her brother, George Sturdy, said she will read excerpts at the library.
“I am not sure who but the library or reunion committee organized for the reading in the library [on the Friday morning of the reunion],” noted Fines. “I hope everyone I know in Fort Frances will attend the reading.”
Sturdy was all smiles as he talked about his sister’s accomplishments as a teacher, artist, and writer.
“She is quite an artist when she was young. Me, I couldn’t draw a straight line,” said Sturdy, who lives at Rainycrest Home for the Aged here. “Damn right I am [proud of her]. Why shouldn’t I be?”
Fines has written for some of the country’s best publications, ranging from Chatelaine, Saturday Evening Post, and Short Story International, and for DC Thompson in Scotland.
“I have written a lot of short stories, some articles, press releases, and I was the staff writer for the Emo research station,” she noted.
“I belong to Canadian Authors Association, Pen Handlers, and they have been at me for years to [put together a collection of stories]. It was hard to find a publisher to support me,” she added.
Aside from being a writer, Fines teaches adult education and evening classes for writing at the University of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba.
“I have some other material but I am not sure what will happen to it. I am going to continue to write short stories,” she remarked.