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Penni Mitchell
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Journalist, writer, feminist.
Born at Winnipeg in 1959, middle of three daughters of Shirley Vogler (1931-2011) and William George “Bill” Mitchell (1928-2010), her childhood was spent in the Windsor Park area of the city. She studied journalism at Red River College and was co-editor of the student newspaper, There, she met Michael Balagus, with whom she had a daughter in 1983 before parting ways. As an adult, she came out and found a supportive community of friends who became her extended family.
In 1979, while working as a freelance writer, she volunteered at a new feminist publication The Manitoba Women's Newspaper. In 1982, she became co-editor of the paper and helped transform it into the national monthly magazine Herizons (1983-1987). Federal funding cuts led to its demise in early 1987; however, she led its relaunch in 1992, helping it become Canada's largest magazine for feminist social commentary. She wrote a weekly column for the Winnipeg Free Press for over a dozen years, and published the book About Canada: Women's Rights (2015).
She died at Winnipeg on 15 October 2026 and was buried in the St. Vital Cemetery.
Her articles for the Manitoba Historical Society:
Winnipeg Women Journalists Have Always Led the Way
Manitoba History, Number 70, Fall 2012
Obituary [William George Mitchell], Winnipeg Free Press, 1 April 2010.
Obituary [Shirley Mitchell], Winnipeg Free Press, 19 January 2011.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 24 October 2026.
Obituary, Ethical Death Care.
About Herizons, Herizons.
“Penning feminist lives: Herizons has been the centre of Penni Mitchell's lifework” by Nelle Oosterom, June 2024.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 24 October 2026