Novel about remote Aboriginal community wins B.C. fiction prize

A tragic but inspiring story about a remote First Nations reserve in British Columbia has won the Ethel Wilson prize, B.C.'s top prize for fiction.
The Heaviness of Things That Float, by Jennifer Manuel, published by Douglas & McIntyre, is the story of Bernadette, a nurse who worked in a remote indigenous community for 40 years. She's on the verge of retirement when Chase Charlie, a young man she is close to, disappears. Here's a review of the book I wrote for the Vancouver Sun.
Manuel, although not an indigenous person herself, has worked in remote areas of B.C. with Aboriginal people for many years.
At its heart, the novel is about privilege, as expressed in this quote from Manuel. “It hasn’t occurred to (Bernadette) that she may still hold assumptions rooted in her own dominant culture, and when you are in a position of privilege, the worst thing you can do assume. It’s the novel’s central message: try to know the other, but never assume to know the other.”
The fiction prize was handed out Saturday night in Vancouver, along with seven others awarded at the 33rd annual BC Book Prizes gala.
The recently deceased Aboriginal author Richard Wagamese won the Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice award for his book Embers: One Ojibway’s Meditations (Douglas and McIntyre). That prize is given to the best book in terms of public appeal, initiative, design, production, and content. Embers is a book of meditations that Wagamese created and used in his own life as an author of many books, including Indian Horse, Medicine Walk and Keeper 'N' Me.
Author and artist Douglas Coupland, who coined the term Generation X with his book of the same name, won the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Literary Excellence. That award comes with a $5,000 prize, while the other winners each receive $2,000.

The other winners were:

• Neil J. Sterritt, Mapping My Way Home: A Gitxsan History (Creekstone Press), which won the Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize for the author(s) of the book that contributes most to the enjoyment and understanding of British Columbia;

• Deborah Campbell, A Disappearance in Damascus: A Story of Friendship and Survival in the Shadow of War
(Knopf Canada), which won the Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize for the best original non-fiction literary work:;

• Adèle Barclay, If I Were in a Cage I’d Reach Out for You (Nightwood Editions), which won the Dorothy Livesay Poetry prize;

• Monique Gray Smith, illustrated by Julie Flett, My Heart Fills With Happiness (Orca Book Publishers), which won the Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Prize;

and

• Iain Lawrence, The Skeleton Tree (Tundra Books), which won the Sheila A. Egoff Children’s Literature Prize awarded to the best non-illustrated book written for children.

tracy.sherlock@gmail.com

B.C. election: Where's the fire over education?

Despite a decade-long court case settled against the government, a heated strike that closed schools for weeks and a fired board of education in the province's biggest city, education has yet to emerge as a defining issue of this election.

The Liberals promise to stand pat, the NDP has pledged more money, but is short on specifics, and the Green party is making big, ambitious promises, but is unlikely to form the government.

Here's a recent article I wrote about education issues and the election for the Vancouver Sun and Province.

There's a space squeeze on in schools, with Vancouver's urban schools bursting at the seams, while schools in some neighbourhoods are nearly empty. Eight schools had to turn kindergarten students away in Vancouver. In Surrey, 6,000 students study in portables. A group called Surrey Students Now says the space crunch could see all but two Surrey secondary schools move to an extended day schedule. The group is also concerned about the funding for portables and an education ministry request for a "space audit" that could see auditorium stages or libraries converted to classroom space.

Even with these significant issues, education is not getting a lot of election traction. The party platforms promise very little in the way of specifics.

All three parties promise to review the funding formula for schools, which is essential now that the teachers' won at the Supreme Court and their 2002 contracts are restored. The win means significant differences in the number of teachers needed in each district, because every district now has different rules and some districts have no class composition language at all. A one-size-fits-all per-student funding model will no longer work.

None of the parties is calling for significant change to funding for independent schools.

For post-secondary schools, all three parties promise some relief on student-loan interest and the Liberals and the NDP promise to keep a cap on tuition fee increases, although the NDP don't specify the size of the cap. Today, tuition fees can only go up two per cent each year.

On Tuesday, I moderated an education forum for election candidates, hosted by the Vancouver District Parents Advisory Council. The Liberals didn't participate, but the NDP was represented by Adrian Dix and Morgane Oger and the Greens were represented by former Vancouver School Board trustee Janet Fraser and Bradley Shende. It was an interesting evening, but there were few surprises. About 50 people showed up to hear from candidates, but other than a few digs at the missing Liberals, it was largely a friendly gathering.

In the leaders' debate Wednesday night, education was barely mentioned. Even the NDP, which is promising $10-a-day childcare, only got around to mentioning it in the closing statements. The Greens, who would extend the school system to include preschool for three and four year olds, didn't pump that during the debate.

After the election, there are all kinds of unknowns. Will school closures be back on the table in Vancouver and Richmond? Will seismic upgrades be done even if schools aren't at capacity? Will the next contract negotiations be bitter or sweet? Only time will tell.

Despite the big questions, it doesn't look likely to me that education will emerge as a defining issue before May 9.

tracy.sherlock@gmail.com

Various recent education stories

Below you will find links to my most recent education stories, including some about the Supreme Court case, class size and composition and other education issues.

Number of B.C. classes with more than three special needs students rises dramatically


Provincial election a motivator in getting B.C. teachers' deal done


Teachers reach deal with province on classroom conditions


Childless in Vancouver: How do cities keep families from fleeing?

tracy.sherlock@gmail.com

Foster care and aging out

In my time at The Vancouver Sun and Province, I wrote many stories about foster care and what happens to foster children when they "age out" of government care.
Here is a selection of links:

'Shocking' numbers of aboriginal children in care an 'embarrassment,' children's advocate says

Number of B.C. kids-in-care deaths, critical injuries jump dramatically


B.C. youth in foster care died alone, as multiple warning signs ignored


Girl who recently aged out of government care dies in Surrey tent


Teenager's death in Surrey 'a preventable tragedy,' NDP says

tracy.sherlock@gmail.com

Stories on VSB and bulling

Here are links to the latest stories about the VSB, bullying and the fired school board trustees.


WorkSafeBC investigation confirms VSB bullying took place at meetings


Vancouver school board unions dispute bullying report


'Bullying' at Vancouver school board peaked at public meeting, says external report


Report says bullying led to a toxic work environment at Vancouver School Board

tracy.sherlock@gmail.com

Books, books and more books

In this post you will find links to my most recent book reviews and book club discussions.

Book Club: Storytelling method compels mystery

B.C. Book Prizes finalists see children's story Peace Dancer score twice


New books about nature, art and the 1980s


Reviews: Novels explore mother-daughter bonds


B.C. national book award goes to Sandra Martin


National Award: From indigenous communities to death with dignity

Interview: Ian Rankin on mortality, Rebus and Scottish crime

tracy.sherlock@gmail.com

Working poverty series

This year, I worked on a series of stories about people in British Columbia who work, but who barely make ends meet. It was heartbreaking to hear the stories of how these people struggle to make the bare necessities of life, despite being employed and trying their best.

Here are some links:

B.C.'s working poor: Meet the people whose jobs don't pay the bills

B.C.'s working poor: Low-wage jobs keep many living paycheque to paycheque

B.C.'s working poor: Affordable child care key to lifting families out of poverty

B.C.'s working poor: Food often comes last, after the bills are paid

B.C.'s working poor: Education essential to better opportunities


B.C.'s working poor: Affordability crisis hits low-income earners hardest

B.C.'s working poor: Reducing poverty expensive, but possible

tracy.sherlock@gmail.com

VSB passes its budget

The Vancouver School Board's lone trustee, Dianne Turner, has passed the budget for next year.

The budget includes a plan to move some existing teacher positions from the current operating budget into the classroom enhancement fund, provided by the province to restore the teachers' contracts to 2002 staffing levels. That plan reduced the budget deficit by about $7.1 million.

The ministry first told me this plan was not allowed, but then was unable to answer my questions because the election writ had dropped. Other districts, such as Richmond, are also facing significant deficits, but were unsure if they could transfer funding for teaching positions in the same way.

This story I wrote earlier this month explains the funding shuffle.

Turner was appointed by the province to run the Vancouver School Board after the elected trustees were fired for failing to pass a balanced budget.

tracy.sherlock@gmail.com

VSB's kindergarten space crunch

The Vancouver School Board has turned away neighbourhood children from eight elementary schools, due to a lack of space.
In this story, I explain that the teachers' court win means smaller class sizes, which adds to a space crunch in schools that were already jam-packed.
Kids couldn't get in to Elsie Roy, Henry Hudson, False Creek, Emily Carr, Edith Cavell, General Gordon, Simon Fraser and David Livingstone elementary schools. Most of the students have been offered alternatives, but exact wait list numbers are not yet available.
Many students were also not able to get spaces in choice programs such as French or Mandarin immersion.
tracy.sherlock@gmail.com

B.C. election 2017: Where the three parties stand on childcare

Here's a link to a recent story I wrote for The Vancouver Sun about where the Liberals, NDP and Green party stand on childcare.
Both the NDP and the Greens have big plans when it comes to childcare, with the NDP promising to implement $10-a-day childcare and the Greens promising to bring in free preschool for toddlers. The Liberals say those options are too expensive, but they promise to build more spaces.
Childcare is expensive in Metro Vancouver and the wait lists are long. Experts say cheaper and more accessible childcare gets more women into the workforce, therefore boosting the economy.
Voters will have their say May 9.
tracy.sherlock@gmail.com