Double book launch: standing room only
More than 70 people attended the double book launch of two Moose Jaw born authors recently at Java Express. Every chair was filled, people were standing and the place was crowded as Martha Tracey introduced Dr. Ryan Meili, a family physician in Saskatoon who has written A Healthy Society: How a Focus on Health Care can Revive Canadian Democracy (Purich, 2012). Don Mitchell introduced Gary Engler, an elected officer for British Columbia’s Media Union. He is the author of The Year We Became Us (Fernwood, 2012). Taylor Carlson, the owner of Java Express, provided the venue, and Nelson and Wanda Reid were on hand from Post Horizon Booksellers (57 High St. W.). They sponsored the event, and they have copies of both books in stock (693-4243). Engler said his book “is a novel about the 1962 Saskatchewan doctors’ strike as seen through the eyes of a 12-year- old boy and a 13-yearold girl. Roy, the son of a union activist, is a committed socialist. Katherine is the daughter of a Regina surgeon. Both are forced to write letters to President (J.F.) Kennedy during the Cuban missile crisis as punishment for always arguing politics in their Grade 8 class at St. Michael.” Meili introduced his non-fiction work with a description of the content: “I discuss the social determinants of health as the key to a political renewal focused on human health. Each chapter starts with the story of a patient, someone I’ve worked with in inner city Saskatchewan, or in rural Saskatchewan, or in Mozambique in South East Africa. There are chapters dedicated to specific determinants - economics, education, physical environment, justice and health care.” During the question period, Engler spoke of his special attachment to Moose Jaw. “The city is a main character in the book. There was so much about this place in the 1960s that is essential to the story. There were lots of rivalries. There was the north-side, the east-side and the South Hill kids. There were divisions between the workers at large plants and the managers and owners of city corporations. There was a lot of animosity between the Protestants and Catholics. I could not have written the story without Moose Jaw as the venue. In 1962, we were always finding reasons to fight, and tensions percolated to the top with the implementation of government run health care.” Meili described his frustration as a medical practitioner when social factors limit his ability to benefit a patient. “Every government minster is a Minister of Health.” Mark Wartman, a former provincial Minister of Agriculture and Food and Minister of Transportation responded: “At the time I was in government, there were discrepancies in food costs related to location. You could buy alcohol for the same price anywhere in Saskatchewan but when it came to nutritious foods, the costs varied. In the north where food was more expensive, you had to pay $10 for a carton of milk.” Wartman spoke of his effort to make changes. “The only way to equalize accessibility was to provide subsidies for the transportation of quality foods, and it was a great frustration when we could not do this.”
Meili said the situation has not changed. “There are still geographical inequalities in the system and this is one of the determinants for health. Diabetes is of epidemic proportions because of poor nutrition, and this is a result of the cost and unavailability of nutritious foods.” Nelson Reid commented on the success of the double book-launch. He said, “The event was wonderfully well attended, and interaction was intense with both of our authors. As the sponsor I am delighted with the support we received and how things turned out.”