U of M’s Evelyn Forget selected for Donner Prize shortlist

As the Donner Canadian Foundation has announced, Evelyn Forget an economist and professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba, has made the short list for the Donner Prize:

Evelyn Forget.

Ken Whyte, Chair of the Donner Canadian Foundation, today announced the shortlist for the 2018/2019 Donner Prize, the award recognizing the best public policy book by a Canadian.

“The Donner Prize jury has always selected books that are exceptional works of public policy research, writing and thinking from leading Canadian academics and writers,” said Mr. Whyte.   “We are excited about the topics explored in this year’s shortlist. They will undoubtedly provoke debate and elevate the conversation in Canada. Policy affects us all, and books that probe hard questions and suggest guidelines and direction for the future become essential reading. We are fortunate to live in a country that celebrates rigorous thinking, and we honor this with the prestigious Donner Prize.”

David Dodge, Jury Chair, stated that “The jury agreed that, in this age of news bubbles and sensationalist journalism, the purpose of the prize is even more critical – to encourage, and reward, the hard work of researching and writing about the policy dilemmas that we face as a society.  Our shortlist reflects issues that are at the heart of public policy debates in Canada, or certainly should be, and that are also faced by many – Indigenous rights, income distribution, population growth, university governance, and the civilian oversight of policing. These books are shining models of the Donner Prize – relevant and important topics of Canadian public policy, based on sound and original research and analysis, and accessible to a general audience.”

The prestigious Donner Prize, founded in 1998, annually rewards excellence and innovation in public policy writing by Canadians. In bestowing this award, the Donner Canadian Foundation seeks to broaden policy debates, and make an original and meaningful contribution to policy discourse, all of which will contribute to an even stronger and more inclusive Canadian democracy.

The 2018/2019 shortlist titles were chosen from a field of 70 submissions. The winner receives $50,000 while each other nominated title receives $7,500.  The 2018/2019 Donner Prize finalists are:

Indigenous Nationals, Canadian Citizens: From First Contact to Canada 150 and Beyond by Thomas J. Courchene (Institute of Intergovernmental Relations, Queen’s University)

Population Bombed! Exploding the Link Between Overpopulation and Climate Change by Pierre Desrochers and Joanna Szurmak (Global Warming Policy Foundation)

Basic Income for Canadians: The Key to a Healthier, Happier and More Secure Life for All by Evelyn L. Forget (James Lorimer & Company Ltd.) 

University Commons Divided: Exploring Debate & Dissent on Campus by Peter MacKinnon (University of Toronto Press)

Excessive Force: Toronto’s Fight to Reform City Policing by Alok Mukherjee with Tim Harper (Douglas & McIntyre)

The winner of this year’s Donner Prize will be announced at an awards ceremony at the historic Carlu in Toronto on Wednesday May 1, 2019.  The ceremony will be hosted by broadcaster Amanda Lang.