Robin Tress (BJ ’13) is one of three young Canadian journalists to be awarded a new reporting bursary from the Gordon Sinclair Foundation. The purpose of the $15,000 bursary is to encourage young journalists to get off the beaten track and spend at least six weeks away on a reporting assignment.
Barrie, Ontario, native Robin Tress studied environmental science at Dalhousie University, followed by a bachelor of journalism from King’s. She is interested in investigative journalism and reporting on Canadian energy politics and climate justice.
Her Gordon Sinclair Foundation Bursary will take her to Fort McMurray, Alberta, where she will explore the social impact of the oil sands industry.
“The city, the heart of the oil sands, is grappling with susbstance abuse, sexual assault, prostitution, a housing shortage, dangerous workplaces, and exploitation of temporary workers,” says the announcement from the Gordon Sinclair Foundation. “Robin plans to tell the stories of people experiencing these problems and gather their reflections on the root causes of these issues. She is particularly interested in the stories of non-Canadians, indigenous people, and women, as these groups are more often directly affected by social pressures of all kinds.”
Commenting on her upcoming project, Robin says: “Having spent several years in Nova Scotia, I’ve known many people who have gone ‘out west’ to make money. Most of these people come back with unbelievable stories of their time at work and from their time off. I think these stories go unnoticed to most Canadians, and would contribute to the public discourse about Canada’s energy economy.”
