Two winners of CSN-RÉC prizes

The CSN-RÉC is pleased to announce the winners of its inaugural prizes for the best undergraduate essay and MA-level Major Research Paper.

In the BA competition, the winner is Jaya Bordeleau-Cass, "The War Between Oil and Water: an Analysis of Anti-shale Gas Resistance in Kent County, New Brunswick."  Jaya submitted this paper as an undergraduate joint Honours Thesis in Anthropology and Canadian Studies at McGill University.  Professor Ronald Niezen supervised the Honours thesis.
The jury adjudicating the competition wrote this about the essay:  This paper is an exemplary interdisciplinary exploration of the anti-fracking protests in New Brunswick. It is both timely and useful in its analysis of the history of the events and people involved, answering important questions concerning the complicated processes at play. The use of a mixture of media sources and scholarly disciplines to contextualize the anti-fracking protests is very well done. It is also timely in helping us understand the processes at work in other parts of the country with regards to the exploitation of natural resources, most notably with regards to the tar sands controversy and various hydroelectric projects.

Jaya will receive a cash prize of $100 and a year’s membership in the CSN-RÉC

The MA-level prize goes to Caroline Grego, "Imagining a Community-Oriented 'National Park Nature: Conflict, Management, and Conservation in the Proposed South Okanagan-Lower Similkameen National Park Reserve."  Caroline submitted this MA thesis to the Geography Department at UBC.  Prof. Graeme Wynn supervised the thesis.

The adjudicating committee members agreed that Grego's thesis represents a significant contribution to the field of Canadian Studies. Starting from a personal narrative reflecting on her relationship with the environment of the Okanagan Valley and her native South Carolina and moving into a nuanced discussion of the politics surrounding the proposed South Okanagan-Lower Similkameen National Park Reserve, Grego's thesis combines an impressive theoretical grounding in concepts of nature and wilderness, a thorough exploration of the history of the region, and a balanced acknowledgement of the plurality of voices in this debate. We enjoyed reading this thesis a great deal and wish to congratulate Caroline on a fine piece of work.

Caroline will receive a cash prize of $150 and a year’s membership in the CSN-RÉC.

Congratulations!