Barry Robinson

“It’s not that the operators are evil. It’s that we in North America demand so much oil that traditional economics dictate that ‘Oil wins, environment loses,’” he said.

As Ecojustice finds its footing in a province facing massive tarsands projects and looming freshwater shortages, Barry’s well-rounded perspective helps him choose battles wisely.

“We may not be able to make the oil and gas industries stop, but we can slow the frenzied pace of development and ensure it’s done right,” he said.

He began his lengthy environmental career knowing only that he wanted to work in the bush. The inspiration hit when he was a Toronto-dwelling 17-year-old given his first brush with the great Canadian outdoors as a junior ranger in Bracebridge, Ontario. Thinning forests in the area was a job ordinarily reserved for convicts of a low security prison, but it gave Barry a remarkable sense of freedom and led him to a career in forestry.

“It was hard work but good work and it made me crave a life outdoors,” he recalled.

Barry studied forestry at the University of Toronto followed later by a Masters in Environmental Studies at York University.

He found work in Alberta as a planning manager for a major forestry company, eventually creating an environmental consulting firm, Willow Root Environmental.

Recently, Barry began looking for a change, so he set his sights on a law degree, joining Ecojustice in 2008.

While the courtroom is a far cry from his original plans to work in the bush, by helping preserve it, Barry derives even more satisfaction from his city escapes to the wilderness, now with a wife and kids to share it with.