TORONTO — Canadian journalist and author Heather Robertson died Wednesday — her 72nd birthday — after a battle with cancer.
Robertson is best known for writing the non-fiction books Reservations Are For Indians, Salt of the Earth and Walking into Wilderness.
Born in Winnipeg, she graduated with an Honours BA in English from the University of Manitoba and started working as a reporter at the Winnipeg Free Press before moving to the Winnipeg Tribune.
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She wrote 13 non-fiction books and three novels.
Her works included The Flying Bandit, a profile of Winnipeg bank robber Ken Leishman.
Robertson won the Books in Canada Best First Novel Award for her fictionalized story of William Lyon Mackenzie King, entitled Willie, A Romance.
She was a prolific writer who contributed material to CBC, Macleans, Chatelaine and Saturday Night. Robertson was given the 2011 Award for Outstanding Achievement from the National Magazine Awards Foundation.
Robertson was a founding member of the Writers’ Union of Canada and Professional Writers Association of Canada who advocated for fair compensation to writers.
Her 1995 lawsuit against The Globe and Mail went to the Supreme Court and resulted in a 5-4 judgment granting copyright protections to freelance writers.
Robertson was living in King City, Ont. at the time of her death. She is survived by husband Andrew Marshall and their two children.
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