Two Veteran Journalists Honoured with Prestigious Award
Two Postmedia journalists with a combined 93 years of experience have been awarded one of Canada's most prestigious journalism honours. Vancouver Sun political columnist Vaughn Palmer and Chronicle Herald editorial cartoonist Bruce MacKinnon were co-recipients of the 2026 Michener-Baxter Award for exceptional service to Canadian journalism.
Career Highlights and Impact
Palmer, a 53-year veteran of the Vancouver Sun, started with the paper in the early 1970s as an intern and later became its first rock critic. After a journalism fellowship at Stanford University, he became the Sun's political columnist in 1984 and has held that role ever since. Now 74, Palmer has no current plans to retire, stating in his bio that he considers himself fortunate to enjoy his 'version of the freedom of the press.'
MacKinnon is in his 40th year with the Halifax-based Chronicle Herald, where he has become one of Canada's most recognized editorial cartoonists.
Ceremony and Award Details
The annual award was presented by newly sworn-in Governor General Louise Arbour during a Thursday evening ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. According to the Michener Awards Foundation website, the award 'honours outstanding contributions to the cause of public interest journalism in Canada' by someone who dedicated their career to the field or served the industry in other ways. The foundation added: 'This award is intended to celebrate a consistent body of achievement that produced positive impacts on the world of journalism and benefited Canadian society in general.'
Palmer's Investigative Legacy
The foundation praised Palmer's four decades covering provincial politics in Victoria, noting that 'armed with a pocket calculator and relentless curiosity, he developed a remarkable talent for transforming dense ministry reports into columns governments would rather leave unread.' His reporting is credited with helping to expose overspending on the Coquihalla Highway, which led to a public inquiry, wasteful spending on the Site C hydroelectric dam, and British Columbia's plagued fast ferries program. 'His reporting and political columns remain essential reading for anyone seeking to understand public life and governance in British Columbia,' the foundation stated.
In his acceptance speech, Palmer revealed that B.C. Premier David Eby called to congratulate him and allegedly said it was 'a great chance to retire on a high note.' Palmer replied: 'I told him: I'll see you at the next scrum.' Eby later tweeted: 'Congratulations, Vaughn, on this award. You've scorched many a government's feet and what you do is essential for democracy.'
Previous Recognition
Palmer previously received the Bruce Hutchison Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2006 Websters Awards, named after his longtime Sun mentor. Reflecting on his early career, Palmer said in 2023: 'We didn't have access to information in those days. But if you brought out your pocket calculator and went through (the reports), you could show how they'd gone over budget on every single contract on the project.'
