Vancouver Sun columnist Vaughn Palmer accepts 2026 Michener-Baxter Award

Vancouver Sun columnist Vaughn Palmer. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG

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It’s the rare weekday when Vancouver Sun political columnist Vaughn Palmer isn’t stationed somewhere at or near the B.C. legislature in Victoria.

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But on Thursday, he abandoned his decades-old post covering provincial politics to head to the national capital. Not for a story: Palmer is the story this time.

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He is there, along with editorial cartoonist Bruce MacKinnon, to accept the 2026 Michener-Baxter Award, which honours “exceptional service to Canadian journalism.”

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At Rideau Hall Thursday afternoon, Palmer shared the “best line” from the speech he was to give.

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It seems Premier David Eby, who Palmer never fails to hold to the fire in his columns, called to offer his kudos.

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“He said, ‘Congratulations, Vaughn, what a great chance to retire on a high note.’

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“I told him: I’ll see you at the next scrum.”

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Palmer said he had just met James Baxter, son of the award’s namesake, Clive Baxter, a former Financial Post journalist who won the first Michener Award presented in 1971. Sadly, Clive Baxter died just a few years later.

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Palmer said he is “doubly honoured” to be receiving it alongside MacKinnon, “who has a whole shelf full of National Newspaper Awards.”

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“I’m still kind of stunned at winning this thing, delighted and all that stuff,” said Palmer.

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Not that Palmer hasn’t received his share of plaudits, including the Bruce Hutchison Lifetime Achievement Award at the Jack Websters in 2006 — appropriately named for his longtime mentor at the Sun.

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The Michener-Baxter is also “more of a lifetime achievement award for journalists,” said Palmer. “The thing about this award is it isn’t given all that often.”

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The award is indeed a rare honour, not being handed out anywhere near annually. In fact, only 13 people and one organization have been recognized with the Michener-Baxter since it was established in 1983.

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The award “recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to Canadian journalism and public service through a career dedicated to integrity, excellence, and the public good.”

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Governor-General Louise Arbour presented the awards at the ceremony at Rideau Hall.

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Palmer’s career with The Vancouver Sun now spans more than 50 years, more than 40 of those as the political reporter at the B.C. legislature. Before that he was the Sun’s rock ‘n’ roll critic and a city editor.

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At the time the award was announced last month, Keith Baldrey of Global TV said Palmer is “an encyclopedia of B.C. political history.”

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“We sit next to each other in budget lockups, deliberately,” said Baldrey. “He is the one person in the entire room who will know the history of everything, in terms of the government’s budget history and spending habits and misuse and missteps, in an instant.”