2 min. readThe Narwhal won three 2026 Jack Webster Awards on Monday night in Vancouver at an annual gala honouring the best in B.C. journalism.
Paige Taylor White was the inaugural winner of the new Photo of the Year award, for her work documenting Joffre Lakes Park during a reconnection period for Lil’wat and N’Quatqua members. The temporary closures of the park to all but members of the two First Nations have attracted significant controversy, but White — the only photographer invited by the nations to visit during their reconnection periods last year — documented the significance of the closure, for both the nation and the land itself.
Zak Vescera of the Investigative Journalism Foundation accepted an award for Excellence in Business Reporting on behalf of himself and The Narwhal contributor Matt Simmons, for their in-depth reporting on the close ties between TC Energy and Canada’s national intelligence agency. Their investigation revealed the company had lobbied the government to share intelligence with major corporations prior to a change in legislation that allowed the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to do exactly that.
Simmons has also reported extensively on TC Energy’s influence in B.C., including a five-part series sparked by a leaked recording in which a former executive at the energy giant boasted about successfully getting pro-pipeline messaging “stuck on government letterhead.”
Filmmaker Daniel J. Pierce won Excellence in Environment Reporting for his documentary Trouble in the Headwaters: The Hidden Impacts of Clear-cut Logging in B.C. The 25-minute film investigates the overlooked links between industrial forestry and drought, flooding and landslides.
The Narwhal was also a finalist in Excellence in Innovative Journalism for an on-the-ground feature about melting glaciers by freelance reporter Sara King-Abadi and photographer Amber Bracken, which took them to the Columbia Icefield.
“These stories really reflect the full range of work we do at The Narwhal: stunning photojournalism, rigorous investigations and a unique video documentary,” B.C. bureau chief Lindsay Sample said. “This work reflects our collaborative approach and I’m proud to see such talented journalists recognized.”
The Narwhal’s award-winning environmental journalism is made possible by more than 7,600 members who make monthly or annual donations to support our non-profit newsroom.
The three Webster wins were behind only The Globe and Mail, which took home four. IndigiNews, which The Narwhal frequently collaborates with, picked up a pair of awards. See the full list of finalists and winners here.