Dallas McQuarrie, a Kent County-based journalist who has written about forestry mismanagement, Aboriginal title claims, and other pressing environmental issues in New Brunswick, is this year’s first-place recipient of the Beth McLaughlin Environmental Journalism Award.
McQuarrie received the award, given annually since 2015 to a New Brunswick journalist in recognition of in-depth reporting and thoughtful coverage of environmental issues in New Brunswick, during the Conservation Council of New Brunswick Southeast Chapter’s Buy Local Celebration on Nov. 19. Gabriel Fahmy, a Moncton-based CBC reporter, was awarded second place.
McQuarrie has written high-quality and timely environmental stories for the New Brunswick Media Co-op since 2013 — in fact, all the way back to June of that year when he was arrested while covering the resistance against shale gas exploration in his local Kent County.
“Dallas shares a similar spirit, heart and conviction that drove Beth McLaughlin to join environmental movements and write about environmental problems,” writes Sarah Kardash, who nominated McQuarrie for the award. “He is committed to the environment and respect for indigenous rights as evident by the news stories he chooses to cover and how he covers them.”
Over the past four years, McQuarrie has written about the declining health of New Brunswick’s Acadian forest, harmful forestry practices such as clearcutting and herbicide spraying, positive alternatives in sustainable forestry, the long, community-driven win against fracking’s threat to clean water, Aboriginal land rights, renewable energy, climate change impacts in New Brunswick, and more.
“I live in that part of the unceded Mi’kmaq territory of Siniktuk – known as Kent County,” McQuarrie said during his acceptance speech. “The Mi’kmaq people – along with many other peoples – recognize and nurture our relationship with Mother Earth – the source of life for every living thing on the planet.”
Beth McLaughlin, the founder of the Southeast Chapter of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, was a teacher, writer, social activist, and active citizen. The Southeast Chapter presents this award annually in her memory.
This year’s ceremony was held during a Buy Local Celebration event held at the Dolma Food Restaurant in Moncton. A special thank you to Dolma for sponsoring this event!