Global BC, Legislature Bureau Chief
There are few constants in public life. But for more than four decades, British Columbians have turned to Keith Baldrey for something rare and essential: a clear, principled, and steady voice guiding us through the shifting landscape of provincial politics.
Keith started his career in 1982, moved to the Vancouver Sun in 1984, and in 1995 went on to what is now known as Global BC. He’s also been a CKNW commentator and Glacier media columnist. Over the course of his 40 years of political coverage, Keith has reported on 11 premiers and ten provincial elections. During the COVID pandemic, Keith covered every one of Dr. Bonnie Henry’s 250 news conferences, winning the B.C. Association of Broadcasters’ Performer of the Year for his coverage of the pandemic.
Keith has evolved with the times. He was one of the first journalists in the province to embrace the reality of social media and Twitter, becoming one of the first reporters in the province to compile over 75-thousand followers.
He’s also become a political ambassador. Through countless public tours of the Legislature, Keith has shared his knowledge of B.C.’s political history and deepened public understanding of the functions and decision-making processes of government. Equally important, he has invested in the future of journalism through his generous mentorship of young reporters.
As Janet Austin, former Lieutenant Governor of B.C. notes, “His principled approach has earned him something few in the public eye achieve—that is, cross-partisan respect. Politicians may not always agree with his analysis, but they trust that it comes from a place of integrity. . .. To call Keith Baldrey an icon is not hyperbole. It is simply an acknowledgment of what he has become: a trusted and enduring presence in British Columbia’s public life.”