 In 1953 Haig-Brown received an honorary LLD (Doctor of Laws) from the University of British Columbia.His books for younger readers won several awards, including the Governor General's Award for "Saltwater Summer" (based on his experience salmon fishing off northern Vancouver Island).The Haig-Browns sold their family home and property on the banks of the Campbell River to the BC government to be preserved as greenbelt land in 1974, retaining a lifetime tenancy.