Free Press journalists receive national recognition for child-care investigation

Their investigative series on Manitoba’s child-care system has earned two Free Press journalists top honours.

Reporters Jeff Hamilton and Katrina Clarke received national recognition at the Canadian Association of Journalists awards this weekend, taking home this year’s McGillivray Award for investigative journalism as well as gold in the written news category.

They were chosen as winners by a panel of current and former journalists out of a record number of entries — 540 — from print and online news publications and broadcast stations across the country for work produced in 2024.

“The McGillivray jury concluded that Hamilton and Clarke’s exposé of the many cracks in Manitoba’s child-care system bore all the hallmarks of excellent investigative work — it brought clarity to complex subjects and used vivid personal examples to convey systemic flaws,” the Canadian Association of Journalists stated in a news release Sunday.

Clarke and Hamilton worked on the six-part series for months. It highlighted opportunities for change at the provincial level to make Manitoba’s child-care system more accessible, transparent and safe.

“This recognition is especially meaningful for me as I am a new parent beginning the search for childcare in Manitoba. I am encountering the same challenges as the parents we spoke with for this series,” Clarke said.

“Our reporting found that too often, childcare is treated like a private family matter rather than essential public policy, leaving parents feeling they have few options to find trusted caregivers. While Manitoba is starting to make progress, including recently raising the wage of early childhood educators, there is still a long way to go. I am hopeful that our reporting spurs further change.

Jeff and I are grateful to the Free Press for supporting us as we undertook this resource-intensive investigative project.”

Hamilton said the investigation wouldn’t have been possible without the dozens of people who spoke to them.

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“They trusted us with their stories, with their deepest insights, and in some cases, with their raw pain,” he said.

“To the family who shared, in painstaking detail, the story of their young daughter — your courage and vulnerability allowed us to shed light on critical issues. And to the individuals who took time out of their busy lives, some even travelling to Thompson to sit down with us and share their experiences. Your voices are the heart of this story.”

Free Press Editor Paul Samyn congratulated the journalists.

“The Free Press greatly appreciates the national recognition for Jeff and Katrina’s journalism and our commitment to investigative reporting,” Samyn said.

See the full list of Canadian Association of Journalists award winners here.