Our best journalism of 2024: Sex-trade regulation, stewards of art

When a pair of Winnipeg sex workers reached out to the Free Press, feeling exposed and unsafe by changes to civic law, it was an act of desperation.

I followed up, unsure of what to expect. After hours of wide-ranging conversations about what it means to sell sex in this city, it became clear to me they weren’t looking for justice for only themselves, but wanted systemic change. They had a deep understanding of municipal oversight and how it can be wielded to keep workers safe — or put them in danger.

This story is, at its heart, a labour issue — something my own biases and misconceptions clouded from me until it was made clear by those conversations, and by the honesty and candour of those two women.

Sometimes, the day-to-day work of reporting the news can feel like an endless cycle of politicians, communications strategists, spokespeople and trained talking heads. This story had a much different impact.

Sex workers from across Canada reached out about their experiences navigating their own systems, recommended further reading to me and passed the story around their inner circles.

I’m thankful to everyone who reached out — especially the two women who sent that first tip.

-Malak Abas

I love doing behind-the-scenes stories because listening to passionate people fully nerd out about their jobs is something that makes me passionate about mine.

Vitaliy Yatsevych is the sole art conservator at the Winnipeg Art Gallery-Qaumajuq. To put that number into context, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has about 35 conservators.

His job is to clean, maintain, preserve, repair and restore artworks. I learned so much about what’s involved in this meticulous, detailed work, which also has the added pressure of having to be invisible and reversible.

And It. Is. Fascinating.

For example, conservators can no longer use ivory to repair, say, a tusk that snapped off an Inuit carving of a walrus. So what do they do instead? Well, you’ll just have to read the story.

Often when we write arts stories, we’re focused on the more public-facing people: the actors, the dancers, the musicians, the artists.

But professionals such as Yatsevych play vital roles in our arts scene, and it’s great to shine a well-deserved spotlight on them.

-Jen Zoratti