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On Friday, Tyee journalists were named finalists for five prizes by the Canadian Association of Journalists.
The CAJ's awards program, which recognizes “the best in Canadian journalism with a particular focus on investigative work,” announced its 2022 nominees on Feb. 24.
The Tyee’s strong showing among 469 total entries by publications and broadcasters across Canada, said senior editor Paul Willcocks, is a validation of reader-supported journalism. “Thanks to Tyee Builders, we’re able to give reporters the chance — and time — to dig into stories and stick with them.” (Learn more about The Tyee’s mission and values and how to support our non-profit independent journalism.)
Tyee finalists across a range of categories include:
The Winters Hotel Burned Down. Are Other SROs at Risk?
Vancouver’s fire department says it responded to over 300 fires at SROs last year. By Jen St. Denis
Jen St. Denis is nominated in the written news category for her investigation into the conditions leading up to the devastating Winters Hotel fire that killed two people and the fire risks for vulnerable residents in single-room occupancy hotels across Vancouver. A coroner’s inquest was announced for the two victims of the fire shortly after St. Denis’s report.
“Our Winters Hotel fire reporting developed in response to a community’s calls for answers, and showed that marginalized people should be listened to and believed when they say something is wrong,” St. Denis said.
St. Denis was heartened to see a local news investigation recognized alongside national reporting projects by far larger outlets.
Health-Care Workers Are Facing an Epidemic of Violence
From ERs to long-term care, workers are dealing with abuse and attacks. They want to see change. By Moira Wyton and Zak Vescera
An investigation by Moira Wyton and Zak Vescera into the unprecedented levels of abuse and violence experienced by health-care workers in B.C. is nominated in the labour reporting category.
“I’m very grateful to The Tyee and the Local Journalism Initiative for allowing us dedicated time and resources for this story. We hope the piece does justice to Pam Owen’s bravery in speaking out and for all current and future health-care workers who want to be safe at work,” Wyton said.
“As Zak and I dug in and had several interview requests for the Minister of Health declined or ignored, we realized the dearth of basic information about violence against health-care workers is a key part of the problem.”
“The pressures employers place on health-care workers to stay silent about unsafe working conditions make reporting on workplace violence incredibly challenging, and I’m grateful to the CAJ for recognizing our work to bring it to light,” Wyton said.
Revisiting the Record of the Sisters of St. Ann
‘It’s an ugly history.’ Survivors call for accountability, responsibility and transparency. Part one of a Tyee special report. By Francesca Fionda
A Colonial Reckoning at Little Flower Academy
A Vancouver Catholic girls’ school venerated their founders but downplayed their residential school history. Alumnae want answers. Second in a Tyee special investigation. By Katie Hyslop
Francesca Fionda and Katie Hyslop teamed up for a close look at a Catholic order of nuns, their role in Canada’s residential school system, and the Vancouver secondary school they operate. The first part dug deep into the history of the Sisters of St. Ann in B.C., and the second examined holes in how that past is taught to today’s students of Little Flower Academy. The result is a finalist in the category of the APTN/CAJ Reconciliation Award.
Repairing the Devastation of the Nechako Reservoir
The far-reaching impacts on Indigenous communities and nature created by the Nechako Reservoir and possible solutions. A three-part series. By Amanda Follett Hosgood
Also nominated for the APTN/CAJ Reconciliation Award is a Tyee series by Amanda Follett Hosgood examining the destruction and pain caused by a B.C. megaproject 70 years ago and the First Nations working to undo some of the damage.
Follett Hosgood said she felt humbled to be considered for the prize. The painful, complex and decades-old history of the Nechako Reservoir took months to research, including several trips to the territory. “I’m grateful to be given the time and space to do that.”
“Of course, all credit goes to the First Nations and Indigenous people — in this case, the Cheslatta Carrier Nation — who have trusted me with their stories and patiently answered my questions,” Follett Hosgood said.
“Visits to Cheslatta territory were always amazing. It’s beautiful and people were always excited to talk about their latest projects.”
She added that decolonization and reconciliation in journalism isn’t only about big breaking news stories but also about “how we incorporate Indigenous perspectives into everything we report.”
The Artist Motel: Inside a Vancouver Experiment
WATCH: Visit the creative colony carved from a dying motel in a fast gentrifying city. A Tyee mini-documentary. By Sonal Gupta
Multimedia journalist and UBC School of Journalism, Writing and Media student Sonal Gupta’s nine-minute documentary about a creative approach to providing spaces for artists, which she created and published as an intern with The Tyee, landed her a nomination for the Student Award of Excellence. “I’m interested in reporting on solutions,” Gupta said of her project. “On what is working and what is done right and what others can learn from it.”
Senior editor Jackie Wong said CAJ awards offer an opportunity to recognize and celebrate a field of work that feels increasingly precarious. “It’s a reminder of the enduring significance of journalism during a challenging inflection point for the industry.”
“It’s especially exciting for me to see such a range of experiences represented,” said Wong. “How inspiring to see our former intern Sonal Gupta nominated alongside more veteran reporters. Amanda Follett Hosgood and Jen St. Denis, for example, have invested years in the communities at the heart of their reporting specialities.”
The team spirit of The Tyee newsroom is manifested in the CAJ judges’ choices, noted Wong. She pointed to “the products of two important reporter collaborations: Moira Wyton and Zak Vescera uncovering violence experienced by health-care workers, and Katie Hyslop and Francesca Fionda tracking the contemporary ramifications of a Catholic congregation’s involvement in the residential school system.”
The Tyee’s reader-supported approach to making a home for in-depth reporting is working, concluded senior editor Willcocks. “Look at Jen St. Denis’s nomination for reporting on the Winters Hotel fire. There are four finalists in the news category — two from the Globe and Mail, one from the Toronto Star — and Jen.
“We don’t see winning awards as a priority,” Willcocks said. “But it’s still great to see our reporters’ brilliant work being recognized.”
Winners will be announced at the CAJ awards gala on April 15, 2023, which this year is being held in Vancouver. Here is a list of all the nominees. ![[Tyee]](/design-article.thetyee.ca/ui/img/yellowblob.png){kind=small}
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