Winner: Joanna Frketich, Hamilton Spectator
A thorough and chilling look inside a long-term care home that fell “into a complete gap” during the COVID-19 pandemic, part of a disturbing trend with far-reaching implications. Frketich is dogged in her investigation of how Shalom Village failed its residents and their families. With a clear, straightforward style, she lays out the bureaucratic problems faced by the facility while always keeping a human face top of mind.
Runner-up: Jon Wells, Hamilton Spectator
This eloquent ode to generational farms combines the best elements of feature writing: a creative idea, engaging characters, and well-reported facts that illuminate a bigger trend.
Runner-up: Nicole O’Reilly, Hamilton Spectator
A gripping account of one mother’s harrowing journey years after her Good Samaritan son was shot and killed. O’Reilly has clearly gained the trust of her source, telling a story that painfully documents the wounds – mental, social and financial – that can remain long after a court case is deemed closed.
