Jeff Hamilton

Manitoba educator slipped through the system without proper credentials until sex-related charges surfaced To parents, students and football leagues of Manitoba, Braeden Martens was a trusted authority figure. But to Manitoba

This case exposes a massive gap in child protection for non-certified school staff. Read the full investigation here:
www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

Experts call it a "stunning institutional failure." While the school board micromanaged hiring, an uncertified teacher slipped through.
“How many more of these ghost teachers exist within the system?”

Martens faces charges of luring and sexual touching involving teenage girls. RCMP confirmed to the Free Press that the charges relate to his role as a teacher and that his employer was notified early. Yet, he remained a union member for months after his arrest.

Martens taught vocational classes and coached football in Steinbach and for the provincial U-18 team. But because he had no certificate and no permit, he was outside the jurisdiction of the provincial disciplinary commissioner.
Essentially, he was untouchable by standard oversight.

Manitoba educator slipped through the system without proper credentials until sex-related charges surfaced To parents, students and football leagues of Manitoba, Braeden Martens was a trusted authority figure. But to Manitoba

How does a teacher work in a public school without the province knowing he exists?
We investigated the case of Braeden Martens—an uncertified teacher charged with sexual offenses who slipped through every crack in the system.
www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

Winnipeg Free Press writers discuss the blazing phenomenon of Heated Rivalry Everyone is talking about Heated Rivalry. It’s no exaggeration to say that the gay hockey romance from Jacob Tierney (Letterkenny, Shoresy) — based on Rachel Reid’s Game Changers novels about the…

In today's @winnipegfreepress.com: A very insightful convo about the allure and cultural importance of #HeatedRivalry with my fellow arts reporters @nuchablue.bsky.social, @jenzoratti.bsky.social and sports reporter @jeffkhamilton.bsky.social 🍑 🏒 🔥

Winnipeg family shattered as teacher’s obsession with young girl went unnoticed, unpunished On the surface, David Wray was the perfect teacher. Charismatic and approachable, he never wasted an opportunity to socialize with parents before the morning bell. He was creative, too, reaching kids....

WFP Investigation🧵: How does a teacher groom a student from Grade 3, admit to being "obsessed" with her, and still get to quietly resign without charges? My investigation into the systemic failure that protected David Wray and shattered a Winnipeg family: www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

Winnipeg family shattered as teacher’s obsession with young girl went unnoticed, unpunished On the surface, David Wray was the perfect teacher. Charismatic and approachable, he never wasted an opportunity to socialize with parents before the morning bell. He was creative, too, reaching kids....

The family hoped for justice but found a broken system. "Every time we talked about it or tried to get help... we were roadblocked." Read the full story of how the system let the teacher just walk away: www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

This case exposes the deep flaws in how Manitoba handled teacher misconduct for decades. It reveals a culture of silence and protectionism that existed prior to the new oversight system introduced in 2025.

The Manitoba Teachers’ Society played a key role, facilitating a deal that allowed Wray to resign quietly. This happened despite his own admission of an obsession with the student. His teaching certificate remained in good standing for years afterward.

The roadblocks continued. River East Transcona School Division claimed to launch an investigation but never interviewed the victim or her parents. The family was left in the dark, offered no support, and forced to navigate the trauma alone while the system circled the wagons.

Wray told the student he loved her, wanted to sleep with her and wanted to be with her. He even taught her a "secret language," a specific noise to make when leaving the room to signal she loved him. When the family went to the police, they were told no crime had been committed.

Winnipeg family shattered as teacher’s obsession with young girl went unnoticed, unpunished On the surface, David Wray was the perfect teacher. Charismatic and approachable, he never wasted an opportunity to socialize with parents before the morning bell. He was creative, too, reaching kids....

WFP Investigation🧵: How does a teacher groom a student from Grade 3, admit to being "obsessed" with her, and still get to quietly resign without charges? My investigation into the systemic failure that protected David Wray and shattered a Winnipeg family: www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

On Nov. 26, Jeff Hamilton and Katrina Clarke will discuss interviewing with care, building relationships and gaining the trust of important sources, and finding information from institutions that serve minors.

Register now: https://beeid.org/4865fb8ea86e

Child protection experts say Manitoba’s new teacher registry conceals more than it reveals Despite promises that a new teacher registry launched at the start of the year would enhance transparency within the education system and improve children’s safety, critics have dismissed it as weak, ...

This investigation underscores a fundamental question: Does Manitoba's new teacher registry truly serve its purpose of protecting children and informing the public, or is it merely a basic database that conceals more than it reveals?
Read here: www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

The findings are alarming: the investigation revealed at least 50 teachers in Manitoba have been convicted of sex-related crimes against minors, including sexual assault, child pornography, sexual interference, exploitation, and luring.

To help get the full picture, I spent months carefully poring over criminal and civil court documents, alongside decades of archival news clippings. We sought to understand why 115 teaching certificates were suspended or cancelled over the past 35 years.

A new teacher registry in Manitoba promised transparency and child safety. Our investigation at the @winnipegfreepress.com confirms those promises fall short, leaving disturbing gaps in public information about teacher discipline.

Winnipeg's St. Mary’s Academy shutters prep hockey program Members of the St. Mary’s Academy U18 prep hockey team are playing with heavy hearts following news the school has shuttered the program beyond this season, the Free Press has learned. School official...

St. Mary’s Academy shutters prep hockey program -- Players, parents and coach dismayed more wasn’t done to save team
www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...

Annual process of trying to assemble a Grey Cup winner begins for CFL teams In the end, it was only going to work out for one team. After a hard-fought 21-week regular season, followed by an exciting couple of weeks of playoffs, the Toronto Argonauts were the last team standi...

CFL RUNDOWN: Time to build for next year -- Annual process of trying to assemble a Grey Cup winner begins
A look at all nine teams across the CFL...
www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews...