The 2024 Canadian Screen Awards
We did it, we won! Best Writing Factual, Best Series Factual.
The day started the way every day starts—Madeline and I peeling our two young sons off our backs and out of the bed.
We’re usually downstairs making coffee by 7 AM, today was no different but more special. It was Madeline’s son, Levon's, 11th birthday. And it was the Canadian Screen Awards Gala. I was up for three awards and we had three hours to get out of the house and get our asses on the road to Toronto.
We decided to take the train because driving into Toronto on the Gardiner Expressway these days is like ripping your toenails out with your grandfather's dentures.
Somehow, likely by way of a miracle, we pulled off a birthday morning, breakfast for four kids, two showers for two adults, lunches, school bags, diaper bags and supplies, all by 8:30 AM. We shuffled 3 of our 4 kids off to school before 9 AM.
Highfive, Madeline — we’re the best team, we’re, like, really good at this shit.
We were making good time and seemed to be on track without any stress standing in our way until our vehicle wouldn't start. We tried to boost the truck and all that jazz, no luck.
Suddenly, we’re out of time. We fly out the door with Plan B and now we’re at serious risk of missing the train altogether. If we miss the train, there’s no way we’ll get to Toronto in time to get to the awards on time and because the show is being taped for television, generally, the rule is don’t come into the theatre late.
Somehow, someway, we got to the train in time.
We had six minutes to spare when we finally got to the gate only to learn that there was absolutely no parking to be found. I considered leaving our 15-year-old Lexus SUV in the lane and just starting it on fire, but, that seemed a bit too risky for the general public to witness.
I dropped Madeline and Thomas at the train, (oh, did I mention we were bringing our 6-month-old with us?) and I searched the GO Train parking lot for any chunk of sidewalk or sliver of parking I could find. I finally parked at the far end of the lot train station and “sprinted” to make the train before the doors closed.
I made the train.
Madeline did her makeup while on the train.
She breastfed the baby during our travels.
I did my best not to have a heart attack post my Olympic level 800-meter dash.
I think there were two shitty diaper changes (Madeline is a hero, she changed the kid), and finally, we rolled into Toronto with enough time to spare for the walk over to the CBC building on Front Street.
Once we got to Union Station, we met up with Madeline's mom, who skipped out of Question Period at Queens Park early so that she could watch our baby and we could enjoy the awards gala. Nan and Papa Ted walked with Thomas and had lunch downtown while we walked the red carpet.
Mad’s dad, was responsible for her two boys and Sam for the afterschool hangs and held things down until we got home from the awards.
I’m telling this story because so much goes into these days for us as a family and I’m grateful for our circle of support here in Hamilton.
Just making it to the awards in one piece was an accomplishment, truly.
I am so grateful to have Madeline in my corner — she always makes sure everything that needs to happen, does.
My dream scenario was to have my two daughters with us at the awards. It would have meant everything to me for them to be there but I couldn’t afford the cost of flights and the cost of tickets to the awards. It was a bittersweet day in that way, I want my daughters by my side for all of these moments, big or small.
We walked into the building, caught the elevator up to the 10th floor of the CBC building and made our way to the soundstage.
I wasn’t prepared for what happened next.
My Deepest And Sincerest Thank You
I am thrilled to share that the Thunder Bay docuseries won Best Writing Factual and Best Series Factual at the 2024 Canadian Screen Awards during yesterday's Documentary, Factual, and Lifestyle and Reality Awards Gala. This recognition from the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television means a lot to our team, and to those who were brave enough to share their stories with us, and of course, it means the world to me.
I want to take the time to recognize Jesse Brown and Canadaland for giving me a shot way back in 2017 to bring the story in Thunder Bay to millions of people through our podcast. Brown picked up the phone when no one else wanted to give me a shot with this story — we wouldn’t be here without Jesse and the team at Canadaland, their listeners, and all those partners who stood behind the podcast work.
Jon Thompson. I invited you onto my boat for an afternoon so we could float on Rainy Lake and so that I could pitch you this project. You vehemently said no to the television docuseries. It made me go back to the drawing board and rethink things. Then I pitched again, you said yes. Thanks for coming on this journey and helping steer the ship. Most importantly, thanks for holding the line for Thunder Bay, something you’ve always done and will always do.
A big thanks to Allison Brough and Toby Dormer, both are former unscripted executives at eOne who now run the Unscripted Department at Blink 49. They fought for this show every day when things got really hard. Thank you for trusting us in the writer’s room and out in the field. Documentary is hard to make, having an executive team that allows you to fail and to find the story as it shows itself is essential and it’s the reason we succeeded with this series.
A special thanks to the team at Bell Media and Crave. Thank you to the executives who led this project with us and are no longer with the company (such is the Canadian film, tv, and media industry). Crave allowed us to tell the story we wanted with very few notes and all the trust in the world. I hope your investment in us charted a path for Indigenous stories to follow inside of your company. I can’t wait to do it all again.
Leslie Lucas and crew. Lucas, you are a fierce leader with a sharp eye for story. Your strong heart led us through fires we didn’t know if we’d get through. You fought hard fights for us to finish this show properly. Leslie, I’d do this with you again and again.
Crew. You gave everything, truly. Your good hearts and minds shaped this work. Your thoughtfulness and care made all the difference given the work we set out to do in Thunder Bay. There are many many many of you and I will forget someone, so I won’t list you all. But know that I’m genuinely thinking of you and I’ll be reaching out to each of you personally to say thank you.
To my family — the work I do takes me away from you sometimes and it’s unfair that you pay the price for the career I have. I hope I’ve made you proud, that’s the only goal I have outside of putting food on the table and a roof over our heads.
Levon and Hawk. Thanks for your friendship and your sharp minds and curious brains. You’re smart young guys with lots to give this world, keep questioning the shit that doesn’t make sense for you and if you’re mom and I can help lighten the load, we’re here for you.
To our boys, Sam and Thomas. You’re too young to understand this work right now, but I hope all of this work makes your world safer. I want you boys to grow up to be proud, strong, kind, and gentle men. This is my dream for you. If this work does anything good for you, I hope it helps you see a path toward whatever it is you dream of in this world.
Ella and Jane. I love you. You paid the steepest price of all. I was gone most of two years, home for short stints then away again. I will spend my life making up for the time we’ve lost on my work journey. I am so proud of who you’ve both become. Your kind and fierce hearts give my life direction and a love deeper than anything I’ve ever known. Thank you for being my daughters, my friends, and my inspiration.
Madeline. Everything is possible with you. I love you. Thank you for walking with me.
Congratulations!
Good Lord that video of you running made me laugh 😂😂😂🏃