Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - December 12, 2020, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE A1 Explore the possibilities scu.mb.ca/mymortgage CU STO M M O RTG AG E S D E S I G N E D FO R YO U SCU.MB.CA/SAVINGS S TA R T I N G AT 1.25%* INTEREST ON SAVINGS *Rates subject to change CONNECT WITH CANADA'S HIGHEST READERSHIP RATE WEATHER: PARTLY SUNNY. HIGH -5 - LOW -8 � SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2020 FOUNDED IN 1872 A STAIN ON OUR GAME A Free Press investigation: The life and destructive legacy of Graham James / F1-5 JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS G RAHAM James was last seen in acourtroom in the summer of 2015.Appearing via video link from a Quebec prison, the disgraced junior hockey coach pleaded guilty in a Swift Current, Sask., courtroom to sexual assault on one of his play- ers during the early 1990s, and was sentenced to two additional years behind bars. That was not the end of the serial sex abuser's saga; it was just one more chapter in his sordid life story. While a significant number of the assaults occurred in Saskatchewan, where he coached both the Western Hockey League's Moose Jaw Warriors and Swift Current Broncos, the James scandal has always been a Winnipeg story. James worked his way up through the ranks in the city - in Winnipeg minor hockey, the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and the WHL's Winnipeg Warriors. It was with this backdrop Free Press sports writer Jeff Hamilton began investigating James' past, from his formative years growing up as an Air Force brat in St. James to his time as a substitute teacher in the St. James-Assini- boia School Division, and from his first foray into coaching minor hockey to his ultimate downfall. Hamilton interviewed dozens of former play- ers, childhood friends, educators and hockey colleagues and officials. His investigation reveals an awkward teen who found confidence both in the classroom and at the rink, one that enabled him to embark on his trail of destructive criminal behaviour. The investigation also paints a picture of complicity or, at the very least, wilful igno- rance through all levels of the sport, which allowed James to abuse young players for years. James has been convicted of sexually as- saulting five former players: Sheldon Kennedy, Theoren Fleury and Todd Holt have all publicly shared their ordeals; the identities of two oth- ers have been protected by publication bans. Police estimate the true number of victims is between 25 and 100. While powerful institutions, such as the Catholic Church, and prominent individuals, including Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, have all had their moments of reckoning, there has been no equivalent to the #MeToo move- ment in hockey. This Free Press investigation attempts to change that narrative by giving voice to victims and asking questions of those who knew or ought to have known what was happening on their watch. The latest victim to come forward is a former Winnipeg high school hockey star who crossed paths with James when he was trying to crack the Broncos lineup in the late 1980s. His story, from being sexually assaulted to his descent into drug abuse, crime and, ulti- mately, prison time, is the subject of Part 1 of a six-part series titled: A Stain on Our Game. INSIDE CLASSROOM CONFUSION Fears, uncertain reality of COVID infections in Manitoba schools collide / B1 RAISING SUSPICION Hydro board member's behaviour may hint at future of successful subsidiary / A11 FIRST NATIONS CASES RISE Indigenous people now make up more than 30 per cent of new COVID cases in Manitoba / A3 WHOLE NEW WORLD Liberals unveil $15-B climate plan with years of carbon tax increases / A10 The Westwin rink in St. James where a teenaged Graham James played and officiated games, volunteered and began his first foray into coaching. Yuletide reads Books give kids a break from pandemic worries D1-2 A_01_Dec-12-20_FP_01.indd A1 2020-12-11 10:28 PM ;