When it comes to reporting on crime and justice, The Globe and Mail’s Molly Hayes has it covered. After spending five years at the Hamilton Spectator, Hayes has become a powerful source for Canadian national news. Winning a Goff Penny Award in 2014 as Canada’s top under 25 journalists was just the beginning of her renowned career.
Pursuing a career as a reporter was a simple decision for Molly. As an avid reader, the thought of new knowledge daily was interesting motivation. Ryerson University admitted Hayes into their prestigious journalism program, but this was only the start for Hayes. While in school she was not modest to an active agenda. She would not only intern for the Hamilton Spectator, but the Toronto Star.
“I stopped going to classes in my final semester and had a job; my professors were really flexible and some of them agreed to just grade me on the stories I was writing. So instead of handing in assignments, I just handed them my stories. So, I thought I got very lucky timing-wise for sure.”
The Hamilton Spectator proved to be a pivotal juncture in Hayes’s career. Despite the lavish lure of national news, she found a charm in local reporting. At the Spectator she would cover some of Hamilton’s most notorious crime stories, such as when a trio were arrested over a 12-year-old arson charge and Hamilton Police’s bust of liquid fentanyl.
Working in local news allowed Hayes to have an increased role compared to if she was working in national news. With fewer constraints, she thrived and covered greater stories than if she was working at a larger paper. Perhaps no story exemplified this more than the Tim Bosma case.
Tim Bosma’s death proved to be one of Canada’s most disturbing murders. In May 2013, Bosma departed for a test drive for a truck he was selling to never return. A month later he was found dead and unrecognizably burned. Reaching international notoriety, the case reached a finale in September 2018 when both the accused Dellen Millard and Mark Smich were charged for first-degree murder.
“There was no way I would have been the main reporter on that case. I was so young; they took a chance on me and it ended up being a story that I covered until very recently. These are stories that are all about death and violence, and you know some awful things. It sounds morbid to say that I like this beat, but I do think that as cheesy as it sounds that we learn a lot about life from looking at these stories.”
After establishing herself as one of the premier Crime & Justice reporters in the nation, The Globe and Mail took note. After completing a six-month fellowship with The Globe, she was recognized as a full-time reporter. Despite the honor, leaving the Hamilton Spectator would require some thought.
“I was torn about whether to accept The Globe and Mail’s offer because it was only a six-month contract and I was nervous about giving up my staff job. But it was right around the time that Robin Dolittle had just published this series called Unfounded. Essentially, she had gone to Police Service across the country and looked at their unfounded grade, which is basically when police decide that a sexual assault didn’t occur. It was this huge investigative project that led to a ton of change. It was really impactful and well done. So, I just kind of thought, you know the opportunity to work with Robin and other journalists who are the best in the country. I can’t pass that up.”
At The Globe and Mail, Molly’s talents would be fully realized. With a background in local journalism, she uncovers stories that normally would not muster national attention. Stories like Tow-truck Turf Wars in Toronto, Why Canadian Strip Clubs are Dying, and how African American people are disproportionally arrested in Toronto. As many direct their narratives on grand tales, Molly Hayes’s stories help those even in the smallest of towns. Her aptitude for the little guy transcends her writing, telling stories about the individual Canadian.
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