Paul Wiecek
Inducted 2017
Primary Outlet
Winnipeg Free Press
Paul Wiecek grew up in Winnipeg’s North End in a home where the news was taken seriously.
With roots in a war-torn Polish family, he understood early on the value of being informed. At just 10 years old, he landed his first job delivering the Winnipeg Free Press. He read the paper cover to cover every day and watched CBC’s The National every night. From that young age, all he wanted was to become a reporter.
After graduating from Carleton University, Wiecek began his journalism career with a summer job at the Winnipeg Sun in 1989. By October of that same year, he joined the Free Press, achieving what he called his “life-long dream” at only 22 years old.
He started on the police beat, where he spent seven years before shifting to investigative reporting in 1996. Known for his conversational writing style and tenacious approach to stories, Wiecek earned recognition as a finalist for National Newspaper Awards, a nominee for the Michener Award and recipient of the Gil Amoroso Media Award. His reporting spanned a wide range of topics, including organized crime and an in-depth series on childhood leukemia rates in Iraq.
Wiecek later brought that same passion to sports. Over nearly three decades, he covered many of the world's biggest events, including two World Series, three Winter Olympics, five Grey Cup games, an NBA Final, a Queen’s Plate, a Belmont Stakes, 15 Briers, 14 Scotties and numerous world curling championships.
His work earned him significant acclaim. He is a five-time Sovereign Award winner, a two-time recipient of the Scotty Harper Media Award, a Paul McLean Award winner and an Honorary Life Member of Curl Manitoba.
Paul Wiecek was inducted into the Manitoba Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association Media Roll of Honour in 2017.
With roots in a war-torn Polish family, he understood early on the value of being informed. At just 10 years old, he landed his first job delivering the Winnipeg Free Press. He read the paper cover to cover every day and watched CBC’s The National every night. From that young age, all he wanted was to become a reporter.
After graduating from Carleton University, Wiecek began his journalism career with a summer job at the Winnipeg Sun in 1989. By October of that same year, he joined the Free Press, achieving what he called his “life-long dream” at only 22 years old.
He started on the police beat, where he spent seven years before shifting to investigative reporting in 1996. Known for his conversational writing style and tenacious approach to stories, Wiecek earned recognition as a finalist for National Newspaper Awards, a nominee for the Michener Award and recipient of the Gil Amoroso Media Award. His reporting spanned a wide range of topics, including organized crime and an in-depth series on childhood leukemia rates in Iraq.
Wiecek later brought that same passion to sports. Over nearly three decades, he covered many of the world's biggest events, including two World Series, three Winter Olympics, five Grey Cup games, an NBA Final, a Queen’s Plate, a Belmont Stakes, 15 Briers, 14 Scotties and numerous world curling championships.
His work earned him significant acclaim. He is a five-time Sovereign Award winner, a two-time recipient of the Scotty Harper Media Award, a Paul McLean Award winner and an Honorary Life Member of Curl Manitoba.
Paul Wiecek was inducted into the Manitoba Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association Media Roll of Honour in 2017.