Yahoo Canada’s 2016 Year in Review
What do you do for the friend who has been bogged down by the U.S. election or chasing Pokemons for the better part of the year? Treat them to the 2016 Cliff Notes, better known as Yahoo Canada’s 2016 Year in Review.
2016 in a nutshell: Yes, Donald Trump made the list. But Yahoo Canada’s Year in Review also revealed Canadians were captivated by human interest stories around the world.
This isn’t your mom’s average grocery list. Every year, Yahoo Canada releases its Year in Review lists, which reveal the people, events and stories that captured Canadians’ attention in the last 12 months. To develop the lists, Yahoo’s technical team pored over Yahoo Search queries based on a number of factors, including volume and growth from previous periods, to identify themes and deliver insights.
Tell me more. Let’s break it down. Yahoo looked at the top searched terms in a number of categories including news, celebrity, sports, and business. Here’s what you need to know for each:
This past year was full of rivalries near and far. Most notably, there was the inescapable battle between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, and the history-changing UK referendum, Brexit. At home we were galvanized by the disastrous fire in Fort McMurray, the spectre of Zika, and by the charm and grace of our young prime minister. When we weren’t delving into headline news, Canadians were entertained by trending TV shows, online games and dating apps.
Celebrity Scoop & Fashion Controversies
Hollywood was impacted this year by the dissolution of Brangelina’s marriage, and it was a particularly sad year for music fans who had to deal with the passing of musical icons Prince, David Bowie and Leonard Cohen, and by the news that The Tragically Hip’s Gord Downie was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. But, there was also several triumphant moments like when Leslie Jones and Ashley Graham took a stance against body shaming and Leonardo DiCaprio used his long-awaited Oscar speech to bring attention to climate change.
Surprisingly, this is the first in five years that a Kardashian didn’t make the list – but then again, Kanye brings enough drama for the whole family.
It was a big year for sports fans with lots to keep us entertained from the Summer Olympics to Euro 2016 in France, as well as all of the hockey at home. Some highlights were the bromance between sprinters Andre De Grasse and Usain Bolt, and Penny Oleksiak's historical performance in Rio with four medals at her first Olympics. There were also some low lights which included a beer can being tossed on the field in the wild-card game between the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles and Maria Sharapova’s doping scandal.
Business Deals & Blunders
Despite the fluctuating Canadian dollar, some of Canada’s industry-leading companies made major deals this year. Two of Canada’s most beloved (albeit, family-feud inducing) chicken restaurants - Swiss Chalet and St. Hubert - are now owned by the same parent company, and Canada's telecom industry welcomed a new player as Shaw introduced WIND mobile. Unfortunately some big brands took a real hit to their reputation and bottom line this year, in large part due to tech snafus.
2016 was full of surprises - good and bad - but our Year in Review lists suggest Canadians remained optimistic and curious, always looking to educate ourselves or improve our well-being. The additional lists below provide a snapshot of what else Canadians inquired about this past year.
Now what? Before we jump into a dazzling new year full of possibilities, dig into the details of some of the most unbelievable, exciting, heart-warming and heart-wrenching stories of 2016 here: https://ca.news.yahoo.com/tagged/yir2016ca.
