What news mattered most to Canadians in 2011? Google has sorted billions of searches in its annual Zeitgeist list to give us the top 10 news queries in the country.
Selena Gomez over Jack Layton? Um, okay.
Here are Canada's Top 10 news searches, in reverse order.
Google Zeitgeist 2011: Canada Top 10 News Searches-from-mt-201288
Text version:
10. Stephen Harper
He his Canada’s 22nd prime minister and its ninth-longest serving, having passed John Diefenbaker this month. Canadians awarded him a majority government after he navigated two successive minority Parliaments, a testament to his discipline and iron-grip control on his caucus. More on Stephen Harper.
9. Egypt
In January, Canadians turned their gaze to Tahrir Square, where thousands of protestors set up camp to demand reform and the end to Hosni Mubarak’s 20-year reign as Egyptian president. They got their wish, a shining moment for the Arab Spring and the inspiration for the Occupy Movement. HuffPost news on Egypt.
8. Jack Layton
He single-handedly shaped Canada’s political narrative in 2011. The reverberations of his stunning electoral victory and early death continue to be felt on Parliament Hill and across the country. HuffPost Canada news on Jack Layton.
7. Selena Gomez
She’s Bieber’s girlfriend. Need we say more? And yes, she’s got her own HuffPost Big News page.
6. Iran
Nuclear ambitions, wild speeches at the UN, boycotts and sanctions and assassinations keep the Islamic Republic in the news. Canada has taken a tough line on Iran, joining in on international sanctions. Iran news on HuffPost.
5. Blue Jays
This one is a bit of a puzzler. We can only guess it was thanks to Jose Bautista’s stellar season, which put him in contention for the American League MVP (the award went to Justin Verlander). Blue Jays news on HuffPost.
4. Justin Bieber
Stratford, Ontario’s most famous son dominates the web. He’s the most watched musical artist on YouTube, breaking 2-billion views at the end of October. Legions of young women search his name. A false paternity claim only helped his Google ranking. He’s so huge, he’s got his own Big News page at HuffPost.
3. Libya
Canada played a key role over six month in NATO’s military mission Libya, flying more than 1,500 sorties. The overthrow of Moammar Gadhafi's regime and the dictator’s death at the hands of rebels captivated Canadians as it did the rest of the world. Our story of Oct. 20.
2. Vancouver Canucks
It was the stuff of Hollywood. The hunt for hockey’s holy grail, Game 7, at home after an exciting series that saw the Canucks take down Chicago, Nashville, and San Jose. The 4-0 loss to the Boston Bruins stung enough. But the mayhem that followed as rioters tore through the streets tarnished Vancouver’s reputation as images like these were broadcast around the world.
1. Japan
A 9.0 magnitude earthquake, a devastating tsunami and a nuclear crisis rolled into one horrific day in March. The images and videos from that day still shock.