Facebook has released its list of 2014's most popular Canadian places to check in, and it seems that tourist hot spots in and around Toronto dominate the list.
Niagara Falls, that perennially popular tourist attraction, finds itself at No. 1 on the list followed by several other spots near Toronto. Here's the full list:
Facebook’s Top “Checked In” Locations in Canada in 2014
- Niagara Falls
- Rogers Centre
- Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada
- Canada’s Wonderland
- The Toronto Zoo
- Whistler Blackcomb
- CN Tower / La Tour
- The Calgary Zoo
- Metro Toronto Convention Centre
- Banff Lake Louise Tourism
- Centre Bell
- Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
Facebook has already released its list of the most discussed topics across the whole site in 2014. Not surprisingly, World Cup soccer and Ebol were high up on the list.
While Canadians were discussing those topics too, they were also finding many other ways to connect, sharing local stories that moved them and helping to raise awareness of the issues that mattered to them.
One of the stories that Facebook found Canadians were sharing in 2014 was that of sisters Eva Rushton and Sandra Barron.
The sisters were able to reconnect after 50 years of separation that began when they were placed in separate foster care homes in Nova Scotia. When Rushton decided to create a Facebook page called Missing Sister Rushton and posted a picture of her sister. Her page was shared more than 13,000 times and within days. had leads from Facebook users who said they recognized her sister. By the springtime, Rushton and Barron were able to meet again in person.
Canadians were also talking about the Drawing Hope Project, a photography project started by Guelph, Ont.'s Shawn Van Daele. He uses his photography and photo editing talents to create pictures of children with life-threatening diseases living out their fantasies. He offers the children the photos for free using donations sent into his website. And at the same time, he's helping to draw attention to the issue of organ donation.
Other stories that Canadian shared on Facebook:
• Humans of Regina - Inspired by Humans of New York, Humans of Regina tells the story of citizens living in Regina through photos and caption. The Humans of Regina project helps build the community and reveals the story behind each individual.
• The Happy Soul Project - Tara McCallan’s life was turned upside down when she learned her daughter Pip had Down syndrome. Redefining her ideas of what it meant to be a "perfect" family led Tara to create her blog and Facebook Page, ”The Happy Soul Project.” In 2014 with 17, 844 likes, The Happy Soul Project continues to connect and inspire other families on Facebook.
• Kindness Counts - Josh Stern, along with his friend Russell Citron, created the viral hashtag campaign #FeedTheDeed, to highlight how social media can be used for positive. The idea behind the movement is simple -- perform a creative random act of kindness, then nominate friends and family to follow suit. To date the campaign has reached more than 1 million people on Facebook, inspiring over 10,000 creative acts of kindness.
• 365give - In 2010, Jacqueline Way made a commitment with her oldest son to give back to the world every day for one year. They called it 365give and documented it via Facebook as a way to teach others the value of giving. In 2014, as a not for profit organization, 365give now educates children in elementary schools on how they too can give every day.
