Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
As Canadians watch – and seek to learn more about – the war unfolding between Israel and Hamas, it’s one of a wide variety of events curious Canadians searched on Google this year.
Google released its list of the top searches in Canada for 2023 and found “once again Canadians were interested in global stories,” from the Women's World Cup to the Turkiye-Syria earthquake. Canadians also searched for famous stars, popular games and the best movies to watch.
The list also showed Canadians questioned "why," “how” and "what" on a range of topics in an effort to learn more, including "why is Israel-Hamas at war?" and "how deep is the Titanic?"
Canadians searched for blockbuster movies "Oppenheimer" and "Barbie" and were interested in people who died, including actor Matthew Perry and singer-songwriter Sinead O'Connor. They also wanted to know more about games like Hogwarts Legacy, Connections and Baldur’s Gate 3.
Here are the top events and topics that Canadians searched for and the questions they asked in 2023:
At the top of the list, Canadians were searching for the Women's World Cup, which kicked off in July 2023.
The nation closely watched Canada's women's team as they tried to climb out of the group stage. Unfortunately, the Canadians were defeated by Australia 4-0 in a do-or-die game.
A number of Canadians were also watching the ICC Cricket World Cup. The tournament, which wrapped up in November, had a "heartbreaking" end for favourite India as Australia took home the win for the 6th time.
Actor Jeremy Renner made headlines this year after he spoke out about an accident that left more than 30 bones broken.
On New Year's Day, Renner said, a snowplow ran over him while he was helping dig out a relative's car.
Another sports query that was top of mind for Canadians was when Lionel Messi's Inter Miami team was set to play two exhibition games in China.
The games, which were billed as must-see events in the country, were cancelled after China's top economic official died in November.
Other top searches for news and events in Canada included the Titan submersible story, Hurricane Lee in the Maritimes, India's Chandrayaan-3 landing on the moon, app Temu's privacy concerns and the Turkiye-Syria earthquakes.
On top of searching for keywords, Canadians also dug a bit deeper to learn more.
Following the Titan submersible saga, where a group of explorers set off to see the wreck of the Titanic, Canadians asked, "How deep is the Titanic?"
Canadians are also trying to understand more about the Israel-Gaza war, with questions like "why is Israel-Hamas at war" and "what is Hamas" topping the searches in 2023.
"What is happening in Israel-Gaza" was another top search for Canadians.
Kleenex also topped headlines this year after the tissue brand pulled products from shelves across the country. Many people were searching for "why" the company was leaving Canada.
Following King Charles' coronation in May, Canadians were curious as to "how old" he is.
Ages continued to be top of mind in searches including for Toronto's former mayor with "how old is John Tory" alongside "how old is Pamela Anderson."
"Why Gwyneth Paltrow is in court", "why did Justin Trudeau and Sophie Gregoire Trudeau divorce" and "why the air quality is bad", were other top questions.
Canadians continued to remember singers, actors and other famous people who died in 2023.
These are the 10 people who died that were most searched by Canadians:
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'oesn't get' the global phenomenom.
Tornadoes wreaked havoc Friday in the Midwest, causing a building to collapse with dozens of people inside and destroying and damaging hundreds of homes, many around Omaha, Neb.
Although it's still unclear how much damage Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s candidacy can do to either Joe Biden or Donald Trump this election, Washington political columnist Eric Ham says what is clear is both sides recognize the potential threat.
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
The first criminal prosecution of a former president began in earnest with opening statements and testimony in a lower Manhattan courtroom. But the action quickly spread to involve more than half a dozen cases in four states and the nation's capital. Twice during the week, lawyers for Trump were simultaneously appearing in different courtrooms.
As if a 4-0 Edmonton Oilers lead in Game 1 of their playoff series with the Los Angeles Kings wasn't good enough, what was announced at Rogers Place during the next TV timeout nearly blew the roof off the downtown arena.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”