RCMP uncovers plot to sell drones and equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
As we approach the new year, Google is providing a glimpse at what 2022 looked like for Canadians, based on the most popular search terms entered on the site.
Earlier this month, the platform released its list of the most viral web searches in Canada for 2022, including words, movies and people.
"This year's top search trends and news stories are filled with moments that brought Canadians together," an accompanying news release said.
This included connecting virtually though simple online ways to have fun.
“Wordle” was the most popular trending search of 2022 in Canada, according to Google. The Canadian spinoff of the game called "Canuckle" was also in the top 10 in the country.
Data gathered by Google shows that Canadian searched terms for learning purposes, looking up events such as the World Cup, and reading news about the Russian war in Ukraine. The death of Queen Elizabeth and the U.S. midterm elections were two other “significant” international events in 2022 that made the Canadian list.
Celebrities, too, were subjects of Canadians' curiosity. The Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trial was a popular search topic on Canadian computers, and Will Smith's slap during the Oscars ceremony brought Canadians to Hollywood headlines
North of the border, the reopening of the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) in Toronto was another term highlighted by Google.
Top search trends:
1. Wordle
2. Ukraine
3. World Cup
4. Queen Elizabeth
5. Betty White
6. Bob Saget
7. Anne Heche
8. Canuckle
9. Johnny Depp
10. Will Smith
When it comes to news searches specifically, “Ukraine” stands at the top of the list followed by the Rogers outage that impacted thousands of customers, and "monkeypox," a viral disease that began to spread in Canada this year.
“Lisa LaFlamme,” “CNE,” “U.S. Midterm Elections” and “Saskatchewan stabbings” were also highly searched this year, according to the Google report.
Completing 10 most popular news search trends were “World Cup 2022,” “Oscars 2022” and “Freedom Convoy 2022.”
It seems Canadians were not satisfied by getting the latest updates -- they also wanted to know "why?"
For example, Canadians not only searched for updates on the conflict in Ukraine; they also tried to understand "why Russia is attacking Ukraine” and “how to help Ukraine.”
These are the top 10 "whys" Canadians asked this year:
1. Why is Russia attacking Ukraine?
2. Why is Rogers down?
3. Why did Will (Smith) slap Chris (Rock)?
4. Why is Ukraine not in NATO?
5. Why is there a formula shortage?
6. Why is gas so expensive right now?
7. Why are truckers protesting?
8. Why is there a Tylenol shortage?
9. Why is crypto currency going down?
10. Why did Liz Truss resign?
According to Google, Canadians were also interested to know "how" – whether it was they could help, how to take part in something, or even just how to pronounce names correctly.
These are the top 10 "how" questions people searched for in 2022:
1. How to watch the World Cup
2. How to do a rapid COVID test
3. How to help Ukraine
4. How to get vaccine QR code
5. How to create an NFT
6. How to pronounce Kyiv
7. How to evolve Charcadet
8. How to respec in Elden Ring
9. How to evolve Cosmog in Pokémon Go
10. How to pronounce Qatar
When it came to culture and entertainment, Google says, Canadians were heavily plugged into pop culture. It included top 10 lists for searches for celebrities, movies and shows in 2022.
Top celebrities
1. Johnny Depp
2. Will Smith
3. Amber Heard
4. Chris Rock
5. Adam Levine
6. King Charles
7. Jada Pinkett Smith
8. Julia Fox
9. Bruce Willis
10. Mary J. Blige
Top movies
1. Encanto
2. Top Gun
3. The Batman
4. Thor: Love and Thunder
5. Turning Red
6. Black Adam
7. Everything Everywhere All at Once
8. Morbius
9. Uncharted
10. Don't Worry Darling
Top TV series
1. Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
2. Euphoria
3. Stranger Things
4. Inventing Anna
5. The Watcher
6. House of the Dragon
7. Moon Knight
8. Yellowstone
9. The Boys
10. The Summer I Turned Pretty
With the FIFA World Cup and Winter Olympics, Canadians spent time online learning about these sports, proving that Canada is not just a hockey nation.
Top sports searches
1. World Cup
2. Olympic medal count
3. Calgary Flames
4. Olympics
5. CFL scores
6. T20 World Cup 2022
7. Asia Cup 2022
8. Canada Soccer
9. Golden State Warriors
10. Indian Wells tennis
Top athletes
1. Guy Lafleur
2. Novak Djokovic
3. Antonio Brown
4. Serena Williams
5. Eileen Gu
6. Kamila Valieva
7. Felix Auger Aliassime
8. Mitchell Miller
9. Johnny Gaudreau
10. Kirby Dach
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Police in the U.K. are searching for a group of suspects seen on video using a forklift to steal a cash machine from a bank.
A tower crane operator alerted emergency crews after noticing a fire on a construction site in Halifax Tuesday morning.
There is a swaying sea of colour in some cities across Canada, and it's a sure sign of spring: cherry blossoms are in bloom.
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.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Molly Knight, a Grade 4 student in Nova Scotia, noticed her school library did not have many books on female athletes, so she started her own book drive in hopes of changing that.
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.