The solar eclipse was top of mind this year for Canadians, according to a new report from Google showing the things Canadians searched for the most in 2024.
“What time is the solar eclipse?” and “why can’t you look at a solar eclipse?” were two of the top trending searches Canadians wanted to know the answer to.
(In case you didn’t Google the latter: it’s always dangerous to look at the sun with the naked eye. Space agencies and ophthalmologists agree that looking at a partial solar eclipse without approved eye protection can cause lasting eye damage.)
U.S. politics, the Euro Cup, various natural disasters, strikes and celebrities also made the list.
Let’s dig a little deeper.
Footage from above Sherbrooke, Que., shows the moment a total eclipse appears in the sky — to raucous applause from onlookers.
Sports, strikes highlight news and events
It appeared that in many cases, Canadians were more interested in the world around them than in what was going on at home. The aforementioned Euro 2024 was the No. 1 trending search in news and events.
Spain won a record fourth European Championship title in July after Mikel Oyarzabal’s 86th-minute goal clinched a 2-1 victory over England, who lost their second consecutive final.
Politics south of the border were also of interest to Canadians, as U.S. elections took second spot for news and events searches.
Goings-on inside of our country weren’t completely neglected, as the Jasper Fire and various labour actions — including the LCBO, Air Canada and Canada Post strikes — all made it into the Top 10 news and events searched.
It’s been four months since residents were allowed to return to the Rocky Mountain tourist town of Jasper, Alta., after a devastating wildfire hit the national park and scorched one-third of the community’s homes and businesses. An estimated 25,000 people fled the national park, including the roughly 5,000 residents of Jasper.
The Canada Post strike is ongoing, though the union representing Canada Post workers says it met with the Crown corporation on Monday, the first time the two sides have convened since a federal mediator suspended negotiations nearly two weeks ago.
Mediation talks between Canada Post and the union representing its workers broke down almost two weeks into the countrywide strike. Andrew Chang explains what the two sides hope to achieve, and why they’re still so far apart.
Kate Middleton, multiple Canadians among most-searched people
Kate Middleton was the most-searched person among Canadian Googlers this year. The Princess of Wales revealed in March that she’d been diagnosed with cancer. The surprise disclosure followed weeks of frenzied public speculation on the state of her health.
Canadians athletes Summer McIntosh, Andre De Grasse and Morgan Rielly, along with musician Tate McRae were among the highest-searched people. Calgary-born singer-songwriter McRae won both artist and single of the year for Greedy at this year’s Junos.
Kendrick Lamar, Baby Reindeer take entertainment crown
Kendrick Lamar took home the title for the three most searched songs in Canada: Not Like Us, Meet the Grahams and Euphoria. The songs are part of the rapper’s well-known feud with Canadian artist Drake.
Drake has taken the rap beef to new heights in recent weeks, launching multiple legal actions against Universal Music Group, accusing the music giant of defamation and of falsely boosting Lamar’s diss track amid the stars’ ongoing dispute.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
Among other top entertainment searches was Baby Reindeer, a Netflix series about a man named Donny who moves to London to launch his stand-up career. A woman later begins stalking him, sending him hundreds of emails a day, spending hours at the pub where he tends bar and harassing his loved ones.
Richard Gadd created the show based on events that actually happened in his own life.
Baby Reindeer received praise for its nuanced exploration of stalking and abuse. However, its popularity also initiated a surge in online sleuths rushing to identify the real people who inspired the show’s characters, leading to threats of police action and lawsuits.
Questions around U.S. politics trending high
The U.S. election was one of the major topics Canadians had questions about. Among the top questions Canadians Googled: “What is project 2025?” “Why did Trump win?” and “How many electoral votes are there?”
The Heritage Foundation, the influential group behind Project 2025, laid out sweeping reforms of virtually every aspect of the U.S. government, including a plan that critics warned would line the public service with employees loyal to a Republican commander-in-chief, as well as providing an ultra-conservative framework for policies.
During his campaign, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump denied knowing anything about what he called the “ridiculous and abysmal” plans written in part by his first-term aides and allies.
Now, after being elected the 47th president on Nov. 5, Trump has made an about-face in regards to Project 2025, nominating multiple people with close ties to the report for key positions in his cabinet.