What a year 2020 has been. The news has truly felt non-stop and here at HuffPost Canada, we’ve always given the biggest stories of the day a spotlight on our homepage in the form of what we call “The Splash.”
Our signature big, beautiful banner that tops our front page brings our readers content we hope makes them laugh, makes them cry and most importantly, makes them think.
So to commemorate the absolute ride that was 2020, we’ve rounded up what we consider to be our favourite splashes of the year. Some are poignant, some are punny, but each and every one tells a story.
Jan. 9:
A little over a week into 2020, Canadians were hit by the first of many tragedies that would rock the country over the course of the year. A plane carrying 176 people, the vast majority of its passengers bound for Canada, crashed because of what we would later learn was a missile fired by the Iranian military. Canadians banded together to hold vigils and remember those who had lost their lives in the senseless tragedy.
Jan. 24:
By late January, rumblings about the novel coronavirus had reached Canada and many people were wondering what actions our governments would take. Experts speculated that massive lockdowns like those seen in Wuhan, China would never work in Canada.
Jan. 30:
Here at HuffPost Canada, we can’t resist a good pun, and this splash about Elections Canada spending $430,000 on an abandoned get-out-the-vote campaign with social media personalities like talk show host Lilly Singh and Olympic gold medallist Penny Oleksiak was a great example of that.
Jan. 30:
With so many personal events happening, it’s been a challenge to think about the wider impact of events like climate change. That doesn’t mean they aren’t happening though. A new study suggested that by 2050, winters in Toronto will be significantly warmer and rainier. Other cities are seeing similar shifts in seasonal temperatures. Luckily, movie titles inspire great splashes.
Feb. 19:
Remember when the worst thing people in Ontario had to worry about was whether the Progressive Conservatives’ new license plates were visible at night? Government and Consumer Services Minister Lisa Thompson insisted at the time that the plates were better than the “Liberal” plates the province had before. She quickly changed her mind.
Feb. 23:
When the leader of a federal political party puts out a video condemning socialism and defending capitalism and a children’s television show about rescue dogs, we like to have a little fun with it.
Feb. 24:
One of February’s biggest stories was a rail blockade in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, and solidarity blockades in other parts of the country. The Tyendinaga blockade was in solidarity with the hereditary chiefs of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation, who oppose the development of a natural gas pipeline project that crosses their traditional territory. The situation reached a boiling point when police removed the blockade and arrested protesters.
Mar. 12:
With COVID-19 officially on the minds of most Canadians by mid-March, this splash perfectly highlighted the reality that was setting in for most people: that seeing family and friends anytime soon was no longer a sure thing. B.C. and other provinces started instituting bans on large gatherings at the beginning of a battle that we’re still fighting nine months later.
Mar. 18:
This splash was exactly what it said on the tin. The governments of both countries took an extraordinary step and shut down the Canada-U.S. border to non-essential travel to slow the spread of COVID-19. It has yet to reopen.
Apr. 2:
With the pandemic, came the news that the federal government’s deficit would be $180-billion this year, about seven times what it was the year before. Yikes.
Apr. 20:
Canadians found themselves grieving anew after a gunman in Nova Scotia killed 22 people before he was shot dead by RCMP in what is Canada’s deadliest mass killing. The horrific news shattered Nova Scotians and led to mourning from coast to coast to coast.
May 4:
With schools closed for a good chunk of the year, many parents wondered when and how kids would go back to learning in person. The issue of how to reopen schools was a complicated one — and fell to provincial jurisdiction — but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged the complexities of the situation in May.
May 17:
This splash paid tribute to Capt. Jenn Casey, who died when a Canadian Forces Snowbird crashed in a B.C. neighbourhood. Casey — a public affairs officer — had worked in radio as a reporter, anchor and producer before joining the Canadian Forces in 2014. We also redesigned our homepage in May so splashes came back looking a little different.
May 24:
By May, the patience of people who were following social distancing guidelines was starting to wear thin. Sitting at home missing family stings a bit when people are partying in parks, and everyone, including Ontario Premier Doug Ford, had something to say about it.
June 1:
In June, major anti-racism protests broke out in the United States prompted by the death of George Floyd at the hands of police. The photos that came out of the demonstrations told quite a story.
June 18:
Canada campaigned for four years for a temporary spot on the United Nations Security Council. We lost to Ireland and Norway, but Trudeau did his best to put a positive spin on the entire situation.
June 24:
This highly personal piece by a former Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer reflected on the racism he both experienced as an Indigenous man on the force and witnessed directed at others by the people around him. During a month where discussions about institutional racism within police forces were in the spotlight, this story was a unique look from the inside.
July 9:
We’re back to puns because that’s what we’re about here at HuffPost Canada. In July, the feds announced that the popular Canada Emergency Response Benefit was coming to an end as the government shifted to an economic recovery phase.
July 19:
A big story out of Quebec this year was the province’s reckoning over allegations of sexual assault in its music industry. Some described what was happening as a “seismic change” in Quebec, but most of the celebrities involved were unknown outside the province. That didn’t make the allegations any less shocking or serious.
July 30:
A big part of 2020, politically at least, was the WE Charity scandal. One expert didn’t pull any punches when he said the prime minister “doesn’t seem to understand basic conflicts of interests.” Ouch.
Aug. 5:
The government announced it was in talks with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and biotech firm Moderna for their COVID-19 vaccines. Back in August, clinical trials were still ongoing for the vaccines. Now, we’re seeing the fruits of that labour as Canadians are starting to receive their inoculations.
Aug. 17:
Amid the WE Charity scandal, then-Finance Minister Bill Morneau stepped down from his cabinet position and announced he was leaving politics entirely. He said his next move would be preparing a bid to become the next secretary general of the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD).
Aug. 26:
Yes, somehow there was also a federal Conservative leadership race this year. Erin O’Toole took over from Andrew Scheer as the party’s leader and promptly called up Alberta Premier Jason Kenney to assure him that the party would be addressing western alienation.
Sept. 11:
This year was kind of a crummy year for sports considering the pandemic made attending games in person out of the question and also radically shifted the schedules of many leagues. But Toronto Raptor Kyle Lowry was a bright light in the darkness, and there are a lot of reasons we should all strive to be a little more like him.
Sept. 20:
There wasn’t a whole lot to celebrate in 2020, but “Schitt’s Creek” sweeping the Emmy Awards was definitely something to get excited about. The little Canadian show that could, indeed.
Oct. 2:
U.S. President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, both tested positive for COVID-19. Trump’s diagnosis came on the heels of a presidential debate where he mocked Joe Biden for wearing masks at campaign events.
Oct. 5:
When it came out that Shell, one of the world’s largest oil companies, was backing lobbyists — including the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, which campaigns to weaken climate change policies — while touting a green image, this pun was practically irresistible.
Nov. 4:
Americans cast their votes in a historic presidential election on Nov. 3, but unlike most U.S. elections, the results were up in the air on the next day. Canadians watched with bated breath as the divisions in our southern neighbour were put on full display.
Nov. 18:
It’s been a long year, and while officials did their best to navigate the pandemic, their response missed out on some key aspects of human behaviour. Namely, virus containment plans didn’t account for “COVID fatigue.”
Dec. 3:
As the holidays crept closer, this splash tackled the question on a lot of people’s minds: would it be possible to get together with family or if the pandemic meant it was best to stay home alone. Unfortunately, like many other parts of 2020, the answer wasn’t the one people were hoping for.