Canadians made the most of 2022 through community, leaning on each other and a few hilarious videos in between.
It has been a year marked by Canadians helping neighbours during snowstorms, random acts of kindness and some amazing encounters with wildlife.
Here are some of the heartwarming stories that made 2022 a year to remember.
RALLYING COMMUNITIES
After Wynston Martin, a seven-year-old boy from Opaskwayak Cree Nation, Man., had his collection of hockey cards stolen in an act of bullying, the community rallied behind him. In only a few weeks Canadians from B.C to P.E.I. sent Martin almost 5,000 cards to show him bullies don’t win. This generosity left him with far more cards than before, which he shared with classmates.
Another instance of fierce community support was seen in Montreal when a Korean restaurant owner received threatening phone calls due to his staff's lack of French-language skills, forcing the restaurant to temporarily close. The owner, whose mother tongue is Korean, was blown away when a sea of customers came through after the damaging complaint was left online. Residents reportedly offered to volunteer French translation services to keep the restaurant open.
A Winnipeg bus driver warmed people's hearts when he got out of the bus to help a visually-impaired passenger find a bus stop. The act of kindness was captured on video by Devon Lipscomb, a passenger who said it was something he had never witnessed before.
Passing on the generosity, Winnipeggers threw a surprise baby shower for a couple who fled war-torn Ukraine in May. Mariia and Constantin Domin, who welcomed their first child in 2022, were in shock when the community came bearing gifts to help the couple celebrate the milestone.
In Elora, Ont., a couple taking wedding photos almost had their day ruined when the groom's ring disappeared when he tossed snow up in the air. Adam Richardson and Tamar Silverbrook took hours to search for the ring before Elske de Groot, an Elora resident, walked by to ask how she could help.
De Groot posted a callout on the community Facebook page and the couple was flooded with offers from people trying to locate the ring. It was when Bryan Poletto, another community member, brought out his metal detector that the ring was found.
In Ontario, a kind stranger opened her door to Kirstin Hanson and her friend. The two were trying to go home to Regina, Sask., when their flight from Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ont., was suddenly cancelled in June. Stranded without a place to stay, Hanson and her friend were approached by a Toronto woman who offered them a place to sleep over.
“So she had called her husband and said we're going to take home these two Saskatchewan girls that are stranded, and so we ended up at their home,” Hanson told CTV News Toronto.
The Toronto couple ended up taking the two women on a quick trip to Niagara Falls before driving them back to the airport for the next flight to Regina.
CANADIANS ON VIDEO
A nine-year-old’s brutally honest interview with CTV News Toronto in January resonated with people across Canada and the world. After a massive snowstorm hit Southern Ontario, Carter Trozzolo was out shovelling and wishing he was in school instead.
A travel blogger from the U.S. captured a stream of Canadians saying "thanks" to their bus driver in Victoria, B.C. The video by Corrin Carlson, which was posted on TikTok, garnered over 7.4 million views and showed many people saying "goodbye" or "thank you" to the bus driver.
“I just found it incredibly endearing,” Carlson told CTV News Vancouver Island, adding she had never witnessed such courtesy before on public transit.
@thefatpassport Canada is too wholesome #tiktoktravel #fypシ ♬ original sound - The Fat Passport
Another TikTok video captured a heartwarming reaction to an act of generosity in Windsor, Ont. Danny Curtis is a longtime volunteer with The Windsor Goodfellows, an organization collecting funds for various charities in the community and best known for its holiday newspaper fundraiser. TikTok creator Zachery Dereniowski approached Curtis who was out canvassing the neighbourhood in November. In many of Dereniowski's videos, he tells a person he doesn't have money to see if they will help him out anyway. After a short conversation, Curtis told Dereniowski he would make a contribution on his behalf so he could have a paper. Dereniowski then offered Curtis $500 and his reaction, posted on TikTok, has amassed over 40 million views.
@mdmotivator “I haven’t heard those words in a long time” 🥺❤️ (Donation L1NK L1VE) #money #kind #holidays #christmas #kindness #loving ♬ original sound - Zachery Dereniowski
Gurdeep Pandher, a Bhangra dancer, brought positivity and joy to Canada's Atlantic provinces this year. Bhangra is a traditional folk dance from the state of Punjab in India. Pandher, who resides in Yukon, toured across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador bringing his dancing skills and humour. He has been documenting his journey on social media while spreading his mission statement of "togetherness" through dance.
At Peggy's Cove, near Halifax in Nova Scotia, my local friend and I marched together by the beautiful Atlantic Ocean for cross-cultural togetherness, hope, healing, belonging & joy. He played his bagpipes and I danced Punjabi Bhangra. We're dispatching positive vibes to everyone. pic.twitter.com/7ccqM07q2S
— Gurdeep Pandher of the Yukon (@GurdeepPandher) July 18, 2022
ENCOUNTERS IN NATURE
Andrea Humphreys made a new friend while diving off Campbell River on Vancouver Island. The eight-tentacle giant Pacific octopus gave her a full-body hug and a kiss on Oct. 15. The encounter caught on video is a rare moment when humans and sea creatures meet. Humphreys described the encounter as "mind-blowing."
Feather enthusiasts flocked to Thedford, Ont., to watch a never-before-seen bird in Canada. The shorebird got lots of attention as hundreds of people trekked to see the marsh sandpiper. It is an Asiatic bird and rarely shows up on the west coast of North America. Birdwatchers made sure to line up for a glimpse of this spectacular winged creature.
On the other end of the food chain, Jerry Burke accidentally caught a 50-inch muskie while fishing in Georgian Bay, Ont. Right outside his cabin, the Killarney-area angler was going for the 20-inch pike in the ice hole when the pike was grabbed by the muskie. The event, including the muskie's return to the water, was caught on video.
As amazing as nature is, sometimes it gets in Canadians' way, like the herd of bison delaying traffic in Fort Qu'Appelle, Sask. In late August, drivers on Highway 10 were halted when bison crossed the road. The sight captured on video was posted to Facebook for everyone to enjoy.
