From the twists and turns in the provincial election saga to a very Canadian encounter with a bear, there was no story too big or too small in Vancouver Island news this year.

While we could recap the newsiest, quirkiest, most popular or most important stories of the year, we're trying something a little different for 2017.

We've asked CTV Vancouver Island anchors and reporters to choose a story from this year that made an impact on them in one way or another. In part one, we look at the more serious stories that were covered this year.

Chandler Grieve: The night the government changed hands

"On a summer evening in late June, a horde of reporters and ardent NDP supporters huddled outside Government House. Inside, Christy Clark having just lost a historic confidence vote, was trying desperately to cling to any power with the Lieutenant Governor.

After what felt like hours, an embattled Clark emerged but didn’t reveal much. Her demeanour said it all though. Then the whispers started. John Horgan was on his way and the shift of power was near. A beaming Horgan soon arrived and after a brief meeting with the Lieutenant Governor he remerged to chants of 'NDP! NDP! NDP!'

With the setting sun peeking through, John Horgan triumphantly stepped down the stairs of Government House and to the podium.

After 16 years, and a wild 52 days of political limbo, the sun was also about to set on the BC Liberals."

Rob Buffam: Sex Sells (An in-depth look at Victoria's sex trade)

"There’s a side of the Garden City not pictured in any postcard: its thriving sex trade.

There are approximately 2,000 sex workers in Victoria. Two-hundred of them ply their trade on street corners in the city’s industrial neighbourhood. Most of them, however, work indoors, many in brothels licensed by the city.

This four-part series introduced viewers to both men and woman who work as prostitutes, a madam who runs a local brothel, and the police officers tasked with upholding the law as well as keeping vulnerable sex workers safe. It also examined the stigma attached to the so-called oldest profession."

Scott Cunningham: Sentencing day in fatal Mountie crash

"July 17 was an emotionally charged day: The drunk driver who killed a beloved West Shore Mountie was sentenced to four years in prison.

You’d think after living through the horror of his wife's death, the slain officer's husband would find some type of closure in the killer being sentenced. He didn’t, and lashed out at the court for failing his fallen wife. This is a story I covered from the day the Sarah Beckett was killed, and seeing the toll it has taken on police, the family, the community and me myself is why it touched me most deeply this year."

Jessica Lepp: Emotional reunion after man goes missing

"The story of a young man going missing for two frigid nights in January near Nanaimo’s Ammonite Falls, is my most memorable story this year. We were present for the very moment that his parents were notified that he was found alive.

It was raw and emotional. It was also extremely moving to witness the joy on the faces of the many heroic searchers who lent a hand."

Yvonne Raymond: The ultimate sacrifice

"My favourite story I did this year is the series shining light on three soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice in Canada’s mission in Afghanistan, ahead of the unveiling of a monument to honour those who served there.

I wanted to put a face to the names of some of those engraved on the monument. To show who they were. How they lived. The legacy they leave behind.

One of the most touching parts of the work ended up being the heartfelt, welcoming response I got from the families who would help me tell these stories. They opened the doors to their homes and shared some of their most intimate and, at times, painful memories with such grace and kindness. It was an honour to speak with them – and a privilege to be trusted with their story."

Click here for part two of our 2017 recap, in which we showcase the lighter stories we covered in 2017.