Kelowna 
In 2023, Google’s ‘Year in Search’ celebrated its 25th anniversary, mirroring Canada’s diverse curiosities through its top trending searches.
Credit: Jessica Lewis/ Pexels
From personal inquiries like “Why did Justin and Sophie separate?” and “How old is John Tory?” to concerns like “Why is Kleenex leaving Canada?” these searches paint a vivid picture of a nation deeply engaged in a wide array of topics, reflecting its multifaceted interests and the pulse of its people’s inquiries.
Top 10 searches – news and events
In news and events, Canadians’ searches were not confined to their love for hockey. The Women’s World Cup and the ICC Cricket World Cup topped the trending searches, indicating a broad interest in sports. Other significant global events like the situation in Israel and Gaza, the Chandrayaan-3 lunar landing, and the earthquake in Turkey and Syria also captured attention.
- Women’s World Cup
- ICC Cricket World Cup
- War in Israel and Gaza
- Jeremy Renner
- Inter Miami
- Titan submersible
- Hurricane Lee
- Chandrayaan-3
- Temu
- Turkey-Syria earthquake
Sports in 2023 captured the Canadian interest in various forms, including excitement, tragedies, and even romantic angles, covering a wide range of sports from football and hockey to soccer and mixed-martial arts.
Top 10 searches – athletes
- Damar Hamlin
- Connor Bedard
- Travis Kelce
- Adam Johnson
- David Beckham
- Ryan O’Reilly
- Jon Jones
- Patrick Kane
- Bruce Boudreau
- Kylian Mbappé
Canadians also sought to understand current events and viral trends. Questions ranged from inquiries about Hamas, the situation in Israel and Gaza, to lighter queries about the origin of teddy bears and why moose shed their antlers, showcasing a blend of serious curiosity and engagement with pop culture.
Top ‘Why’ searches
- Why is Israel-Hamas at war?
- Why is Kleenex leaving Canada?
- Why were teddy bears invented?
- Why are people boycotting Starbucks?
- Why do moose shed their antlers?
- Why was Don Lemon fired?
- Why is Gwyneth Paltrow in court?
- Why is Twitter now X?
- Why is the air quality bad today?
- Why did Justin and Sophie separate?
Top ‘How’ searches
- How deep is the Titanic?
- How old was Elvis when he died?
- How old is King Charles?
- How long is the Barbie movie?
- How many episodes in The Last of Us?
- How much are Taylor Swift tickets?
- How old is Lil Tay?
- How many people died on the Titanic?
- How old is Pamela Anderson?
- How old is John Tory?
Top ‘What’ searches
- What is Hamas?
- What is happening in Israel-Gaza?
- What is quiet quitting?
- What is the Willow Project?
- What is Threads?
- What is Oppenheimer about?
- What is Temu?
- What is femicide?
- What killed Mickey Mouse?
- What is Burning Man festival?
In cinema, the ‘Barbenheimer phenomenon’ dominated, making ‘Oppenheimer’ and ‘Barbie’ the top trending movies. On television, the diversity in Canadian interests was evident with ‘The Last of Us’, a post-apocalyptic thriller, and the family drama ‘Ginny & Georgia’ gaining significant attention.
Top 10 searches – Movies
- Oppenheimer
- Barbie
- Sound of Freedom
- Everything Everywhere All at Once
- John Wick 4
- The Menu
- The Super Mario Bros. Movie
- Killers of the Flower Moon
- Cocaine Bear
- Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Top 10 searches – T.V. Shows
- The Last of Us
- Ginny & Georgia
- Daisy Jones and the Six
- Kaleidoscope
- Queen Charlotte
- That 90s Show
- Beef
- The Idol
- The Fall of the House of Usher
- One Piece
Celebrity searches were a mix of Hollywood glamour and somber moments. Jeremy Renner and Pedro Pascal were highly searched, along with the viral ‘Hot Ones’ video. The nation also mourned the loss of iconic figures like Matthew Perry, Sinead O’Connor, Tina Turner, and Gordon Lightfoot.
Top 10 searches – People
- Jeremy Renner
- Danny Masterson
- Lil Tay
- Tucker Carlson
- Brendan Fraser
- David Beckham
- Pedro Pascal
- Jenna Ortega
- Bruce Willis
- Jamie Foxx
Top 10 searches – People Who Passed
- Matthew Perry
- Sinéad O’Connor
- Tina Turner
- Ken Block
- Suzanne Somers
- Gordon Lightfoot
- Jerry Springer
- Lisa Marie Presley
- Bob Barker
- Jimmy Buffett
