Canada wrapped: Some of the biggest stories that defined the country in 2024

As 2024 comes to a close, many are probably reflecting on the past year.

Canada’s year-in-review is filled with plenty of major headlines. From the Loblaw boycott that rallied Canadians frustrated with sky-high grocery prices to the shocking resignation of Chrystia Freeland from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet, here are the biggest stories that defined 2024 for Canada.

Canadians witnessed a rare total solar eclipse

In April, Canadians in parts of the country had a rare chance to witness a once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse.

Leading up to April 8, long lineups for solar eclipse glasses in cities like Toronto started popping up as stargazers prepped for the celestial event.

On the big day, some were able to capture the phenomenon in its full glory in clear skies. Others were met with crap weather and made do with what they had. See a round-up of photos here.

A Total Solar Eclipse of the Heart! Éclipse Solaire Complète #Montréal 2024! #Canada #TotalSolarEclipse2024 #Photography pic.twitter.com/sPembW1qcl

— jonathan perron (@jonathanperron3) April 8, 2024

The total solar eclipse made headlines in the days following as searches for “why do my eyes hurt” spiked across Canada.

Canada tightened immigration in so many ways

In October, the federal government announced it would cut its immigration targets by at least 20% next year.

“We will reduce the number of immigrants we bring in over the next three years, which will result in a pause in the population growth over the next two years,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Previously, the government’s permanent resident targets for the next two years stood at 500,000 per year. The target for next year is 395,000 and will taper even further in 2026 (380,000) and 2027 (365,000).

This measure builds on the government’s previously announced measures to cap international student permits and reform the temporary foreign worker program.

Canadians boycotted Loblaw-owned grocery stores

Canadians are fed up with the cost of living crisis.

The frustration mounted earlier this year when tens of thousands of Canadians who are part of a Reddit community that highlights soaring grocery prices pledged to boycott Loblaw stores for all of May.

Emily Johnson, creator of the subreddit “Loblaws Is Out of Control,” told Daily Hive in March that they targeted Loblaw in particular because it has become the face of Canada’s cost of living crisis.

“Seeing groceries — an essential that nobody can avoid paying for — rise beyond the rate of inflation is really upsetting a lot of people,” she explained. “Because Loblaw is one of the most prolific grocers in the country, many people have placed most of that frustration onto Loblaws, especially Galen Weston Jr. himself.”

The boycott certainly shined a light on skyrocketing food costs in Canada. It even made international news.

Other Canadians continue to protest in their own, creative ways, like these fake No Name ads that popped up in Calgary.

Since then, Canadians have continued to call out major grocers for “absurd” prices, and all of the big companies have finally signed Canada’s Grocery Code of Conduct, hopefully bringing shoppers one step closer to fair food prices.

Canada got its first-ever WNBA team

The country’s first-ever WNBA team revealed its name and logo earlier this month.

The team will join the WNBA as the league’s 14th franchise in 2026. Their primary home venue will be out of Coca-Cola Coliseum, but the team plans to play a few home games per year in other cities in the country.

Read this to learn about the meaning behind the name.

Another Donald Trump presidency

After our neighbours to the south re-elected Donald Trump for his second presidential term, Canadians took to social media to share their thoughts.

Several made it known they did not want Americans dissatisfied with the results to move to Canada.

“Canada is full, WE DO NOT WANT YOU,” reads one post on X.

It seems that Americans did frantically begin looking for relocation options in the aftermath of the election. Like clockwork, a Canadian real estate site saw record-breaking traffic from the US after Trump’s win.

Searches for the phrase “move to Canada” skyrocketed overnight, making headlines across North American media outlets.

The Canadian government is already feeling the pressure of Trump’s presidency, even before his inauguration.

The president-elect has already promised to slap a 25% tariff on products from Canada and Mexico. He also suggested Canada become the 51st state of the US, with Trudeau as governor, which some members of parliament dismissed as a joke.

But the remarks continue, with Trump even sharing his thoughts on Chrystia Freeland’s resignation from Trudeau’s cabinet as finance minister. Now Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary has entered the chat, saying he wants to talk to Trump about “erasing” the Canada-US border.

Trump hasn’t even been inaugurated yet and many Canadians are already sick of his comments.

Canadian dollar plummets to lowest level in years

In late October, the loonie sunk below 72 cents USD for the first time in over four years, closing Tuesday, October 29 at 71.89 cents USD after sinking just under 72 cents on Monday, October 28.

The dollar dipped slightly again on November 26 to 71.03 cents USD. As of December 31, the loonie has plummeted even more to 69.41 cents USD, according to foreign exchange tool XE.

If you want to learn more about why the Canadian dollar has experienced such a drastic drop, and how it’ll affect your expenses, read this.

Canadians won two record-breaking $80 million lottery jackpots

Five people beat the most unlikely odds this year to win the biggest jackpots in Canadian lottery history.

Lotto Max draws on September 17 and December 3 had a staggering $80 million up for grabs.

Ontario couple Stephanie and Bryan Cantwell split the September prize with Quebec resident Bernard Morissette.

Morissette, a retiree, said he intends to use his $40 million windfall to secure his children’s financial future. Similarly, the Cantwells said they plan to use their share to help family, friends, and the community.

Montreal resident Jean Lamontagne split the December prize with Manitoba resident Matthew Tannas. Lamontagne wasted no time, announcing his retirement just a few days after the big win. Tannas plans to use the windfall to set his kids up for success.

Canada Post workers strike amid busy holiday season

Over 55,000 Canada Post employees went on a month-long strike just in time for Black Friday and the holiday shopping season.

It left 185,000 passports in limbo, with long lines popping up at Service Canadas in cities like Vancouver. Eleven million parcels were undelivered ahead of Black Friday.

Canadians were severely divided on the issue. On December 13, the federal government ordered the Canada Post strike to end.

Here’s everything you need to know about your mail as Canada Post resumes delivery.

Canadians get a holiday from GST

In November, Trudeau announced the two-month GST cut on groceries and other items heading into the busy and costly gift-giving season.

“In just a few days, essential items will be tax-free in Canada,” Trudeau shared on Tuesday. “Takeout for dinner. Your morning coffee. Diapers and winter snow pants for your kids. All tax-free for the next two months.”

The tax break started on Saturday, December 14 and will end on February 15. Read everything you need to know about the GST cut here.

Chrystia Freeland resigns as finance minister

In a shocking announcement on December 16, Canada’s deputy prime minister and minister of finance, Chrystia Freeland, resigned from Trudeau’s cabinet.

In a statement shared on X, Freeland said Trudeau had told her that he no longer wanted her to serve as his finance minister and offered her another position in the cabinet.

“Upon reflection, I have concluded that the only honest and viable path is for me to resign from the cabinet,” she stated.

It came hours before the federal government was expected to announce its fall economic statement.

The bombshell news was followed by mounting calls from several MPs, including Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, for the prime minister to step down.

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