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Every year since 1946, the Canadian Press (CP) has conducted a survey of news editors across the country, in both print and broadcast media, to determine the most newsworthy individual of the year. That person has usually been a politician, though many athletes have also been chosen. Individuals who had a negative effect on society, such as criminals, have occasionally been selected, as have symbols or topics (e.g., the Constitution) and groups or institutions (e.g., the Mounties, the Canadian Soldier). Pierre Trudeau was selected Newsmaker of the Year more times (10) than any other person. He was also named Newsmaker of the 20th Century in 1999.
|
Year |
CP Newsmaker of the Year |
|
1946 |
Igor Gouzenko, Soviet embassy clerk and informant |
|
1947 |
|
|
1948 |
William Lyon Mackenzie King, politician |
|
1949 |
Louis St-Laurent, politician |
|
1950 |
|
|
1951 |
Lester Pearson |
|
1952 |
Lester Pearson |
|
1953 |
Lester Pearson |
|
1954 |
|
|
1955 |
Lester Pearson |
|
1956 |
Lester Pearson |
|
1957 |
John Diefenbaker, politician |
|
1958 |
John Diefenbaker |
|
1959 |
John Diefenbaker and Joey Smallwood, politicians |
|
1960 |
John Diefenbaker |
|
1961 |
James Coyne, governor of the Bank of Canada |
|
1962 |
Réal Caouette, politician |
|
1963 |
Lester Pearson, politician |
|
1964 |
Lester Pearson |
|
1965 |
Lucien Rivard, criminal |
|
1966 |
John Diefenbaker |
|
1967 |
Lester Pearson |
|
1968 |
Pierre Trudeau, politician |
|
1969 |
Pierre Trudeau |
|
1970 |
Pierre Trudeau |
|
1971 |
Pierre Trudeau |
|
1972 |
Pierre Trudeau |
|
1973 |
Pierre Trudeau |
|
1974 |
Pierre Trudeau |
|
1975 |
Pierre Trudeau |
|
1976 |
René Lévesque, politician |
|
1977 |
René Lévesque |
|
1978 |
Pierre Trudeau |
|
1979 |
Joe Clark, politician |
|
1980 |
Terry Fox, cross-country runner and cancer research advocate |
|
1981 |
Terry Fox |
|
1982 |
Wayne Gretzky, hockey player |
|
1983 |
Brian Mulroney, politician |
|
1984 |
Brian Mulroney |
|
1985 |
Steve Fonyo, cross-country runner and cancer research advocate |
|
1986 |
Rick Hansen, cross-country wheelchair athlete and disability advocate |
|
1987 |
Rick Hansen |
|
1988 |
Ben Johnson, sprinter |
|
1989 |
Michael Wilson, politician |
|
1990 |
Elijah Harper, politician |
|
1991 |
Brian Mulroney |
|
1992 |
|
|
1993 |
Kim Campbell, politician |
|
1994 |
Jacques Parizeau, politician |
|
1995 |
Lucien Bouchard, politician |
|
1996 |
Donovan Bailey, sprinter |
|
1997 |
Sheldon Kennedy, hockey player and advocate for victims of sexual assault |
|
1998 |
Jean Chrétien, politician |
|
1999 |
Pierre Trudeau (named Canadian Newsmaker of the 20th Century) |
|
2000 |
Pierre Trudeau |
|
2001 |
Stockwell Day, politician |
|
2002 |
Jean Chrétien |
|
2003 |
Paul Martin, politician |
|
2004 |
Paul Martin |
|
2005 |
John Gomery, judge and leader of the inquiry into the Sponsorship Scandal |
|
2006 |
The Canadian Soldier |
|
2007 |
The Mounties |
|
2008 |
Stephen Harper, politician |
|
2009 |
Stephen Harper |
|
2010 |
Russell Williams, criminal |
|
2011 |
Jack Layton, politician |
|
2012 |
Luka Rocco Magnotta, criminal |
|
2013 |
Rob Ford, politician |
|
2014 |
Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent and Cpl. Nathan Cirillo |
|
2015 |
Justin Trudeau, politician |
|
2016 |
Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip |
|
2017 |
Gord Downie |
|
2018 |
Humboldt Broncos hockey team |
|
2019 |
Jody Wilson-Raybould, politician |
|
2020 |
Front-line workers during the COVID-19 pandemic |
|
2021 |
Children who didn't come home from residential schools |
