Who Gives a Tweet?

What will 2015 bring? Well, if tweets from 2014 are any indication, Canadians will be concerned about sports, violence and the Ford brothers in Toronto. We can make 2015 a year worth tweeting about – all in 140 characters or less.

The top news stories released by Twitter highlighting top tweets, moments and hashtags are as follows;

Top 10 most tweeted about news stories of 2014:

1. Ottawa shooting on Parliament Hill — Oct. 22, 2014
2. Canadian men’s hockey team beats Sweden 3-0 winning the Olympic gold medal — Feb. 23, 2014
3. Manhunt in Moncton following the shooting of RCMP officers — June 5, 2014
4. Germany beats Argentina 1-0 to win the World Cup — July 13, 2014
5. Canadian women’s hockey team beats USA 3-2 winning the Olympic gold medal — Feb. 20, 2014
6. Canadian men’s hockey team beats USA 1-0 winning Olympic hockey semi-final game — Feb. 21, 2014
7. Brazil beats Croatia 3-1 to win opening match of World Cup 2014 — June 12, 2014
8. Germany beats Brazil 7-1 to win World Cup semi-final match — July 8, 2014
9. Voting day for Toronto Municipal Election 2014 — Oct. 27, 2014
10. Canadians celebrate Canada Day 2014 — July 1, 2014

The Ottawa shootings brought the country to its knees in shock. Many across the country were glued to their computer or electronic device for updates. This tragedy was the defining online news story for 2014 according to figures released by Twitter Canada.

The 2014 #YearOnTwitter reported on the most newsworthy stories, and made some predictions on the coming year too. The hope is to see more environmental and social victories on the list.

Canada had quite the year beginning with aboriginal issues. Across the nation, we heard about the missing and murdered aboriginal women – and those numbers were much higher than most Canadians realized. With the movement Idle No More, the election of an aboriginal mayor to Winnipeg, and the children of Attawapiskat, northern Ontario finally got a new school after waiting for 24 years. “History may look back on 2014 as the year Canada reached a tipping point on aboriginal issues.”

The year certainly saw its highs and lows for Canada, and a quick review of the top tweets really gives you a picture of the year at a glance.

“Nevertheless, we are hoping 2015 will be a year of more celebration than setback. The opportunities are there.”

Source: Craig and Marc Kielburger, brothers who founded a platform for social change that includes Me to We, Free the Children, and We Day.