The unofficial motto of the newsroom is “Dogs. Bears. Trees. In that order.” We think we know what your favourite stories are based on the responses we see online. But the clicks don’t lie.
Below are the top 10 stories our newsroom published in 2019 as determined by page views (or as we sometimes call them: rage views).
1. City of North Van to charge for a charge
What was a run-of-the-mill council brief about electric vehicle charging turned out to be the most read story of the year, by a wide margin. In fact, the ratio of page views to actual electric vehicles registered in B.C. is about five-to-one. We’re as confused as you are.
2. North Vancouver man charged in cyclist’s ‘dooring’ death
When someone’s been charged with a crime, people always want to know if it’s someone they know. What probably got people sharing this one far and wide was the fact the man charged in the death of cyclist Mike McIntosh will only face an $81 fine if found guilty. He goes to trial in June.
3. West Vancouver widow fights to keep her home amid allegations of 'predatory lending'
According to a court ruling we reported on, a West Vancouver woman was talked into putting mortgages on her family home in order to funnel money into a now-defunct development plan put forward by a man who befriended her. People weren’t havin’ it.
4. Cyclist dead after collision with truck in North Vancouver
We had very little info to go on, but when someone dies on the streets, people always want to know who the victim was, what happened and why. The investigation that began that day resulted in a North Vancouver man being charged with opening his car door when it was not safe to do so.
5. Moth population takes flight in North Van
The little buggers were everywhere. Thousands of them. We just called a local biologist to find out what’s up with all these freakin’ moths.
6. Here’s who’s running on the North Shore in the 2019 federal election
Every time there’s an election, we round up all the candidates and make them answer the same list of questions, which we then compile for our readers. That this story was in the top 10 for all of 2019 is very heartening, you informed voters, you.
7. Province orders North Vancouver landlord to stop end-run around rent controls
The landlord at a North Van apartment building was making their tenants sign leases exempting themselves from the maximum allowable rent increase. The province told them to knock it off.
8. Real estate values sink for detached homes in West Vancouver, North Vancouver
People in the Lower Mainland have spent years oohing and ahhing at property values like they were watching a Canada Day fireworks show. But what goes up, must come down, which we also evidently enjoy watching.
9. Realtor disciplined over West Vancouver house sale conduct
Almost as interesting as the price of real estate is the news about the shady things people will do to make money in it.
10. BC SPCA seizes professional dog walker’s pets found in distress
Despite our “Dogs. Bears. Trees,” motto, only one story involving canines made it into the top 10. It was about a dog walker well known on the North Shore trails having his own dogs seized by the SPCA. How could it not?
