These were Canadians' top Google searches in 2020

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These were Canadians' top Google searches in 2020

Published Wednesday, December 9, 2020 10:15AM EST Last Updated Wednesday, December 9, 2020 12:46PM EST

In this Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2018, file photo, a cursor moves over Google's search engine page. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

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TORONTO -- In a tumultuous year like no other, Canadians took to their keyboards to keep up with a fast-paced news cycle that included a global pandemic, a racial reckoning, celebrity deaths, and an important presidential election south of the border.

According to Google Canada鈥檚 annual 鈥淵ear in Search鈥� list for 2020, Canadians kept a close eye on the U.S. presidential election as they coped with all of the upheavals that came with the spread of COVID-19.

And while the pandemic likely had the biggest impact on Canadians鈥� daily lives, the U.S. election surpassed coronavirus as the most-searched for topic in 2020.

鈥淲hen it comes to Google Trends, it鈥檚 not surprising to see Canadians really dialed into what鈥檚 happening south of the border,鈥� Christina Peck, a trends expert for Google Canada, told CTV鈥檚 Your Morning on Wednesday.

鈥淲hen we looked at the U.S. election this year, Canadians were really searching around the debates as well as 鈥渆lection day鈥� in the days to follow as we anxiously awaited the results.鈥�

Canadians鈥� interest in American politics was also evident in who they searched for the most in 2020. Democrats Joe Biden and Kamala Harris ranked second and third on the list, topped only by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Peck said there were two noticeable spikes in searches for the North Korean leader this year.

鈥淭he first was earlier on in the year in April when he had dropped from public view and there was speculation worldwide around where he was,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd then, more recently, again another spike in November when he had taken an experimental COVID-19 vaccine.鈥�

Aside from the U.S. election, Peck said, Canadians had many questions about coronavirus and how it would impact them.

鈥淚t was really heavy this year,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here was a lot of difficult news, especially at home in Canada. In addition to seeing coronavirus in numerous ways impact our health, we also saw its impact on the Canadian economy. So we saw search terms like CERB and CERB extension, Air Canada stock, Trudeau press conference and Sophie [Gregoire] Trudeau.鈥�

The much-maligned phenomenon of shoppers stocking up and hoarding toilet paper at the start of the lockdown in the spring also made the list as the most-searched for 鈥渨hy鈥� term, according to Google Canada.

Following their concerns about the U.S. election and the deadly pandemic, Canadians sought answers about the mass shooting in Nova Scotia in April when a gunman killed 22 people.

Peck said Canadians also took a keen interest in the topic of racial justice following the deaths of several Black citizens in the U.S. and the anti-racism protests that followed worldwide. She said they saw spikes in searches for 鈥淏lack Lives Matter鈥� and 鈥淏lackout Tuesday鈥� this year.

Canadians鈥� desire to learn more about the subject was apparent in their searches for definitions too, according to Peck, with 鈥渟ystemic racism鈥� and 鈥淏IPOC鈥� ranking high on the list.

鈥淸It鈥檚] really powerful to see that Canadians are taking the steps to understand what these words mean,鈥� she said.

Peck also noted that Canadians were asking questions about the events south of the border that sparked some of the racial justice protests including why George Floyd was stopped by police before he was killed, what Juneteenth means, and how they can donate to the Black Lives Matter movement.

鈥淚t鈥檚 inspiring to see Canadians educating themselves on such an important topic, and participating in conversations around racial injustice in Canada,鈥� she said.