There aren't too many surprises in this year's top 10 list of most read stories on Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³».
In a nutshell, Vancouverites like to read about food, weather, Ryan Reynolds, housing, cannabis and rich people. But mostly the weather.
Here are the most read stories on V.I.A for 2019.
10. These are the best restaurants in Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»of 2019
Vancouverites love to know where the best places to eat are. So it was little surprise that a story about the was one of the most read stories of the year.
Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Magazine has been recognizing excellence in local dining for 30 years now, and for those who dine out in pursuit of the best of the best, the publication's annual Restaurant Awards are key.
In 2019 there were a few surprises, like Stem Japanese Eatery in Burnaby nabbing the Best New Restaurant (and Best Japanese). Powerhouse spots like Boulevard Seafood & Oyster Bar shone in multiple categories (Best Seafood, Best Dessert, Best Upscale). Plus, off the radar places like Hey, Dumplings!, Mumbai Local, Chancho, and Moltaqa made their presence known.
9. We ate and compared McDonald's new donuts to Tim Hortons so you don't have to
At the end of August, Mcdonald's Canada quietly introduced a new menu item, seemingly as a direct shot at one of their major competitors in the coffee space. Donuts. McDonald's started making donuts.
V.I.A's Bob Kronbauer picked up six Tim Hortons donuts and six of Ronald's and put them head to head.
The Tim Hortons donut compared to the McDonald's donut. Photo: Bob Kronbauer8. Ryan Reynolds now owns a $15/month wireless provider
Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»just loves Ryan Reynolds. There is no doubt. So in December, when it was announced that , a budget wireless telco that operates in the states, everyone was reading about it.
The telco offers "premium wireless for as little as $15 a month". Hopefully they make a move into the Canadian market.
Mobile phone enthusiast Ryan Reynolds. (via Mint Mobile)7. B.C. winter forecast: Environment Canada gives forecast for the frosty season
The seventh most read story on V.I.A was about Environment Canada's , at the time it was calling for above average temperatures to continue into the winter season.
6. These B.C.-made tiny homes are now available on Amazon for $49K
In a city with increasingly expensive rents and the dream of owning a home out of reach, many Vancouverites were curious to read about these for just $49,000.
The product from Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»company Nomad Micro Homes was made available in the mega-retailer's lineup in October. Made in British Columbia, they’re constructed of insulated steel panels, and have been compared to Ikea products in that they’re relatively inexpensive and they do not come fully assembled.
The tiny modular home is now available on Amazon. (via Nomad Micro Homes)5. Canadian company to destroy $77 million worth of weed
Back in October Canadian cannabis company CannTrust Holdings Inc announced a plan to attempt to address Health Canada's concerns about their business.
On September 17th its licenses to produce and sell cannabis were suspended. It was one of many setbacks for the pot firm which had been under investigation by regulators for cultivation in unlicensed rooms. Part of the measures to get their licenses back included having to and around $65 million in inventory that wasn't authorized under their license. Sad times.
4. Viral image conveys how the rest of Canada feels about Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»winters
In fourth place is a story about a hilarious, but accurate, cartoon comparing Vancouver's winter weather to the rest of the country.
Local video game art director and illustrator Geoff Coates spoke to Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» about the concept behind the image he created to depict the . After Coates' image was posted on Reddit Vancouver, it created an intense discussion about temperatures across the country, as well as what constitutes truly frigid weather.
Illustration by Geoff Coates, V.I.A.'s new editorial cartoonist3. Winter weather: Environment Canada updates Metro Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»forecast
Vancouverites just love reading about the weather. Especially winter weather, it would seem — with a third story about Vancouver's winter weather making it in to the top 10.
The third most read story was about Environment Canada updating its predictions for the in late October.
2. Canadian billionaires: Here are the 41 richest people in Canada in 2019
Coming in second place was a story about Canada's 41 richest people. CEOWORLD Magazine released its annual Canada Rich List Index in November, and readers couldn't contain their curiosity.
According to the financial publication’s annual listing, 2019 saw the total wealth of the top 10 richest Canadians hit a new record high of $96.4 billion. David Thomson, chairman of Thomson Reuters, claimed the top spot with an estimated net worth of a staggering $39 billion.
Now, for the one you've been waiting for (Drum roll). The most read story of 2019 on V.I.A was about vegetables. Yep. That's right. Vegetables.
Nobody wants to get sick, so it makes sense that the most clicked story of the year was about a due to a possible listeria contamination.
The vegetable recall was issued on Nov. 1 and later updated on Nov. 3. Most of the recalled products were sold under the Mann's brand, and included everything from Broccoli Cole Slaw to a Kale Beet Blend to Fresh Veggie Noodle Nourish Bowls and many more.
What a year, eh...
— With files from Elana Shepert, Bob Kronbauer and Lindsay William-Ross
