So here we are already into a new year, but before we move on, let's complete our flashback of the past 12 months. Last week, we reviewed the international scene.

 This week, let's look closer to home starting with the events that made national headlines.

 On March 25, the opposition Liberals, NDP and Bloc Québécois came together in a historic vote to say they no longer had confidence in the minority Conservative government. The move came after the procedure and House affairs committee tabled a report that said the government was in contempt of Parliament for refusing to supply enough information on the cost of F-35 fighter jets, their justice system reforms and their projections for corporate profits and tax rates.

 The motion said the House found the government in contempt of Parliament, "which is unprecedented in Canadian parliamentary history, and consequently the House has lost confidence in the Government."

 In turn, that vote led to the May 2 federal election that not only returned Stephen Harper's Conservatives to power but also handed the party its first majority after three tries.

 But the big story from the election was the historic results for the NDP, which, for the first time in its history, won enough support to rise to official Opposition status. Meanwhile, the Liberals were all but obliterated and relegated to the political wilderness and the Bloc was banished from Ottawa.

 On May 9, Manitoba declared a state of emergency across several municipalities as a flood threat rose in the southern areas of the province.

 On May 15, a pair of wind-driven wildfires forced 7,000 residents of Slave Lake, Alberta, to evacuate their homes. Among the buildings lost were schools, a hospital and the community's town hall.

 On June 15, riot police fired rubber bullets and flash bombs in downtown Vancouver to try to disperse angry rioters who set cars on fire and taunted police officers after the Canucks' 4-0 Stanley Cup final loss to the Boston Bruins. Police declared the downtown a riot zone.

 Also in June, the country was rocked by a national postal strike and lockout, while Prince William and his new wife, Kate, visited Canada.

 On July 5, Canadian combat troops withdrew from Afghanistan, but on July 25, NDP leader Jack Layton stunned Canadians when he announced he was taking a temporary leave of absence to receive treatment after doctors discovered a new cancer.

advertisement

 He vowed to return to his position when Parliament resumed on September 19. However, Mr. Layton died on August 22 at age 61, sparking a national wave of mourning this country hadn't seen in decades.

 As the year came to an end, the NDP had begun its search for a new leader and Canadians continue to wrestle with a sputtering economy.

 Nova Scotia had its share of "big" news stories starting on February 14 when it was confirmed one member of the Nova Scotia legislature and three former provincial politicians would face criminal charges following an investigation into constituency expenses. The RCMP's commercial crimes section announced the charges after an eight-month investigation.

 Also in February, Nova Scotia hosted the Canada Games, but it was the economy that made big news in this province last year starting with the woes in the southwestern region caused by the loss of the ferry service and the struggles of the pulp and paper mills. The top story of the year, however, was the announcement that Halifax had won the federal shipbuilding contract worth $25 billion.

 There was big news in the world of sports as, in just his second Sprint Cup start, 20-year-old Trevor Bayne stunned NASCAR's biggest names with a thrilling overtime win February 20 at Daytona International Speedway. He became the youngest driver to ever win the "Great American Race."

 Speaking of 20 year olds, Patrick Chan from Toronto claimed his first world figure skating title on April 28 in Moscow, and rewrote the sport's record book in the process. His margin of victory was so large that one skating official compared it to winning the 100 metres by more than a second.

 The fight over banning violence in hockey dominated sports news in 2011 as Halifax phenom Sidney Crosby was forced to sit out much of the last season and the current season with concussion symptoms following a hit in January.

 Hockey continued to make big news last year when, on May 31, it was announced that a deal had been reached to bring a National Hockey League team back to Winnipeg for the first time since 1996. The Atlanta Thrashers, now the Jets, have moved to the Manitoba capital and are playing this season.

 In the golf world, Isabelle Beisiegel did what nobody else, including Michelle Wie, could. She became the first woman to qualify for a men's golf tour. She finished ninth out of 39 golfers - the top 10 earned spots on the men's Canadian tour.

 Race car drivers always know the worst can happen whenever they get behind the wheel. It happened on October 16 when two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon died after his car became ensnared in a fiery 15-car pileup, flew over another vehicle and hit the catch fence at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

 In music, we grooved to Born This Way (Lady Gaga), Don't You Want to Stay (Jason Alden and Kelly Clarkson), Rolling in the Deep (Adele), Last Friday Night (Katy Perry) and Moves Like Jagger (Maroon 5).

 Audiences flocked to theatres in record numbers to see Thor, The Hangover: Part II, Bridesmaids, Fast Five, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II, The Help, Captain America and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1.

 And that was the year 2011.

 E-mail me: editorial@southshorenow.ca

posted on 01/04/12