Canadian Press Newsmaker of the Year | The Canadian Encyclopedia

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Canadian Press Newsmaker of the Year

Every year since 1946, the Canadian Press (CP) has conducted a survey of news editors across the country, in both print and broadcast media, to determine the most newsworthy individual of the year. That person has usually been a politician, though many athletes have also been chosen. Individuals who had a negative effect on society, such as criminals, have occasionally been selected, as have symbols or topics (e.g., the Constitution) and groups or institutions (e.g., the Mounties, the Canadian Soldier). Pierre Trudeau was selected Newsmaker of the Year more times (10) than any other person. He was also named Newsmaker of the 20th Century in 1999.


Year

CP Newsmaker of the Year

1946

Igor Gouzenko, Soviet embassy clerk and informant

1947

Barbara Ann Scott, figure skater

1948

William Lyon Mackenzie King, politician

1949

Louis St-Laurent, politician

1950

Lester Pearson, diplomat

1951

Lester Pearson

1952

Lester Pearson

1953

Lester Pearson

1954

Marilyn Bell, marathon swimmer

1955

Lester Pearson

1956

Lester Pearson

1957

John Diefenbaker, politician

1958

John Diefenbaker

1959

John Diefenbaker and Joey Smallwood, politicians

1960

John Diefenbaker

1961

James Coyne, governor of the Bank of Canada

1962

Réal Caouette, politician

1963

Lester Pearson, politician

1964

Lester Pearson

1965

Lucien Rivard, criminal

1966

John Diefenbaker

1967

Lester Pearson

1968

Pierre Trudeau, politician

1969

Pierre Trudeau

1970

Pierre Trudeau

1971

Pierre Trudeau

1972

Pierre Trudeau

1973

Pierre Trudeau

1974

Pierre Trudeau

1975

Pierre Trudeau

1976

René Lévesque, politician

1977

René Lévesque

1978

Pierre Trudeau

1979

Joe Clark, politician

1980

Terry Fox, cross-country runner and cancer research advocate

1981

Terry Fox

1982

Wayne Gretzky, hockey player

1983

Brian Mulroney, politician

1984

Brian Mulroney

1985

Steve Fonyo, cross-country runner and cancer research advocate

1986

Rick Hansen, cross-country wheelchair athlete and disability advocate

1987

Rick Hansen

1988

Ben Johnson, sprinter

1989

Michael Wilson, politician

1990

Elijah Harper, politician

1991

Brian Mulroney

1992

The Constitution of Canada

1993

Kim Campbell, politician

1994

Jacques Parizeau, politician

1995

Lucien Bouchard, politician

1996

Donovan Bailey, sprinter

1997

Sheldon Kennedy, hockey player and advocate for victims of sexual assault

1998

Jean Chrétien, politician

1999

Pierre Trudeau (named Canadian Newsmaker of the 20th Century)

2000

Pierre Trudeau

2001

Stockwell Day, politician

2002

Jean Chrétien

2003

Paul Martin, politician

2004

Paul Martin

2005

John Gomery, judge and leader of the inquiry into the Sponsorship Scandal

2006

The Canadian Soldier

2007

The Mounties

2008

Stephen Harper, politician

2009

Stephen Harper

2010

Russell Williams, criminal

2011

Jack Layton, politician

2012

Luka Rocco Magnotta, criminal

2013

Rob Ford, politician

2014

Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent and Cpl. Nathan Cirillo

2015

Justin Trudeau, politician

2016

Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip

2017

Gord Downie

2018

Humboldt Broncos hockey team

2019

Jody Wilson-Raybould, politician

2020

Front-line workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021

Children who didn't come home from residential schools