POLL: Who is Canada’s newsmaker of the year?

UPDATE: Global News readers chose Kevin Vickers, the 58-year-old Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons, as Canada’s newsmaker of the year with an overwhelming  43.24 per cent of votes. Former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford (15.82 per cent), the Canadian Olympic Team (14.19 per cent), Jim Flaherty (8.08 per cent) and Jian Ghomeshi (7.45 per cent) rounded out the top five. Voting for this poll is now closed.

TORONTO – Time magazine announced Wednesday its annual Person of the Year, and that got us thinking, who should be Canada’s newsmaker of the year?

It’s been a whirlwind year for headlines across Canada — both good and bad.

The nation lost a long-serving finance minister. We saw an East Coast city come under siege during a massive manhunt for a gunman who killed three RCMP officers.

A gunman in Ottawa shot and killed a reservist and prompted the nation’s capital to go under lockdown in what the prime minister called a “terrorist attack.”

Canada brought home 25 medals from the Sochi Olympics, including double gold in hockey.

As we look forward to 2015, we are asking you to take a minute to look back and ask yourself – for better or worse — who is Canada’s 2014 newsmaker of the year?

Kevin Vickers – The 58-year-old Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons was hailed a hero after he shot and killed Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, the man who stormed Parliament Hill after killing unarmed reservist Nathan Cirillo at the National War Memorial in Ottawa.

Jim Flaherty – On April 10, Canada lost a long-serving politician. The Former Finance Minister died after suffering an apparent heart attack in his Ottawa home. The 64-year-old was remembered by colleagues, political foes and friends for his sense of humour and his devotion to the country and to his family.

Justin Bourque – The 24-year-old was sentenced to 75 years in prison for the June 4 shooting rampage that killed three RCMP officers and left two others injured in Moncton, New Brunswick.

Jian Ghomeshi – The disgraced former CBC radio host was charged with four counts of sexual assault and one count of choking after a number of women came forward accusing the 47-year-old of sexual violence. He has denied the allegations and maintained all his interactions were consensual.

Alison Redford – The former Alberta premier stepped down in March after “mistakes were made” by misusing taxpayers’ money. After her resignation the auditor general released a scathing report outlining the improper spending, which included a plan to convert space in a public building into personal living space, referred to as the “sky palace.”

Christy Clark – After losing her seat in 2013 elections, the B.C. premier bounced back to form new relationships with labour unions, First Nations and neighbouring Alberta. A six-year deal with B.C. teachers, union agreements with government and health workers, and settlement of a strike at the Port of Vancouver were all part of an eventful labour year in the province.

Justin Bieber – The Canadian pop star dominated entertainment headlines this year, mostly for his bad behaviour. In January, the 20-year-old was charged with careless driving and resisting arrest in Miami Beach and then charged with assault in Toronto (the charge was later dropped). He also pleaded guilty to a vandalism charge after egging his neighbour’s house. In September, Bieber was charged with dangerous driving and assault stemming from an altercation with two Toronto-based paparazzi.

Rob Ford: The scandal-ridden former mayor of Toronto (now councillor) dropped his bid for re-election after doctors discovered a rare and aggressive form of cancer in the 45-year-old’s abdomen.

Canadian Olympic Team – Canada sent its largest team ever to a Winter Olympics in 2014, capturing 25 medals in the process, including double-gold in hockey. Canada brought home nine medals in freestyle skiing and Alex Bilodeau successfully defended his gold medal, becoming the first Canadian man to do so in an individual event.

Other: Nominate your newsmaker of the year by adding it to the list and leave a comment below.

-with a file from The Canadian Press