Facebook Canada 2016 Year in Review: From Chewbacca Mom to Fort McMurray

Every day, people turn to Facebook to share the moments from their lives, and now we get to see which Canadian and global topics were the most talked-about in Facebook’s 2016 Year in Review.

The U.S. election and the Fort McMurray wildfire were the most popular Canadian topics, among others; Pokemon Go and Brexit (remember those?) also appear on both the Canadian and global topics lists.

This month, many people will see their own years in review — personalized videos of their meaningful moments from 2016, curated by Facebook — that they can edit and share with family and friends. They can also access their video by visiting here.

READ MORE: Twitter Canada’s biggest moments in 2016: Justin Bieber and Justin Trudeau break records

Canadian topics list for 2016:

1. US Elections
2. Fort McMurray wildfire
3. Blue Jays
4. Pokemon Go
5. Gord Downie & The Tragically Hip
6. David Bowie
7. Rodrigo Duerte & Philippine Presidential Elections
8. Toronto Raptors
9. Brexit
10. Olympics

Global topics list for 2016:

1. US Elections
2. Brazilian Politics
3. Pokemon Go
4. Black Lives Matter
5. Rodrigo Duerte & Philippine Presidential Elections
6. Olympics
7. Brexit
8. Super Bowl
9. David Bowie
10. Muhammed Ali

READ MORE: Dad live-streams birth of son on Facebook, Internet reacts

In a world where social media has created a share-everything mentality, Facebook took it to a whole new level in April with Facebook Live. (For a complete list of the top Facebook Live videos of the year, with links, scroll to the bottom of the article.)

The Facebook feature allows you to create real-time video posts, and is available to any user. You can watch the videos during a live broadcast and you can also see the videos after the broadcast has finished.

As we saw in 2016, these videos can be extremely powerful and can reach millions of people.

In July, a Minnesota police officer fatally shot Philando Castile during a traffic stop and the man’s girlfriend livestreamed the bloody aftermath on Facebook Live.

WATCH BELOW: Lavish Reynolds captured the moments after police allegedly shot her boyfriend during a traffic stop (WARNING: Video contains disturbing images and may not be suitable for all viewers.)

1:54 Woman live streams aftermath of police shooting her boyfriend

And that wasn’t the first time the aftermath of a shooting was broadcast on Facebook Live in 2016.

In a July video posted to Facebook by user T.J. Williams, three men can be seen smoking in a car while listening to rap music. The music is abruptly interrupted after five minutes as gunshots ring out and the camera falls to the ground, as you can see below. (WARNING: Video contains disturbing images and may not be suitable for all viewers.)

1:38 Facebook live video appears to show three men getting shot in Virginia

In February, a panicked teen was shot multiple times at a Burger King drive-thru in Florida, and she said she kept herself from going into shock by live-streaming her reactions onto Facebook just moments after the shooting. (WARNING: Video contains disturbing images and may not be suitable for all viewers.)

2:44 Woman posts livestream of herself on Facebook after being shot

READ MORE: Top YouTube videos of 2016

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Facebook Live draws attention to potential crimes and injustice, but it’s not all doom and gloom. It can also be used to share videos that you can laugh along with.

The top 10 Facebook Live videos include the popular “Chewbacca Mom” and the Pokemon Go for moms, “Chardonnay Go.”

0:44 Internet sensation ‘Chewbacca mom’ meets the real-life Chewbacca

Top five Canadian Facebook Live videos:

1. Unstoppable Mother – Easiest way to teach your kids to their shoes demo
2. Edgar Muenala – Pan flute and erhu performance
3. Keena Chipasoose Half – South African firefighters arriving in Fort McMurray 
4. Nova Vision T.V., – Arrival of Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto in Toronto
5. Justin Trudeau – Raising the Pride Flag on Parliament Hill for the first time in Canadian history

Top ten Facebook Live videos:

1. Candace Payne – Chewbacca Mom
2. Ted Yoder – Soundscapes
3. Buzzfeed – Countdown to the next presidential election
4. Atlanta Buzz – People are lining up to hug police officers in Dallas
5. NBC News – Election results
6. Under the Hood – Video of a truck completely carved out of wood
7. Viral Thread – Population count from US to CA
8. CNN – Election results on Empire State building
9. Dena Blizzard – Pokemon Go for moms “Chardonnay Go”
10. Super Deluxe – Election map

With files from Adam Frisk