For all the good that occurred in 2019, it is often tragedies and oddities that readers click on most.
And not all are local, although those that are make up the majority of the most-viewed stories of 2019 on the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News website.
The site had a record 5.5 million page views in 2019.
The most viewed stories of the year, counting down from 10:
10. Maple Ridge mom urges kindness after being criticized while out with toddlers.
People can do better. Instead of making life difficult for each other, try helping each other out.
Maple Ridge resident Stacey Chomiak is trying to get that message out after her wife, Tammy, and kids were the recent targets of some verbal barbs.
Tammy was at a downtown Maple Ridge coffee shop when a stranger asked why she would bring her kids there. In her Facebook post, Stacey acknowledged the two kids were loud, but the comments were still upsetting.
Views: 11,198.
9. Maple Ridge has resident excluded from Anita Place.
The City of Maple Ridge has had a long-time Anita Place Tent City resident excluded from the St. Anne property.
Dwayne Martin, through his lawyer, has agreed to a timeline that will see him leave the encampment and move to a B.C. Housing-managed facility, according to the city
By an order of the B.C. Supreme Court, he will be prohibited from occupying the property once that timeline has completed.
Martin constructed a two-storey structure at the homeless camp site on 223rd Street.
Views: 11,716.
8. More than 130 cats retrieved from ‘disgusting’ house in Maple Ridge.
A months-long BC SPCA case is finally closed after the surrender of more than 130 cats from a 600-square-foot house.
Last April, the SPCA was dispatched to a small, one-bedroom home in Maple Ridge after neighbours complained about the smell.
Views: 11,951.
7. Maple Ridge magnetic hill defies the law of Newton (video).
Have you ever put your car in neutral at the bottom of a hill in Maple Ridge and found it being pulled upwards?
You can, just south of 100th Avenue on 256th Street by the old Thornhill elementary school, where the road runs downhill. A small hill appears to go upwards before the road continues downhill again towards 98 Avenue.
If you bring you vehicle to the bottom of the first hill, stop it and put it in neutral in the dip, you will soon find your car defying the laws of physics.
Views: 12,538.
6. Travelling the Lougheed Highway to Maple Ridge in 1966 (video).
Without the benefit of a flux capacitor or a hot tub time machine, you can take a trip across B.C. in 1966.
An online video series called the BC Road Trip Time Machine, lets viewers take nostalgic video rides around the province.
Views: 13,177.
5. Pedestrian killed by train in Maple Ridge.
A pedestrian hit and killed by a train in Maple Ridge on Monday is being investigated as a suicide.
Salem Woodrow of CP Rail police said a freight train made contact with an individual on the tracks near River Road and Lougheed Highway, by Kanaka Creek Regional Park, just east of the Haney Bypass, in Maple Ridge around noon.
Views: 14,726.
4. Motorcycle accident on Lougheed Highway.
Pitt Meadows firefighters were on the scene of a morning rush-hour collision involving a motorcycle and a van in the eastbound lanes of Lougheed Highway.
Views: 16,366.
3. Aircraft successfully makes emergency landing at Abbotsford International Airport.
A 737 aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing at Abbotsford International Airport after hitting a flock of birds shortly after takeoff.
Flight number 312 departed from Abbotsford at 8:07 a.m. and was headed for Edmonton under Swoop airlines. It was carrying over 100 people.
People on the ground reported hearing a loud boom in the skies and one witness said she saw flames.
Views: 18,517.
2. Human remains found in Manitoba not connected to B.C. fugitives: RCMP.
Human remains found near The Pas, in central Manitoba, are not connected to two B.C. fugitives, RCMP said.
An RCMP spokesperson confirmed they were unconnected to the hunt for Kam McLeod and Bryer Schmegelsky, who took responsibility for the murders of Lucas Fowler, Chynna Deese, and Len Dyck in northern B.C.
After being pursued by police across four provinces, McLeod shot Schmegelsky dead and then turned a gun on himself in a suicide pact.
Views: 21,994.
1. ‘You don’t have to do this:’ Prince George man tells black bear as it tries to drown him.
A 27-year-old man from Prince George is recovering at home after a black bear chased him and tried to drown him in a lake on the outskirts of the city.
Views: 68,988.
Some of the other top stories included Police investigating body found in Maple Ridge park, Pitt Meadows man attacked on Lougheed Highway, Dozen sex charges filed against Maple Ridge youth care worker, Citizens clearing homeless camps in Maple Ridge and Bear chases B.C. man into lake, tries to swim after him.
The news might not be all gumdrops and candy canes, but the responsibility is to keep all informed.
Thank you for reading, and have a happy new year.
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@mike_D_hallmailto:editor@mapleridgenews.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
