Oakville has been through a monumental year - and for the last day of 2023, it's time now to look back at this year's biggest stories with Oakville News!
It's been an exciting year in the town of Oakville with so much going on. But in a year dominated by national and world news, we've still found over 1,600 original, local stories that our team of writers, researchers, reporters, photographers and more have published.
2023 was also a big year of change for Oakville News, still the town's only independent news source. We've capped the year with our recently unveiled new logo.
We've got three different sections to look back at some of this year's biggest and best stories. First are our top five most read articles across the newspaper in all sections. Then we'll look back at the biggest stories in each section of the website. Finally, we've gathered our favourites cartoons from local artist Steve Nease.
We hope you enjoy this look back at 2023 with us, and here's to a great 2024! Happy new year!
Top Stories of 2023
In ascending order, these were the top five most read stories on Oakville News for 2023.
5. Midnight Madness cancelled
Published April 19, 2023. Written by Chris Stoate.
On April 19, the longstanding Oakville tradition of Midnight Madness was reported to be coming to an end after more than 40 years. Downtown Oakville merchants had historically funded this annual event that closed down the main street until the early morning hours.
The decision to discontinue Midnight Madness was attributed to high costs, preparation requirements, and the success of the town's downtown redevelopment, reportedly changing the nature of the downtown visit.
Read the original article online here.
4. Ice cream truck company charged again
Published July 14, 2022. Written by Jay Pugazhenthi.
It was a hot summer day when an ice cream truck near Bronte Road and Dundas Street was stopped by officers from Halton Police's Commercial Motor Vehicle Unit. An inspection revealed alleged safety violations, including being overweight, an "inoperative" parking brake, and a steering wheel with "seven inches of free play."
Read the original article online here.
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3. Oakville woman participates in Miss Universe Canada
Published on August 13, 2023. Written by Amrita RC Majumdar.
Oakville's Nneka Eleh took on the 72nd annual Miss Universe Canada pageant in Vancouver this summer As a tech professional and University of Waterloo graduate, Eleh shares her journey and aspirations.
Raised in Canada and Nigeria, she emphasizes her formative years in a residential school and her ease in adjusting to university life. With dreams of owning a production house, Eleh aims to share untold African stories.
Read the original article online here.
2. Homeowners taking drastic measures to pay mortgages
Published on July 28, 2023. Written by Amrita RC Majumdar.
Inflation and the cost of housing have dominated the news in 2023. The Bank of Canada's repeated interest rate hikes have caused financial distress for Canadian homeowners all year long - some switched to fixed-rate mortgages, while others still face sleepless nights and increased payments.
Read the original article online here.
1. Waterloo’s Engineering program discounts grades from two Oakville schools
Published on April 10, 2023. Written by Chris Stoate.
Oakville News' reported earlier this year how the University of Waterloo’s engineering program was found to be discounting inflated grades from King's Christian Collegiate and St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School in Oakville.
Why you might ask? It boils down to the fact that good marks are much easier to get at certain schools than they are at others.
Read the original article online here.
Top Stories by Category
Next, let's take a look at the top stories across more of the specialized sections in our newspaper.
Top Politics story: "Biggest development project Oakville will ever undertake": finalizing Midtown plans
Published on May 9, 2023. Written by Kim Arnott. Read the original article here.
Top Crime story: Oakville man dies jumping from burning building
Published on July 6, 2023. Written by Tyler Collins and the Oakville News editorial team. Read the original article here.
Top Business story: Four Oakville companies named among Canada's Top Employers
Published Dec. 29, 2023. Written by Ben Brown. Read the original article here.
Top Sports story: Oakville Rangers U15 AAA team makes history with perfect season
Published on Feb. 26, 2023. Written by Lukas Bernasiewicz. Read the original article here.
Top Real Estate Story: Oakville named most expensive place for housing in Canada
Published on Jan. 20, 2023. Written by Amrita RC Majumdar. Read the original article here.
Top Entertainment story: Netflix premieres new shot-in Oakville series starring Arnold Schwarzenegger
Published on June 7, 2023. Written by Tyler Collins. Read the original article here.
Top Movie review: Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe, starring Ernie Coombs
Published on Sept. 10, 2023. Written by Tyler Collins. Read the original article here.
Top Human Interest story: Local Girl wins Canadian Space Agency
Published on May 22, 2023. Written by Amrita RC Majumdar. Read the original article here.
Top Recipe: Authentic Hungarian Goulash recipe
Published on April 13, 2023. Written by Michelle Bogle. Read the original article here.
Top Food story: Oakville restaurant named among best in Canada
Published on May 18, 2023. Written by Tyler Collins. Read the original article here.
Top Book review: The Great Canadian Art Fraud Case by Jon S. Dellandrea
Published on Jan. 31, 2023. Written by Kate Barlow. Read the original article here.
Top Holiday story: Sixth Line Halloween house cancelled for first time in over a decade
Published on Oct. 30, 2023. Written by Ben Brown. Read the original article here.
Top Health story: Dec. 23, 2023 Coronavirus Update
Published on Dec. 23, 2023. Written by the Oakville News editorial team. Read the original article here.
Top Restaurant review: Where to have fun in Oakville after 8:00 pm
Published on May 16, 2023. Written by Ben Brown. Read the original article here.
Top On-Location story: Spend a day with dinosaurs at Jurassic World
Published on April 26, 2023. Written by Tyler Collins. Read the original article here.
Top Weather story: Storm cuts Oakville’s Latino Festival short this year
Published on August 14, 2023. Written by Jay Pugazhenthi. Read the original article here.
2023's Top Cartoons
We'll end things on a lighter note, with the five most liked cartoons from our readers over the last year, all based on major events.
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Most of all, we want to thank all of our readers for your continued support of our vital commitment to bringing your great, local stories from Oakville's only independent news source. Your readership is what makes this all possible, and we're looking forward to another great year!