Quebec's top 10 feel-good stories of 2015 - Action News
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Quebec's top 10 feel-good stories of 2015

There was no shortage of stories that warmed, inspired and wowed us in 2015. Here are 10 that speak to our capacity for doing good, and having fun.

One hoverboard, 70 zebra finches, 25,000 tuques 2015 was full of stories that made us smile

Zebra finches perch on a Gibson Les Paul guitar as part of a musical exhibit at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. (CBC)

There was no shortage of stories that warmed, inspired and wowed us in 2015.

Here are 10 from around Quebec that speak to our capacity for doing good, and having fun.

Malyk Bonnet, teenage hero, saves woman from kidnapping

Laval teen on being called a hero

9 years ago
Duration 0:40
Laval, Que., police are calling 17-year-old Malyk Bonnet a hero after he went to extraordinary lengths to aid the escape of a woman who had been abducted by her ex-boyfriend.

Montreal teenager Malyk Bonnetdidn't think he was doing anything heroic when he went to extraordinary lengths to help an abducted woman escape her ex-boyfriend in August.


Bry Bitar sparks school uniform revolution

Bry Bitar's request to school officials led to a board-wide discussion about how best to serve students and staff in similar circumstances. (Shari Okeke/CBC)

BryBitar, 13, doesn't like gender labels, and theLGBTyouth didn't feel right wearing theboys' uniform at school.

So theteenstarted wearing the girls' uniform instead,and got the English Montreal School Board brainstorming betterways to serveLGBTstudents.

Royal West Academy is known for offering many extracurricular activities, but this year a new club is making its mark. It's the school's first LGBT Club. Daybreak's Shari Okeke profiles the pioneers of the Royal West LGBT Club.

P.K. goes all the way for the Montreal Children's Hospital

RAW: Child asks P.K. Subban "Who's your favourite Montreal Canadien?"

9 years ago
Duration 3:02
Subban took kids' questions at a news conference at which he announced he'd be giving the Montreal Children's Hospital $10 million.

Montreal'slove affair with Habs star P.K. Subbanwentto a whole new levelin September when the defenceman donated $10 million to the Montreal Children's Hospital.

The health-care facility described the donation as"the biggest philanthropic commitment by a sports figure in Canadian history."


Jingle bell #tag

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Grgoire-Trudeau deliver a bilingual rendition of Jingle Bells. (Twitter)

Not content to merely donate $10 million to Montreal's Children Hospital, P.K.Subbanchallenged Prime Minister JustinTrudeau,Canadian pop idol JustinBieberand othersto jointhe #Canadacarolscampaign on behalf of pediatric hospitals around the country.

Trudeauand his wife,SophieGrgoire-Trudeau, followedSubban'slead, tweeting out their ownbilingual version of Jingle Bells.

AndBieber?Bieber...


70 birds, 14 guitars, 1 'highly unusual'art installation

70 zebra finches play guitar in Montreal

9 years ago
Duration 1:19
A new exhibit at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts showcases birds channelling Jimi Hendrix.

The Byrds they're not, andthey don't care.

French artist Cleste Boursier-Mougenot calls his installation From here to ear"living music," inspired by the sightof birds on a wirewhen he was a kid.

His interpretation of that image at the Montreal Museum of Fine Artshad70 zebra finches using thestrings of 14 amplified electric guitars and basses as perches.


Possessed to skate

Watch what Syrelle Lefebvre, 9, can do on a skateboard

9 years ago
Duration 1:25
Syrelle Lefebvre, 9, will compete in her very first skateboarding competition this weekend in Quebec City.

What she lacks in height, 9-year-old skateboarderSyrelle Lefebvremakes up in attitude.

Syrelle starting skating when she was six and this summer competed in the Quebec City Bowl Bash.


Rare leopards get rare delivery

Two baby Amur leopard were born by C-section at Granby Zoo. (Granby Zoo)

When you're listed ascritically endangered, there's no room for risky births. In what's believed to be a first in North America, veterinarians at the Granby Zoo east of Montreal opted for Caesarian sectionto delivertwo Amur leopard cubs in September.

Sadly, one died a few days later, but the other cub is going strong.


Beating swords into beehives

Escuminac-based artist Maryse Goudreau (far left) hosted Tank Fest in her backyard. (Michel Goudreau/Facebook)

When artistMaryse Goudreau discovered a rusting World War Two-era BrenGun Carrier buried on the farm she bought in Escuminac, Que., she organizedthe Festival TankD'Escuminac.

The eventgathered neighbours tohelp her digout the wartime relicand drum up ideas for what to do with it.

Someone proposed a beehive, and the rest is history.

Hiving off a piece of history. A Quebec artist hosts a community festival to help dig out a World War Two tank found on her property, and then gives the tank new life - as a beehive.

He who hovers furthest...

Montrealer AlexandreDuruwent from relative obscurity to world's coolest nerd in May aftervideo of him flying a homemade hoverboardaround a lake in northern Quebec went viral.

Duru's250-metre flight earned him a spotin the Guinness Book of World Records and accelerated his plan to have people flying around onhoverboardsof their own in the near future.

Canadian develops futuristic hovercraft

9 years ago
Duration 7:51
Canadian inventor Catalin Alexandru Duru has created a hovercraft that has broken a world record.

25,000 Tuques

(Marie-Eve Cousineau/Radio-Canada)

Danielle Ltourneau wanted to provide a warm welcome toSyrian refugees arriving in Quebec,and set knitting needles across the country a-blazingwith her 25,000 Tuques campaign.

Launched on Facebook on the end of November, the campaign inspired knitting enthusiasts across Quebec and Canadato purl it up in solidarity with the Syrians.