Vote for the top news story in Quebec in 2015 - Action News
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Vote for the top news story in Quebec in 2015

Our editors have scoured this year's most clicked, shared and talked about stories and narrowed it down to the top 10. Now it's your turn to vote.

Charbonneau report, Turcotte verdict, P.K.'s donation and Syrian refugees top our list of Quebec's top stories

(Canadian Press/CBC)

Our editors have scoured this year's most clicked, mostshared and most talked about stories and narrowed it down to a list of the top 10.

Now it'syour turn to pick the top story in Quebec in 2015.We'll reveal yourpick on New Year's Eve.

1. P.K. Subban's good works

Montreal Canadiens defenceman P.K. Subban meets a young patient following a press conference at the Children's Hospital in Montreal, Wednesday, September 16, 2015, where he announced that his foundation would pledge $10-million to the hospital. (Graham Hughes/Canadian Press)

P.K. Subbanwas already one of the city's favourite adopted sons before he whipped out the chequebook and pledged $10 million for the Montreal Children's Hospital. But the move not only made many ponder his captaincy potential, it showed that he's a man willing to put his money where his mouth is.

More recently, Subban, a prolific social media personality off the ice, laid down a Twitter challenge to Canadians to belt out their versions of Jingle Bells to compile into a cross-Canada singalong to play for sick children spending the holidays in hospital. Many Canadians, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, accepted that challenge.

2. The Trudeau legacy continues

Paul Chiasson/Canadian Press

Canadians have known Justin Trudeausince birth. But the Montrealer has had a special relationship with the city and its citizens since leaving 24 Sussex as a child.

This year, voters watched the MP from Papineaulaunch the struggling Liberals out of third place and into a majority federal government.

The new PM's first stop the morning after the election? Handshaking and selfie snapping with commuters in the Montreal metro.

3. Girl told not to read on school bus . . .for safety reasons

A former school bus driver, Stephen William MacLeod was in court Monday. (CBC)

In one of the most viewed stories of the year, back inApril, an eight-year-old girl in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.was told she was no longerallowed to readbooks on the school bus because it poseda risk to the safety of other students.

The bus driver suggestedfellow students might stand up to see what she was readingor she might poke herself in the eye with the corners of the book.

The school board and the bus company stood behind the rule, citing safety concerns.

4.Syrian refugees arrive in Montreal

(Paul Chiasson/Canadian Press)

When the federal plan to welcome 25,000 Syrian and Iraqi refugees was unveiled in November,it became clear Quebec would play a significant role.

Quebecersquickly rallied, donating clothing and home goods and feverishly knitting warm wares for the newcomers. The first large group of government-sponsored refugees arrived at Montreal's Trudeau airport on Dec. 12.

The province will welcome 3,650 refugees by Dec. 31, and a total of7,300 by the end of 2016. The vast majority of those newcomers will stay in Montreal.

5. Charbonneau commission delivers its report

(Paul Chiasson/Canadian Press)

After years of testimony and investigation, the commission charged with examining corruption in Quebec's construction industry delivered its 1,700 page report containing 60 recommendations.

In thereport,Justice France Charbonneauconcluded corruption and collusion are "far more widespread than originally believed."

She said the government must do everythingit can to put a stop to thatandprotect thelegal economy. The government said it would consider the recommendations, but many criticizedthe commission's failure to specifically assign blame.

6. Guy Turcotte found guilty of 2nd degree murder

Graham Hughes/Canadian Press

Four years after he was foundcriminally responsible, the jury in Guy Turcotte's second murder trial found him guilty of second-degree murder in the deaths of his children.

Turcotte admitted to causing thedeaths of his children, but the defence argued the former cardiologistwas not criminally responsible due to mental illness.

The Crown, however, argued the killings were premeditated as revenge against his ex-wife IsabelleGaston, who had left him a short time earlier for another man.

The judge in the case will deliver Turcotte's sentence in January.

7. Cdrika Provencher's remains discovered

Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press

After eight years of anguish, the family of CdrikaProvencher finally learned of her fate after the girl's remains were found in a wooded area by hunters on Dec. 11.

A massive search operation began the next day. Hundreds of specially-trained officers scoured the area. Acommand centre was set up on the edge of the woods near Highway 40. The ground search was called off 10 days later.

Provencher disappeared in 2007 after speaking to a man who said he was looking for a dog. Police have not publicly identified a suspect.

8. #FlushGate

(Paul Chiasson/Canadian Press) (Paul Chiasson/Canadian Press)

Media from around the world took note as Montreal moved ahead with its plan to dumpone-third of its sewage into the Saint Lawrence River in October.

Because of ongoing work on the Bonaventure Expressway, the city had to shut down a major interceptora large pipe that feeds water from the sewers into a treatment plant for maintenance, requiring the pipe to be drained.

#FlushGate, which waschronicled on social media, ended three days earlier than expected. Testing in the river days later revealed bacteria levels were similar to that following a significant rainfall.

9. Police abuse allegations inVal d'Or

Radio-Canada

Several women came forward to Radio-Canada's investigative program,Enqute, with allegations of violence towardaboriginal women in thetown of 32,000.

Speaking publicly for the first time, alleged victims toldEnquteabout a pattern involving the provincial police over a period of at least two decades.They say officers routinely picked up women who appeared to be intoxicated, drove them out of town and left them to walk home in the cold. Some allege they were physically assaulted or made to perform sex acts.

A team of investigators isnow looking into the allegations.

10. Sweeping organized-crime bust

Members of the Hells Angels, street gangs,alleged members of the Montreal Mafiaand the son of Vito Rizzuto were rounded up in a sweeping raid on organized crime in the Montreal area. More than 50 people were charged with a litany of offences ranging fromconspiracy to commit murder, to drug trafficking andmoney laundering.

"We arrested all the persons who were making the decisions,"Quebec provincial policeLt.BenoitDub told a news conference following the arrests in November.


Now it's time for you to vote: