Northern Ontario's digital headlines 2022

As we close out 2022, we took a look at the top digital stories of the year at CTVNorthernOntario.ca.

CTV Northern Ontario’s digital content specialist Chelsea Papineau says, generally, wildlife stories do quite well online.

“We have a lot of great stories, very interesting things happen in northern Ontario,” said Papineau.

“Because we have so much wildlife in the area, we have so many viewers capturing the most amazing things.”

The top digital story of 2022 involves an interesting catch.

With 147,489 views, a viewer submitted video captures the moment when a Killarney-area angler catches a 20-inch pike and moments later, a 50-inch Muskie snatches the pike.

The angler was Jerry Burke, he is one of the owner’s of Mill Lake Lodge. Burke was out ice fishing on Georgian Bay in January.

"I was fishing pike because Muskie is out of season," Burke told CTV News in a message.

Rounding out second place was a historic moment, where a northern Ontario Indigenous woman was crowned Miss World Canada 2022.

Emma Morrison, 22, is a Mushkegowuk woman from Chapleau Cree First Nation. She is the first Indigenous woman to take home the crown.

In November, she competed against 49 contestants from across the country.

“I wanted to show all Indigenous peoples, Indigenous youth, and all Canadians that it doesn't matter how small the community or reserve you're coming from, you can still accomplish big things and make a large impact," Morrison told CTV News in a Zoom interview.

She also earned the title for Beauty with a Purpose 2022 for her humanitarian project.

Over the past year, she said, she reconnected with her Indigenous culture by making traditional ribbon skirts, which took a year to prepare.

Papineau said viewers had the chance to watch the significant moment and cheer her on.

“We got to watch the moment she was crowned and people just rallied around with support,” Papineau said, speaking of the responses online.

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Finally, lottery stories took the third most popular spot.

“We love our lottery stories here in Northern Ontario,” said Papineau.

“I think it’s that imagination of being able to win, getting that big win with the lottery ticket.”

As for what will make headlines next year, Papineau says she anticipates the Renee Sweeney murder trial will captivate viewers online.

“We’ve been following that and there will finally be a trial next year,” Papineau said.

The Renee Sweeney trial is scheduled for February 2023.