• Boston marathon / Boston marathon explosion
• Kevin Ware
• Margaret Thatcher
• Rehtaeh Parsons
• Rita MacNeil
• Roger Ebert
• Finding Dory
• Texas Explosion
• Psy Gentleman

Read More

Trending this month on Google:

• Boston marathon / Boston marathon explosion
• Kevin Ware
• Margaret Thatcher
• Rehtaeh Parsons
• Rita MacNeil
• Roger Ebert
• Finding Dory
• Texas Explosion
• Psy Gentleman

NHL

The Leafs make the Playoffs!

T.S. Eliot once described April as the cruelest month. The guy was clearly a Leafs fan.

If you take a look at Google searches for Maple Leafs in April - the month where playoff fates are finalized in the NHL - interest in the Buds basically flatlined after 2004. But this April, searches for the Maple Leafs are outpacing previous years by a factor of two to three hundred percent. Making the playoffs has that sort of effect.

What's also interesting... As you might suspect, searches for the Maple Leafs are very popular in Ontario. But the province responsible for the most Googles-per-capita for the term "Maple Leafs" in April: Newfoundland.

Leafs Nation?

Since 2004, nationwide searches for the Toronto Maple Leafs tend to outpace searches for the Montreal Canadiens. Except in April and May - you know, when it’s time for the playoffs. Well, that trend may be reversed this year. Heading into the first round, searches for the Maple Leafs are outpacing the Habs and Canada’s other playoff contenders (Senators and Canucks) by over 35%.

Not to suggest that Quebecers are anything but diehard fans of Le Tricolore, but searches in Quebec for “Leafs” are keeping pace with searches for “Habs”.

NEWS

Boston Strong

The tragic events in Boston dominated Google searches this past month. Over 25 percent of the top 100 trending searches in Canada were related to the bombings, including trending terms such as Watertown, Chechnya, and the Boston Globe.

Canada Terror Plot

Searches for Via Rail doubled this month as news of an alleged plot to bomb a Via Rail train broke in the news.

Bird Flu

A deadly strain of Bird Flu, H7N9, emerged this past month in China. Worldwide Google searches for “H7N9” spiked in mid-April with the reports of over 20 deaths in rural China linked to this avian flu.  In Canada, search interest in this latest deadly flu strain was highest in British Columbia. The response from Chinese health authorities has been rapid, and by the end of the month searches for H7N9 were tapering off on Google

BUSINESS

Real Estate

Despite news of Canada’s housing market cooling down, Google searches for “mortgage calculator” remain near the highest levels since 2008, coming close to the same kind of search volume we saw last year during the first round of the “mortgage wars”. And we’re seeing similar search patterns for the real estate listing website, MLS.

That said, the numbers tell a slightly different story, when broken down by province. Saskatchewan is leading mortgage-related search activity this month, followed by Alberta and Manitoba. Meanwhile, British Columbia searches are 25% off their 2012 high.

Bitcoin

The peer-to-peer digital currency went on a bit of a rollercoaster this month, seeing its value jump to over $260 USD before dropping down to $105. Those ups downs resulted in bitcoin’s largest spike in search activity since the currency’s creation in 2008. Among the top 10 searches this month associated with the virtual cash: “What is Bitcoin?”

ENTERTAINMENT

PSY

The K-Pop sensation behind Gangam Style is back with a new hit. Released on April 12th, Gentleman has set YouTube records for most views in its first 24 hours, most views in any 24 hours, fastest music video to reach 100 million views. Gangnam Style remains the most popular video of all time on YouTube with 1.5 billion views to date.

And Canadians are searching for “Psy” on YouTube even more than our neighbours to the south; and more now than at the height of Psy’s Gangnam style popularity last year.

The "Harlem Shake" had recently challenged Psy and "Gangnam Style" for the top position in pop culture. Psy felt a lot of pressure to satisfy his growing fanbase, saying "Of course I feel more burden than before, because lots of people are watching." The new dance is characterized by fast, hip-swinging movements.

Where’s Nemo? Try Google

Worldwide searches for “42 Wallaby Way” spiked this month with news of a sequel to ‘Finding Nemo’. This fictitious Sydney street address was the mantra for the forgetful blue surgeon fish, Dory, in the 2003 Pixar hit. The sequel “Finding Dory” was announced this month on Ellen (who is the voice of Dory), and is due in theatres in late 2015.

MISCELLANIA

Google Nose Fallout!

Google announced its latest addition to the search engine’s arsenal called Google Nose BETA, where searching for “diaper,” “dumpster,” “airport terminal” or “wet dog” yields results in Google’s "Aromabase." The April Fools joke from Google promised "to offer the sharpest olfactory experience available” in a search engine. Of course, Google Nose is completely fictitious, but that hasn’t stopped Canadians from searching popular terms like “unattended litter box,” “diaper,” “dumpster,” “wet dog” and “airport terminal” ...  terms which all appeared in the trending terms for the month.


Posted by Aaron Brindle, Google Canada

Canadians love online video. In fact, we are consistently global leaders in online video viewership and engagement, according to comScore. As a result, YouTube has become a key strategic vehicle for businesses big and small to engage, entertain and inform consumers.Read More

Canadians love online video. In fact, we are consistently global leaders in online video viewership and engagement, according to comScore. As a result, YouTube has become a key strategic vehicle for businesses big and small to engage, entertain and inform consumers.

Recently, Google Canada’s Head of Media Solutions, Marshall Self, sat down with the Financial Post to discuss the disconnect between the popularity of YouTube in Canada and the slow adoption of YouTube as a strategic opportunity by Canada’s largest companies. You can read the interview here.

Fortunately, it’s not all doom and gloom for corporate Canada. Over the past few years, some Canadian businesses are realizing the power of sight, sound and motion, which gives them the ability to engage, delight, and even surprise consumers. McDonald's Canada created an international buzz with their food quality campaign, answering consumers questions such as “Why does your food look different in the advertising than what’s in the store?”, which has been viewed more than 8.4 million times.

Ford Canada recently got in the game hiring YouTube filmmaker and Montreal native Patrick Boivin (of Dragon Baby fame) to create a video for the Ford Escape. The resulting zombie-themed video has been viewed more than 500,000 times between Ford Canada’s and Patrick Boivin’s YouTube channels.



This video does more than just entertain and inform, according to Ford it also led to a 12% jump in favorability for the vehicle. You can read more about this campaign and the growing importance of YouTube for Canadian advertisers in the Globe and Mail.

While Canada’s largest companies are only starting to scratch the surface of the strategic opportunities of the YouTube platform, what about Canada’s small businesses? In the U.S., we have seen companies like Orabrush use YouTube to build a multi-million dollar business. Dollar Shave Club became a viral sensation when they posted their first video on YouTube. With a majority of Canada’s small businesses still without a web presence of any kind, YouTube offers yet another opportunity for Canadian entrepreneurs to leverage the power to market and grow their businesses.

Do you know of a Canadian company that is using YouTube as an effective tool for their business? Do you have a favourite Canadian marketing campaign on YouTube? Share with us on Google+. We want to hear from you!

Posted by Andrew Swartz, Google Canada

Posted by Steve Hakusa, Public Alerts Engineer  Read More

With floods and spring showers in the forecast, Canadians can now receive warnings of drastic weather changes directly to their mobile device or desktop.

Today we’re launching official severe weather notifications for Canada in English and French on Google Public Alerts. Relevant severe weather alerts will now appear on the Google Public Alerts page, in Google Search and Google Maps on both desktop and mobile, and in Google Now.

Providing people with warnings and information before severe weather hits is critical to helping ensure safety. Google Public Alerts is a platform designed to provide accurate and relevant emergency alerts when and where you need them. An alert will appear on your desktop or mobile screens when you search for relevant keywords such as flood or with location-based queries like Toronto. On Android devices running Google Now, alerts will appear automatically on Cards.  

We couldn’t have launched Public Alerts in Canada without Public Safety Canada and Environment Canada. Their meteorological data will ensure our users are notified of severe weather when relevant. We also appreciate their commitment to open data standards such as the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP).

Here are example alerts in Canada surfaced on Search from a mobile device and Google Maps Mobile

       

For more information, or to see all active public alerts, visit our homepage at www.google.org/publicalerts. If you are a data provider, we also provide instructions here that will help you get your emergency data ready for Google Public Alerts.

We’re always working to improve Public Alerts, so please send us your feedback using the link at the far right of our Google Public Alerts homepage.

Posted by Steve Hakusa, Public Alerts Engineer 

Next week, Canadians will take the time to recognize and celebrate the volunteers that help build our communities.

His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, will help to launch ...Read More

Next week, Canadians will take the time to recognize and celebrate the volunteers that help build our communities.

His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, will help to launch National Volunteer Week by hosting a Google Hangout with three leaders of the volunteer movement:

• Ian Bird – Community Foundations of Canada 
• Brendan Glauser – Volunteer Canada 
• Susan Vardon – United Way Toronto 

Tune in here on Monday, April 22 at 1:30 pm ET as the Governor General and his guests explore the many ways that hundreds of thousands of volunteers work together to improve the quality of life for all Canadians.

Posted by Colin McKay, Google Canada

Psy has made a new video and once again he is topping popularity on on YouTube with Psy Gentelman. It has over 145 million videos already. Like the rest of the world, many Canadians are big fans, in fact it seems that Canadians are ...Read More

Psy has made a new video and once again he is topping popularity on on YouTube with Psy Gentelman. It has over 145 million videos already. Like the rest of the world, many Canadians are big fans, in fact it seems that Canadians are searching for “Psy” on YouTube even more than the U.S. audience; and more now than at the height of Psy’s Gangnam style popularity last year.

Editor's note: Today’s guest blogger is Phil Soper, President & CEO, Royal LePage.

Buying a home is typically the largest purchase a family will make in their lifetime. It is no wonder that prospective buyers approach the task of finding their perfect place with such fervour. Today’s house-shoppers seek detailed, current and useful information on prospective properties and neighbourhoods. They are sophisticated users of search technology, but have traditionally been frustrated by the tools available to them. It is with this as a challenge in mind that we tackled a major redesign and rebuild of our popular real estate website, www.royallepage.ca, using Google technology.

The website integrates a new service from the Canadian Real Estate Association called Data Distribution Facility or DDF. Utilizing DDF, which our firm played a significant role in bringing to market, we will more than double the number of home-sale listings on www.royallepage.ca. For the first time, our website will showcase home listings from multiple property brokerage companies, not just Royal LePage, providing consumers with their one-stop real estate resource.

A good part of the magic behind the new www.royallepage.ca is hidden in the site’s architecture. While many real estate websites use Google Maps and Google Places, Royal LePage went a step further by constructing the website with Google Cloud Platform using Google App Engine and Google Cloud Storage. Real estate websites tend to store a large number of property records and photos, and require a large amount of location-based processing to render consumer search results. Utilizing Google Cloud Platform allows us to deliver that critical consumer information quickly and accurately. It will also allow us to scale our performance and our costs effectively as our real estate data and consumer base grows.

Uniquely, the site also employs cutting edge search technology from Google Cloud Platform, which enables consumers to go beyond traditional search to hunt for homes near local landmarks. For example, consumers can search for homes near the CN Tower, near Stanley Park or near Olympic Stadium. This innovative technology brings industry-leading search to the real estate consumer.

Relying heavily on a number of Google technologies, we were able to create an online experience unlike anything previously seen in Canadian real estate. The revamped website utilizes Google Maps and Street View for map-based search with visual assist. Many properties will display a Walkscore® ranking, which helps families understand what can be easily accomplished on foot in the area they are investigating. Additionally, tailored information is available for property listings, including Wikipedia neighbourhood photos and information, agent-produced video and descriptions, an overview of local amenities via Google Places and a list of other properties for sale in the area.

We are thrilled to unveil the new www.royallepage.ca in this, Royal LePage’s centennial year. Our website, powered by Google tools, will enable Canadians to explore their real estate dreams as never before. It will provide quick and efficient delivery of more listings, fresh neighbourhood insights, and extensive property details. It’s all there. Happy home searching!

(Cross-posted from the Google Enterprise Blog)

Posted by Phil Soper, Royal LePage Real Estate Services Read More

Editor's note: Today’s guest blogger is Phil Soper, President & CEO, Royal LePage.

Buying a home is typically the largest purchase a family will make in their lifetime. It is no wonder that prospective buyers approach the task of finding their perfect place with such fervour. Today’s house-shoppers seek detailed, current and useful information on prospective properties and neighbourhoods. They are sophisticated users of search technology, but have traditionally been frustrated by the tools available to them. It is with this as a challenge in mind that we tackled a major redesign and rebuild of our popular real estate website, www.royallepage.ca, using Google technology.

The website integrates a new service from the Canadian Real Estate Association called Data Distribution Facility or DDF. Utilizing DDF, which our firm played a significant role in bringing to market, we will more than double the number of home-sale listings on www.royallepage.ca. For the first time, our website will showcase home listings from multiple property brokerage companies, not just Royal LePage, providing consumers with their one-stop real estate resource.

A good part of the magic behind the new www.royallepage.ca is hidden in the site’s architecture. While many real estate websites use Google Maps and Google Places, Royal LePage went a step further by constructing the website with Google Cloud Platform using Google App Engine and Google Cloud Storage. Real estate websites tend to store a large number of property records and photos, and require a large amount of location-based processing to render consumer search results. Utilizing Google Cloud Platform allows us to deliver that critical consumer information quickly and accurately. It will also allow us to scale our performance and our costs effectively as our real estate data and consumer base grows.

Uniquely, the site also employs cutting edge search technology from Google Cloud Platform, which enables consumers to go beyond traditional search to hunt for homes near local landmarks. For example, consumers can search for homes near the CN Tower, near Stanley Park or near Olympic Stadium. This innovative technology brings industry-leading search to the real estate consumer.

Relying heavily on a number of Google technologies, we were able to create an online experience unlike anything previously seen in Canadian real estate. The revamped website utilizes Google Maps and Street View for map-based search with visual assist. Many properties will display a Walkscore® ranking, which helps families understand what can be easily accomplished on foot in the area they are investigating. Additionally, tailored information is available for property listings, including Wikipedia neighbourhood photos and information, agent-produced video and descriptions, an overview of local amenities via Google Places and a list of other properties for sale in the area.

We are thrilled to unveil the new www.royallepage.ca in this, Royal LePage’s centennial year. Our website, powered by Google tools, will enable Canadians to explore their real estate dreams as never before. It will provide quick and efficient delivery of more listings, fresh neighbourhood insights, and extensive property details. It’s all there. Happy home searching!

(Cross-posted from the Google Enterprise Blog)

Posted by Phil Soper, Royal LePage Real Estate Services

Today is World Art Day and around two years since we launched Google Art Project. In honour of this and all our partners, large and small, traditional and modern, visit the ...Read More

Today is World Art Day and around two years since we launched Google Art Project. In honour of this and all our partners, large and small, traditional and modern, visit the Official Google Blog to take a quick look at how people are interacting with art online.

We also invite you to take a moment and explore some of the great works from our Canadian Partners: The Art Gallery of Ontario, Canada Council Art Bank, The National Ballet of Canada, and Pointe-à-Callière, Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History.

Recently, the Art Gallery of Ontario announced the addition of a new collection curated by Stefan Hancherow. For this exhibition entitled Brand New Aura, Montreal-based artist Jon Rafman produced a suite of new artworks that have been uploaded to the GAP website and are now presented alongside a selection of artworks from the AGO’s collection.



At 1pm ET today, we’ll be holding the latest in our Art Talks series on our G+ page, which aims to put art lovers in touch with art experts online. Sign up here to hangout with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to chat about multimedia in the arts from the comfort of your armchair on World Art Day.

Posted by Wendy Bairos, Google Canada

Today, Canada’s capital opens its doors to Google Maps. From the floor of the House of Commons and the Red Chamber of the Senate, to the Library of Parliament and the Prime Minister’s Office, the Street View Trolley is making its way through the hallowed halls of ...Read More

Today, Canada’s capital opens its doors to Google Maps. From the floor of the House of Commons and the Red Chamber of the Senate, to the Library of Parliament and the Prime Minister’s Office, the Street View Trolley is making its way through the hallowed halls of Parliament, mapping this iconic landmark of Canadian history and culture for all Canadians to enjoy and explore.

The Google Maps Trolley collects Street View imagery of Canada's House of Commons

Through the main doors of Parliament, Google Maps users will be able to virtually walk down the Hall of Honour, visit the Memorial Chamber and take the elevator to the top of the Peace Tower. Or, hang a left in Confederation Hall and stroll past portraits of Canada’s former Prime Ministers to the foyer of the House of Commons, where the media scrum MPs and Ministers before going into the House.

Parliament stands at the heart of our democracy. Through these images, people across the world will be able to see the places where our laws are debated and the chambers where Senators and Members come together to represent every Canadian. Users will have behind-the-scenes access to tour working offices and explore the iconic art, architecture and history of an institution that serves as the backdrop for Canadian politics.

The Trolley in the Hall of Honour, Centre Block

We appreciate the support of the Offices of the Prime Minister of Canada, the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Speaker of the Senate of Canada and the Library of Parliament, all of whom made this project possible.

Stay tuned for the launch of the Parliament Hill imagery in Google Maps in the coming months! 

The Trolley tours the Library of Parliament

About Street View and the Trolley 

Google Maps and Street View lets you explore places around the world through 360-degree street-level imagery, offering you the opportunity to virtually travel the streets of Toronto, the Ski Slopes of Whistler and the chilly tundra of Canada's Arctic.

To take Street View technology indoors, we developed a small push-cart, lovingly dubbed Trolley. It has been used in places such as galleries and museums with minimal disruption and ensuring the safety of all exhibits. The Trolley is outfitted with a few components that are key to collecting indoor imagery: a panoramic camera to collect 360-degree views, motion sensors to track Trolley’s position, a hard drive to store data, and an onboard computer to operate the system. With this adapted equipment, we were able to gather imagery and bring it into Google Maps. You can now drag ‘Pegman’ directly onto fascinating places like the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and the White House.

Aside from Parliament Hill, Canadians will soon have the opportunity to visit the interiors of other Canadian landmarks, from Calgary's Saddledome and BC Place, to the historic battlements of Quebec City and Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum.

Posted by Aaron Brindle, Google Canada

Calling all Toronto non-profits! Google Toronto is offering community grants for local organizations that are making a difference in helping improve access to technology, encouraging young Canadians’ interest in science and tech, or working to build a cleaner, greener world.Read More

Calling all Toronto non-profits! Google Toronto is offering community grants for local organizations that are making a difference in helping improve access to technology, encouraging young Canadians’ interest in science and tech, or working to build a cleaner, greener world.

If your non-profit organization has initiatives underway in the areas listed below, you can apply for a Google Grant here.

Organizations can register and submit their proposal through our online application. Applications are processed twice yearly and are due on or before April 15th and October 1st.

A recent Google for Seniors event hosted by our Toronto Community Affairs team

As part of our commitment to making an impact in our local community, our grants program supports organizations and initiatives that focus on any of the following:

• encouraging science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education for K-12 students
• closing the digital divide by helping ensure access to technology to underserved communities or populations
• supporting digital adoption by training non-profits or small businesses to use online tools and technology, or 
• reducing our carbon footprint or carbon emissions, including by promoting alternative transportation programs. 

When evaluating proposals, we’ll consider an organization’s location and geographic impact, the measurable impact to the community, the extent to which Google’s in-kind or volunteer resources may help maximize the impact, and the organization’s track record on related programs.

Google community grants are intended for non-profit and certain public organizations. If you believe you have a project or program that fits these guidelines, please submit your proposal today!

Note: For organizations in Montreal or Kitchener-Waterloo, you can apply for local community grants here (Montreal) and here (KW). 

Posted by Leslie Church, Google Canada