Official Google Canada Blog

Street View Skates through the Nation’s Capital

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

No toques, mittens or warming huts required!

Just in time for Ottawa’s Winterlude Festival, Canadians and people from around the world can now take a virtual skate along the entire 7.8 kilometers of the frozen Rideau Canal Skateway

A picturesque day for virtual skate on the Rideau Canal Skateway

Last year, with the help of the NHL’s Cody Ceci, the Google Maps team laced up its skates and collected Street View imagery of the skateway -- the world’s largest skating rink which is managed and maintained by the National Capital Commission.

Skating to Parliament Hill in the Nation’s Capital

Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, there’s plenty to explore along the skateway in Google Maps. From Dow’s Lake all the way to the base of Parliament Hill, you’ll pass commuters skating to work and iconic ‘Beavertail’ stands selling fresh pastries.

Oh, and as you enjoy a leisurely glide down this frozen icon of Canadian culture, keep an eye out for a couple of furry oversized Ottawa locals, eager to cheer you on your way!

Posted by Aaron Brindle, Google Canada

Google Canada’s Community Grants - Apply now!

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Calling all Toronto, Montreal and Kitchener-Waterloo non-profits! Google Canada is excited to announce that our 2015 Community Grant applications are open and ready for applicants. This year, we are looking for organizations who are moving the needle in the following areas:

Delivering or promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) or Computer Science (CS) Education for K-12 students, especially among underserved communities (at-risk youth, New Canadians, girls, Aboriginals and youth from low-socioeconomic households)

Closing the digital divide by helping to improve access to technology to those who do not have regular access.

Through our Community Grants program we have had the opportunity to support a range of organizations such as Ladies Learning Code, Let’s Talk Science, Pathways to Education and others.

Applications are due March 31st, 2015 and any registered Canadian charity is eligible to apply, so if your organization has a project or program underway in one of our focus areas please submit your application online through one of our three community programs depending on your location:

When Google evaluates proposals, we look at impact first. We’re looking for projects which are at the community level but have scale and sustainability. We don’t tend to fund applications for short-term employment positions or office overhead costs (rent, utilities, etc).

If you believe your organization fits these guidelines, please submit your proposal today using one of the links above. For any further questions please contact Canada’s community affairs manager, Lauren Skelly lskelly@google.com

Posted by Lauren Skelly, Google Canada

2014: Canada’s #YearInSearch

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

2014 was the year Canadians searched for gold in Sochi. We searched for scores in Brazil. We searched for answers on Ebola. We searched for our favourite movies starring Robin Williams. In 2014 the world searched Google two trillion times. And Google’s 14th annual Year In Search offers a revealing look at the people, places and events that sent Canadians searching for answers this past year.

Top Trending Canadian Searches of 2014

Robin Williams

World Cup

iPhone 6

Winter Olympics

Ebola

Philip Seymour Hoffman

Jennifer Lawrence

Joan Rivers

Jian Ghomeshi

ALS

View all of Canada’s Trending Lists here.
Year-In-Search uses data from multiple sources while filtering out spam and repeat queries, to build top-ten lists across pop culture, sports, music, politics, news, and more. And make sure to check out the interactive data visualization for Google’s global search trends - encompassing queries from over 70 countries!

Global and Local Conversations The World Cup was the top trending search on mobile devices by Canadians in 2014, while the sudden passing of iconic funnyman Robin Williams in August dominated the year’s celebrity and entertainment searches. Closer to home, a scandal swirling around Jian Ghomeshi made the former radio host the top trending Canadian. Our nation also went online to honour Cpl. Nathan Cirillo and to mark the passing of a Habs legend. Meanwhile, Eugenie Bouchard’s incredible year on the professional tennis circuit made her the top searched Canadian athlete.

The Big Questions ‘What is ALS?’ Was Canada’s trending question of the year, proving that dumping cold water on a charity campaign can be a recipe for viral success. ‘How to Vote’ was the top trending ‘How to’ search in Canada, reflecting a number of provincial and municipal elections across the country. And – spoiler alert! – ‘Who killed Joffrey?’ was Canada’s top trending whodunnit, as Game of Thrones fans went online searching for answers. While the Polar Vortex dominated Canadian searches in January, searches for Frozen the Movie (the top trending film of 2014) suggest that Elsa the Snow Queen ruled the north in 2014.
Canada Went Mobile in 2014 Eight out of ten of the top trending technology searches in Canada were related to mobile devices or wearable technology. The larger format iPhone 6 and the Nexus 6 were one and two on the list, and the Moto 360 was a top trending gadget as Canadians went online to learn more about the next generation of wearable technologies.
As we set out to embark on another year of big global moments and national conversations, take a moment to pause and reflect back on 2014. From trending diets and recipes (Shepherd’s pie!) to the top musicians and federal politicians of 2014, enjoy a look back at the year that was through the lens of Google search.
Posted by Aaron Brindle, Google Canada

#YouTubeRewind 2014: Celebrating what you created, watched and shared

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Canada's own UnboxTherapy #4 with iPhone 6 Bend Test

#PlayMusicCanada

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

City and ColourNew PornographersCoeur de Pirate Unlimited Music image.png

60 days of unlimited music streaming Screen Shot 2014-12-02 at 8.29.43 AM.png

#PlayMusicCanada Update - December 5th, 2014
Thanks City and Colour fans, for joining us at the Great Hall last night for his acoustic performance and for helping to make our first home for the holidays concert a really memorable event. If you haven't heard City and Colour's music before, take a listen at Google Play Music or take advantage of limited time discounted prices on albums from tons of great Toronto artists.
Vancouver, you're up next! We can't wait to bring The New Pornographers home for the holidays on December 11th!

#PlayMusicCanada - Update - December 16

#PlayMusicCanada - Montreal Update - December 19

Posted by Blaire Nichols, Music Partner Manager for Google Play, recently listened to "Hometown Toronto" Playlist

Ticats or Stamps in the 102nd Grey Cup comes down to this important question: Chili or Meatloaf?

Friday, November 28, 2014

Heading into Grey Cup weekend, Canadian searches on Google for the Stamps and Ticats are in a virtual dead-heat across Canada. Online searches for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats are highest in Ontario and the Yukon, while searches for the Calgary Stampeders are highest in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Battle of the Bellies

And geography doesn’t just define allegiances... It may also hint at what food you might see at Grey Cup parties this weekend. Because if there’s meatloaf on your plate this Sunday, there’s a good chance you’re cheering on the Ticats! Searches for Chili recipes are on the rise in Alberta, while searches for meatloaf recipes are spiking in Ontario.

The Players

This week searches for Tiger-Cats semifinals hero Brandon Banks are outpacing his quarterback Zach Collaros by a margin of 3:1. And Canadians are searching 66 percent more frequently for Stampeders’ starting running back Jon Cornish than QB Bo Levi Mitchell.

Grey Cup ... Caribbean Edition

Internationally, searches for the Grey Cup are historically highest in the UK and the US. However, over the past seven days the largest international search volume for the Grey Cup is in Caribbean, with searches highest in the Turks and Caicos, Cayman Islands and Cuba - perhaps Canadians vacationing, or maybe scouting locations for an all-star game!?

Parade route planning?

Top trending terms associated with the Grey Cup include tickets, halftime show, pools and “Grey Cup weekend”. Despite this year’s Grey Cup taking place in climate-controlled BC Place, searches for “coldest Grey Cup” are also on the rise. Finally, it looks like some Canadian football fans are getting a little ahead of themselves: there’s an uptick in Grey Cup Parade searches.

Posted by Aaron Brindle, Google Canada

Walk in the footsteps of heroes in “A Journey Through Middle-earth”

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Editor's Note: This blog is cross-posted from the official Chrome Blogstartspeer-to-peer battle gameWebGL

goo.gl/TheHobbitChrome ExperimentA Journey through Middle-earth.technical case studyPosted by Ian Ellison-Taylor, Chrome Product Manager and human defender of Minas Tirith

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