Official Google Canada Blog

YouTube shines a spotlight on the Canadian Federal Election

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Whether it’s a crash course on the Greek economic crisis through the lens of a gyro lunch, or turning the tables on a political opponent with a bit of cell phone-destroying comedy, YouTube is a powerful platform for political engagement. When it comes to having a voice in our democracy, it levels the playing-field – anyone with a webcam and an internet connection can be seen, heard and make a difference.
As we head towards our own moment at the polls this fall, online video will be a major source of news, commentary and insight.
To make it easier for Canadians of all ages to discover online videos about the Federal Election, we’re launching a new YouTube Canada Elections Hub. Our channel will highlight video content from a variety of Canadian news sources in the lead up to the election. Into this mix we’ll also add topical vlogs from Canada’s YouTube Creators, along with user-generated content from the campaign trail.
Curated by Storyful, the team behind our popular YouTube Newswire service, The YouTube Canada Elections Hub will spotlight top trending video content on a daily basis, giving Canadians a one-stop shop to start exploring the latest videos from across the country and across the political spectrum.

On the YouTube Canada Elections Hub you’ll find:

Video content from news media across the country

Content and campaign videos from political parties

Live streams of the federal leaders’ debates

Topical vlogs and commentary from YouTube creators

Weekly themed playlists on key election issues

Breaking election trends and viral videos

So get engaged in the issues that matter to you - Subscribe to the YouTube Canada Elections Hub to be notified when new trending videos are posted, and stay tuned for more updates from Google Canada on the ways we’re helping Canadians stay educated and engaged as we head towards the polls on October 19th.
Posted by Leslie Church, Head of Communications, Google Canada

Google Canada’s Community Grants - Apply now!

Friday, June 12, 2015

Calling all Toronto, Montreal and Kitchener-Waterloo non-profits! Google Canada is thrilled to announce that our Community Grant Applications are open once again for applicants!

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.

Applications are due September 1st, 2015 and any registered Canadian charity is eligible to apply. 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:

Montreal Community Grant Application (FR)

Toronto Community Grant Application

Kitchener-Waterloo Community Grant Application

Community Grant Recipient Profile: Ladies Learning Code

Ladies Learning Code received a Google Community Grant in 2014. In partnership with Big Brother Big Sisters, the organization launched a Girls Learning Code Evening Program in Toronto for girls ages 8 - 13. Designed to inspire girls to become passionate builders and creators of technology, 30 girls who would not otherwise have the means to learn these valuable technical skills, attended the twelve week program. According to Melissa Sarriffodeen the co-founder of Ladies Learning Code, the grant offered an opportunity to create, test and refine its program. And based on its learnings from the grant-funded project, Ladies Learning Code is hoping to expand this program to its 22 chapter cities across Canada. As Melissa puts it: “We’re just getting started!”

Girls sharing their game prototypes and storyboards as part of the Girls Learning Code Gamemakers program.

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 your organization has a plan to make a difference in these communities and fits our guidelines, please submit your proposal today.
Posted by Lauren Skelly, Community Affairs Manager, Google Canada

Google.org supports Canadian nonprofit World Wide Hearing for the launch of its Impact Challenge: Disabilities

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Editor’s note -- Today’s blog is authored by Audra Renyi, Executive Director of World Wide Hearing

Mahmoud is a 7-year old boy from rural Jordan. Since birth he struggled to communicate and talk - a burden not uncommon for a child suffering from significant hearing loss. But then, in a moment, everything changed.

Mahmoud was fitted with his first hearing aid. A smile broke across his face. Then he laughed. He could hear the audio technician’s voice loud and clear. Just as the fitting was finishing up, Mahmoud's father arrived at the outreach center to see his son. From outside the room, he called out Mahmoud's name. Mahmoud's ears perked up and he immediately turned around. When he saw his father's face and connected it to the voice he was hearing for the first time, Mahmoud burst into tears and jumped into his father's arms.

We believe the mobile screening devices we’re developing at Montreal-based World Wide Hearing have the power to make a fundamental difference in the lives of hundreds of millions of people living with a disability. And that’s why today’s news is so important. Google.org is committing twenty million dollars in grant funding for a first-of-its kind Google Impact Challenge: Disabilities. Throughout the Challenge, Google.org will identify, fund and support nonprofits and technologies working to increase access to opportunity for hundreds of millions living with disabilities. World Wide Hearing is as one of two initial "anchor" grants.

World Wide Hearing team in action during a hearing screening campaign: screening a young girl, one of 1,200 school children screened over two days in May 2015 in Mazatenango, Guatemala

With Google.org's support and a $500,000 USD grant, World Wide Hearing will develop, prototype and test an extremely low cost tool kit for identifying hearing loss using smartphone technology that’s widely available--and affordable--in the developing world. 642 million people around the world suffer from hearing loss. Diagnosing auditory challenges can be a struggle in low income communities--the equipment is expensive, bulky and hard to scale, particularly in the developing world.

This support from Google.org will help identify those living with hearing loss, ensuring we all hear more laughter from people like Mahmoud.

Posted by Audra Renyi, Executive Director, World Wide Hearing

That’s a wrap! +15,000 fans flock to YouTube FanFest in Toronto

Monday, May 4, 2015

That’s a wrap! More than 15,000 passionate fans joined us on Saturday, May 2, as YouTube FanFest made its North American debut. Toronto welcomed a group of the biggest Canadian and international YouTube creators for a live showcase that wowed the crowd with music, comedy and interactive performances. If you missed the show or want to watch it again, now you catch the full show on the FanFest YouTube channel!
The free, public show featured YouTube superstars Jenna Marbles, Bethany Mota, Michael Stevens of Vsauce and Toronto’s own IISuperwomanII. The performances ranged from the soulful music of American star David Choi to the bhangra drumming of Jus Reign to a live science experiment between Michael Stevens and Jenna Marbles that saw Marbles blow a fireball into the air above the crowd.
Co-hosted by charismatic TV personality Jessi Cruickshank and Harley Morenstein of Epic Meal Time, the event closed with the world premiere performance of Lilly Singh’s online smash hit new song “IVIVI”, an ode to Toronto, that drew deafening cheers from the crowd.
Lilly Singh, ||Superwoman|| performs the world premiere of "IVIVI"
Other highlights included a fan Q&A with Bethany Mota, as well as a unique performance from Kurt Hugo Scheider, Macy Kate, Madilyn Bailey and Kina Grannis. The foursome of musicians collaborated on a song that was set to a complicated rhythm of handclaps, which they performed while blindfolded. Edmonton-born a capella singer Mike Tompkins had the fans on their feet for a high energy set, and local girl LaurDIY brought fans on the stage for a live DIY fashion challenge that saw fans create a shirt for host Jessi Cruickshank.
YTFF Collage.jpg

Fandemonium at the first North American YouTube FanFest in Toronto
This was a record crowd for YouTube FanFest - more than triple the attendance for previous events in Asia, India and Australia - which shows the incredible passion of Canadian YouTube fans. FanFest was also a hot topic on social media - the #YTFFTO hashtag trended across Toronto as fans took to social media to share the experience.
Thank you too all the extraordinary YouTube Creators and fans that came out for red carpet and show. Canada is hotbed of YouTube talent and fandom, and we are thrilled we were able to bring this to Canadian fans as a North American first!
Posted by Jenn Kaiser, YouTube Communications

Exploring Canada’s National Parks in the land of the Midnight Sun

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Cross-posted to the Google Maps Blog. The days are getting longer in Canada’s Arctic. The sea ice is breaking up, Arctic heather is poking through the snow-covered tundra and the arrival of the migratory snow bunting is days away. Summer is right around the corner. And today, in close collaboration with Parks Canada, we’re thrilled to share a glimpse of Canada’s Northern National Parks and the high north’s breathtaking summer season through the lens of Street View and Google Maps. These are some of Canada’s most remote National Parks. In spite of challenges posed by this vast geography, the far north also presented a unique opportunity. For example, Ivvavik National Park looks as bright and sunny as midday. But Parks Canada operators were collecting this imagery close to midnight, taking advantage of the far north’s endless summer days.

Virtual visitors can marvel at the sweeping glaciers and dramatic fjords of Auyuittuq, discover the British Mountains and the Firth River Valley in Ivvavik, and immerse themselves in Tuktut Nogait’s stunning canyons and waterfalls along the rugged Brock River.

And, not to be missed, be sure to check out the spectacular towering peaks of the Torngat Mountains, the grandeur of Canada's only salt plains and take a Street View stroll in the historic Sweetgrass bison corrals of Wood Buffalo National Park – Canada’s largest national park.

Ivvavik National Park

Ivvavik National Park protects a portion of the calving grounds of the Porcupine caribou herd. Some of the imagery from Ivvavik was collected as late as 11pm.

Torngat Mountains National Park

From the Inuktitut word Torngait, meaning “place of spirits,” the Torngat Mountains have been home to Inuit and their predecessors for thousands of years.

Tuktut Nogait National Park

Overlooking La Roncière Falls in Tuktut Nogait National Park and the Hornaday River’s awe-inspiring canyons and waterfalls.

Auyuittuq National Park

Auyuittuq National Park images were gathered primarily from the water. The Street View Trekker was positioned on a boat which sailed along the park's coastline.

Since starting work together in 2013, Parks Canada and Google have collected imagery from over a hundred of Canada’s national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas. Our work in the north, however, is not finished and we look forward to connecting Canadians and the world to more of our country’s majestic northern national parks in the near future.

In the meantime, enjoy a trip north on Google Maps... the Arctic summer sun is not going down on these amazing Street View images anytime soon.

Posted by Aaron Brindle, Virtual Explorer and Canadian Trekker, Google Canada

Get ready to laugh...get ready to cheer….YouTube FanFest in Toronto is finally here!

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Editor Note: Today’s guest blog post is from LaToya Forever. With a combined +1,200,000 subscribers, this Canadian YouTuber is best known for her comedic videos and daily vlogs.

Get ready Canada, this Saturday we kick off YouTube FanFest live in Toronto! Some of the biggest global YouTube stars will be getting up close and personal with thousands of fans at Yonge-Dundas Square and I’m thrilled to announce that I’m going to be the Official YouTube FanFest Correspondent. Follow me as I chat with my fellow performers and give you a sneak peek into all the behind-the-scenes action.

The YT Fan Fest is all about interacting with awesome people like yourself so let me know what questions should I ask everyone on the red carpet? Share your questions with me in social with #AskLaToya and I might pose your question to the YouTube performers!

Come on down and join us in person, red carpet arrivals start at 5:00 p.m. on the north side of the Dundas Square. Come and see your favourites, like Bethany Mota, Superwoman, David Choi, Mike Tompkins and Jenna Marbles - they’ll be signing autographs, taking selfies and blowing kisses! And don’t forget to share your pics with #YTFFTO and you might catch them live on the big screen.

I can’t wait for the big show which starts at 8:00 p.m. and it’s going to be a mashup of comedy, music, interactive performances, collaborations… everything you love about YouTube, live on stage. You won’t want to miss it! And if you can’t make it in person, check out the YouTube FanFest YouTube Channel to catch the entire show afterwards.

See ya there crazies!

The web is a growth engine for Canadian businesses

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Canadians are constantly connected. Whether we’re streaming a new playlist, sharing a photo with family, or checking in with friends, the web plays an integral role in our daily lives. With a multicultural population and a culture that encourages Canadians to embrace their global connections, we also have the right conditions in place for our businesses to grow beyond our geographic borders.
For Canadian businesses, the web is a powerful tool to reach potential customers both at home and abroad. Thanks to the Internet and the emergence of new business platforms, even the smallest company can now adopt and afford technology that would have been the envy of a large corporation 15 years ago. More and more, the evidence shows that the Internet will contribute a growing share of Canada’s economic growth and that businesses that embrace online tools do better. Take Manitobah Mukluks for example, an Aboriginal-owned company that’s been selling its traditional mukluks and moccasins in Canada for more than 15 years. In 2012, it began experimenting with online marketing through Google AdWords and launched an e-commerce site using Shopify to broaden its reach. Today, Manitobah Mukluks sells to over 45 countries through its online store and over one third of website visits come from abroad.

Rosa at Manitobah Mukluks shows off her finished product
Currently in Canada, one in 10 small businesses are exporters, but many more businesses could use the web to reach a wider pool of customers and markets.
That’s why today we’re launching a Canadian Export Map to help raise awareness of the export opportunities available to our home-grown businesses. Available at g.co/exportcanada, this map compiles data from the top 10 export countries for Canadian businesses to help them market their goods and services more effectively. The map includes the most important holidays and events in each country and insights into the web and mobile usage in each market. Our export site also shares stories of Canadian businesses, including Vancouver Film School, Manitobah Mukluks, and 1-800-GOT-JUNK, that have successfully expanded their customer base to global markets using the web.

A sample page from the new Google Canada Export Map, available at g.co/exportcanada
“Toronto’s entrepreneurs are truly global - they are exporting to markets all over the world and that’s why we are helping to secure market access for their goods and services,” said Minister of State Maxime Bernier. “Our government is opening the European and South Korean markets and we will continue to give Canada’s small and medium-sized enterprises a priority on trade missions abroad.”
“Toronto has become a global leader in technology development, and as mayor, I am committed to growing the industry, which provides jobs of the future. Companies like Google Canada choose to locate themselves in Toronto because of our diverse and talented workforce, and today, we are seeing the expansion of an exciting new program that will help businesses market themselves internationally,” said Toronto Mayor John Tory. “As one of North America’s great cities, I want Toronto to lead from the front of the pack as a future-ready and globally integrated city.”
A recent study from Boston Consulting revealed that small businesses that embrace the web are almost 50 per cent more likely to sell their products and services outside their region. All kinds of businesses, from the largest e-commerce sites to the smallest local businesses, are using the web to power their sales to markets around the world. Today, every business can be a digital business that takes advantage of the 2.5 billion consumers online.
At Google Canada, we’re working to help small businesses to make the most of the digital single market opportunity. And we can’t wait to see how Canadian businesses make the web work for them, and where their export journey takes them.Posted by Sam Sebastian, Country Manager, Google Canada

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