17 Photos Of The Most Memorable Moments That Defined Canada In 2020

It's been a long, long year.

Beth Baisch | Dreamstime justinpjtrudeau | Instagram

Managing Editor, Canada

It’s hard to deny that 2020 has been a long and unforgettable year, both in Canada and around the world.

As we prepare to leave it behind, now is a good time to look back at the highs and lows we've experienced. These images show what 2020 looked like in pictures — and it’s just as moving as you’d expect.

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The year got off to a heartbreaking start when Flight PS752 was shot down by Iran on January 8. It was reportedly mistaken as a “hostile target” and 176 people — including many Canadians — lost their lives.

In February, Canadians across the country marched in solidarity with the Wet'suwet'en Nation. Protestors demonstrated against a pipeline project that was not approved by Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs, as well as in opposition to police presence on Indigenous land.

In March, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other leading government officials held the first of many COVID-19 press conferences. This photo shows those at the forefront of many of these media briefings, including Dr. Theresa Tam.

Sophie Grégoire Trudeau became one of the first people in the country to test positive for COVID-19. After recovering, she shared a message of positivity and encouraged those who’d had the illness to consider donating their plasma for research.

Like many Canadians, the prime minister was working from home by the end of March. This photo, shared on March 13, shows him taking a call from his office in Rideau Cottage.

Several weeks later, on the night of April 18, the Nova Scotia tragedy occurred. This photo, shared by Trudeau’s photographer Adam Scotti, shows the PM speaking with the families of the victims. It became the deadliest mass shooting in Canadian history.

Justin Trudeau delivering statements about COVID-19 became a familiar scene this year. On many occasions, he shared these messages from outside of Rideau Cottage.

As the pandemic continued through into the spring season, photographs emerged online of Canada’s biggest cities looking unusually quiet and deserted.

In the summer, following the police killing of George Floyd in the United States, protests against anti-Black racism and police impunity took place all over Canada.

On June 19, protesters painted the message "defund the police" outside of the Toronto Police Services (TPS) headquarters.

In August, Chrystia Freeland made history by becoming Canada’s first-ever female finance minister. Freeland and Trudeau exchanged elbow bumps during the swearing-in ceremony to celebrate.

In September, Canadian TV show Schitt’s Creek swept the Emmys and took home an award for all seven comedy categories. To celebrate, Toronto lit up the CN Tower in gold.

In November, Canada reached a historic milestone when Marci Ien and Ya'ara Saks were formally sworn into the House of Commons. For the first time ever, 100 women sat in the House.

During the same month, Joe Biden beat Donald Trump in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Trudeau congratulated the president-elect by sharing this photo and said he looked forward to them working together.

Despite improvements during the summer months, Canada’s COVID-19 case-count took a turn for the worse when fall came around. This photo, shared by Trudeau’s photographer Adam Scotti, shows him looking stressed around that time.

By December, there was better news on the horizon. Canada’s first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine arrived in the country and this image quickly went viral.

On December 14, Toronto health care worker Anita Quidangen became one of the first people in Canada to get vaccinated against COVID-19. After a challenging year, this image became a sign of hope for the future.

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17 Photos Of The Most Memorable Moments That Defined Canada In 2020

The year got off to a heartbreaking start when Flight PS752 was shot down by Iran on January 8. It was reportedly mistaken as a “hostile target” and 176 people — including many Canadians — lost their lives.

In February, Canadians across the country marched in solidarity with the Wet'suwet'en Nation. Protestors demonstrated against a pipeline project that was not approved by Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs, as well as in opposition to police presence on Indigenous land.

In March, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other leading government officials held the first of many COVID-19 press conferences. This photo shows those at the forefront of many of these media briefings, including Dr. Theresa Tam.

Sophie Grégoire Trudeau became one of the first people in the country to test positive for COVID-19. After recovering, she shared a message of positivity and encouraged those who’d had the illness to consider donating their plasma for research.

Like many Canadians, the prime minister was working from home by the end of March. This photo, shared on March 13, shows him taking a call from his office in Rideau Cottage.

Several weeks later, on the night of April 18, the Nova Scotia tragedy occurred. This photo, shared by Trudeau’s photographer Adam Scotti, shows the PM speaking with the families of the victims. It became the deadliest mass shooting in Canadian history.

Justin Trudeau delivering statements about COVID-19 became a familiar scene this year. On many occasions, he shared these messages from outside of Rideau Cottage.

As the pandemic continued through into the spring season, photographs emerged online of Canada’s biggest cities looking unusually quiet and deserted.

In the summer, following the police killing of George Floyd in the United States, protests against anti-Black racism and police impunity took place all over Canada.

On June 19, protesters painted the message "defund the police" outside of the Toronto Police Services (TPS) headquarters.

In August, Chrystia Freeland made history by becoming Canada’s first-ever female finance minister. Freeland and Trudeau exchanged elbow bumps during the swearing-in ceremony to celebrate.

In September, Canadian TV show Schitt’s Creek swept the Emmys and took home an award for all seven comedy categories. To celebrate, Toronto lit up the CN Tower in gold.

In November, Canada reached a historic milestone when Marci Ien and Ya'ara Saks were formally sworn into the House of Commons. For the first time ever, 100 women sat in the House.

During the same month, Joe Biden beat Donald Trump in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Trudeau congratulated the president-elect by sharing this photo and said he looked forward to them working together.

Despite improvements during the summer months, Canada’s COVID-19 case-count took a turn for the worse when fall came around. This photo, shared by Trudeau’s photographer Adam Scotti, shows him looking stressed around that time.

By December, there was better news on the horizon. Canada’s first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine arrived in the country and this image quickly went viral.

On December 14, Toronto health care worker Anita Quidangen became one of the first people in Canada to get vaccinated against COVID-19. After a challenging year, this image became a sign of hope for the future.

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