6 Juicy Canadian Scandals From The Last Few Years That You Might Have Totally Forgotten About
It's not very often that Canadians create scandals that catch international attention, but when they do, well, they're pretty wild.
Canucks have a reputation for being super polite and friendly, which can make it seem all the more shocking when rules get broken.
From cringey political moments to influencers behaving badly, here are six recent Canadian scandals that will live in infamy.
Sunwing party plane
In case you somehow missed it, a Sunwing plane filled with influencers from James William Awad's 111 Private Club made headlines across the world in January 2022 when footage of them drinking and partying on a flight to Mexico from Montreal was posted online.
From getting roasted on Jimmy Fallon and getting slammed by Justin Trudeau, the tale of the stranded passengers and their shenanigans captivated Canadians.
In April, some of the passengers were fined over $50,000 by the federal government for not being vaccinated against COVID-19 and for flouting public health measures by not wearing masks on the plane.
Chair girl
In 2019, Marcella Zoia rose to infamy in Canada after throwing a chair off a high-rise balcony onto a busy highway in Toronto, which earned her the nickname "Chair Girl."
After pleading guilty to mischief endangering life, she was sentenced to pay a fine and serve probation and community service.
Crane girl
\u201cA huge crowd has gathered to watch as specially trained @Toronto_Fire firefighters try to rescue this girl up a crane on Wellesley St.\u201d— Tony Smyth (@Tony Smyth) 1493204185
And in 2017, Marisa Lazo, who later became known as "Crane Girl," was dramatically rescued after climbing a 12-storey high construction crane, according to Global News.
She pled guilty to two charges of mischief under $5,000 and was given an absolute discharge by the court.
Justin Trudeau in brownface
\u201cExclusive: Justin Trudeau wore brownface at 2001 \u2018Arabian Nights\u2019 party while he taught at a private school, Canada's Liberal Party admits https://t.co/j3UobfYNIF\u201d— TIME (@TIME) 1568846152
In 2019, TIME published a photo of Justin Trudeau in 2001 that depicted the prime minister in "brownface."
The picture shows a then-29-year-old Trudeau wearing a turban and robes with his skin darkened for an Arabian Nights event at the private school where he taught at the time.
It was later revealed that the then Conservative leader Andrew Scheer leaked the photos to Global News for "verification."
Jagmeet Singh's chair
In January of 2022, Jagmeet Singh and Gurkiran Kaur found themselves in hot water over a rocking chair they had been gifted for their new baby.
Singh posted a photo of himself sitting in the chair with his daughter Ahnad shortly after her birth, in which he tagged the manufacturer, which made it seem like the chair was gifted and is actually against House of Common rules.
In a statement to Narcity, the NDP director of Communications, Melanie Richer, said that Singh and Kaur "realized their error and have paid for the chair.”
IKEA monkey
\u201cDecember 9th, 2012. Happy Anniversary to one of the videos that almost destroyed me. Completely and totally \u2764 #Darwin #IkeaMonkey #HappyAnniversary\u201d— \u2022 \u148dO\u1587\u1643\u15e3\u1641 \u1587\u1653\u1653\u1643 \u2022 (@\u2022 \u148dO\u1587\u1643\u15e3\u1641 \u1587\u1653\u1653\u1643 \u2022) 1607527331
And who could forget Darwin, the adorable baby macaque who took a stroll through an Ontario IKEA while dressed in a super stylish coat?
According to CTV, little Darwin was an unfortunate victim of the exotic animal trade and was given up to Toronto Animal Services by his owner.
He currently lives at Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary and is described as "a handsome young monkey."
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
