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Feel-good stories of 2022: From generous communities to octopus hugs

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Canadians made the most of 2022 through community, leaning on each other and a few hilarious videos in between.

It has been a year marked by Canadians helping neighbours during snowstorms, random acts of kindness and some amazing encounters with wildlife.

Here are some of the heartwarming stories that made 2022 a year to remember.

RALLYING COMMUNITIES

After ., had his collection of hockey cards stolen in an act of bullying, the community rallied behind him. In only a few weeks Canadians from B.C to P.E.I. sent Martin almost 5,000 cards to show him bullies don’t win. This generosity left him with far more cards than before, which he shared with classmates.

Supplied image of Wynston. (Source: Fred Martin)

Another instance of fierce community support was seen in Montreal when a Korean restaurant owner received threatening phone calls due to his staff's lack of French-language skills, forcing the restaurant to temporarily close. The owner, whose mother tongue is Korean, was after the damaging complaint was left online. Residents reportedly offered to volunteer French translation services to keep the restaurant open.

A when he got out of the bus to help a visually-impaired passenger find a bus stop. The act of kindness was captured on video by Devon Lipscomb, a passenger who said it was something he had never witnessed before.

Passing on the generosity, Winnipeggers threw a in May. Mariia and Constantin Domin, who welcomed their first child in 2022, were in shock when the community came bearing gifts to help the couple celebrate the milestone.

In Elora, Ont., a couple taking wedding photos almost had their day ruined when the groom's ring disappeared when he tossed snow up in the air. A before Elske de Groot, an Elora resident, walked by to ask how she could help.

De Groot posted a callout on the community Facebook page and the couple was flooded with offers from people trying to locate the ring. It was when Bryan Poletto, another community member, brought out his metal detector that the ring was found.

Adam Richardson and Tamar Silverbrook's wedding party looks for Richardson's missing ring (Supplied: Assaf Friedman Photography)

In Ontario, a kind stranger opened her door to Kirstin Hanson and her friend. The two were trying to go home to Regina, Sask., when their flight from Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ont., was suddenly cancelled in June. Stranded without a place to stay,

“So she had called her husband and said we're going to take home these two Saskatchewan girls that are stranded, and so we ended up at their home,†Hanson told CTV News Toronto.

The Toronto couple ended up taking the two women on a quick trip to Niagara Falls before driving them back to the airport for the next flight to Regina.

CANADIANS ON VIDEO

A nine-year-old’s resonated with people across Canada and the world. After a massive snowstorm hit Southern Ontario, Carter Trozzolo was out shovelling and wishing he was in school instead.

A travel blogger from the U.S. . The video by Corrin Carlson, which was posted on TikTok, garnered over 7.4 million views and showed many people saying "goodbye" or "thank you" to the bus driver.

After a massive snowstorm hit Southern Ontario, Carter Trozzolo was out shovelling and wishing he was in school instead. “I just found it incredibly endearing,†Carlson told CTV News Vancouver Island, adding she had never witnessed such courtesy before on public transit.

 

Canada is too wholesome

Another TikTok video captured a heartwarming reaction to an act of generosity in Windsor, Ont. and best known for its holiday newspaper fundraiser. TikTok creator Zachery Dereniowski approached Curtis who was out canvassing the neighbourhood in November. In many of Dereniowski's videos, he tells a person he doesn't have money to see if they will help him out anyway. After a short conversation, Curtis told Dereniowski he would make a contribution on his behalf so he could have a paper. Dereniowski then offered Curtis $500 and his reaction, posted on TikTok, has amassed over 40 million views.

“I haven’t heard those words in a long time†🥺â¤ï¸ (Donation L1NK L1VE)

Gurdeep Pandher, a Bhangra dancer, . Bhangra is a traditional folk dance from the state of Punjab in India. Pandher, who resides in Yukon, toured across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador bringing his dancing skills and humour. He has been documenting his journey on social media while spreading his mission statement of "togetherness" through dance.

 

ENCOUNTERS IN NATURE

Andrea Humphreys made a new friend while diving off Campbell River on Vancouver Island. and a kiss on Oct. 15. The encounter caught on video is a rare moment when humans and sea creatures meet. Humphreys described the encounter as "mind-blowing."

Feather enthusiasts flocked to Thedford, Ont., to watch a . The shorebird got lots of attention as hundreds of people trekked to see the marsh sandpiper. It is an Asiatic bird and rarely shows up on the west coast of North America. Birdwatchers made sure to line up for a glimpse of this spectacular winged creature.

The marsh sandpiper differs from lesser yellowlegs in that it has a very pale head and neck, long thin bill, long green legs and white wedge up the back. (Source: Matt Parsons)

On the other end of the food chain, . Right outside his cabin, the Killarney-area angler was going for the 20-inch pike in the ice hole when the pike was grabbed by the muskie. The event, including the muskie's return to the water, was caught on video.

Jerry Burke, one of the owners of Mill Lake Lodge, had a 20-inch pike on his line this week when it was grabbed by a 50-inch muskie.

As amazing as nature is, sometimes it gets in Canadians' way, like the . In late August, drivers on Highway 10 were halted when bison crossed the road. The sight captured on video was posted to Facebook for everyone to enjoy. 

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The province's public security minister said he was "shocked" Thursday amid reports that a body believed to be that of a 14-year-old boy was found this week near a Hells Angels hideout near Quebec City.

An Ontario man says it is 'unfair' to pay a $1,500 insurance surcharge because his four-year-old SUV is at a higher risk of being stolen.

Local Spotlight

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.

David Krumholtz, known for roles like Bernard the Elf in The Santa Clause and physicist Isidor Rabi in Oppenheimer, has spent the latter part of his summer filming horror flick Altar in Winnipeg. He says Winnipeg is the most movie-savvy town he's ever been in.

Edmontonians can count themselves lucky to ever see one tiger salamander, let alone the thousands one local woman says recently descended on her childhood home.

A daytrip to the backcountry turned into a frightening experience for a Vancouver couple this weekend.

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