A lot happened in 2021.
Many people are happy to see it go and are hoping for better times in 2022.
As we usually do, we're asking you to help us decide what was the top story last year.
In 2020 you voted COVID and its resulting lockdown as the local "Story of the Year"
In second place was the story of Air Canada pulling out of North Bay, leaving airport in jeopardy.
In third place was the Integrity commissioner investigating conflict of interest allegations involving the mayor and Invest North Bay.
In 2019 it was Canadore abuse allegations voted 2019 top news story.
BayToday reporters sifting through every story we wrote and came up with a comprehensive list of 25, but we know not everyone will agree.
Below are the choices. You can vote here.
- Snowmobile trails, outdoor rinks and sliding hills closed by the Medical Officer of Health
- Lakeshore Drive murder; Bradley Armstrong killed in a condo unit on Lakeshore Drive
- COVID-19 freedom protests
- Local COVID vaccine roll-out
- Sands Motel on McIntyre demolished
- City of North Bay wins title of most secretive municipality in Canada
- Midas Muffler downtown fire
- Man stabbed with syringe in Low Barrier Shelter on Chippewa St.
- Invest North Bay contract scandal
- New Year's homicide (Jeff Twain)
- local opioid deaths fifth highest in the province
- COVID: Quebec closes border to Ontario residents
- Stewart's Decorating ordered closed by Health Unit
- Tent city/homeless on Second Ave
- $5 David Bowie painting sells for over $100,000
- COVID outbreak closes North Bay jail
- Cassellholme: board resignations, cost, delays
- Two women dead in South River plane crash
- Councillor Tignanelli resigns, takes a City job with economic development
- Rota wins re-election, keeps Speaker of the House job
- ESC Algonquin antisemitic TikTok video rocks school community
- Local firefighter injured by knife assault
- Silence of the lambs. Councillors sit on their hands to avoid embarrassing mayor over integrity commissioner's report
- North Bay woman victim of home invasion...twice...in same building
- Security staff hired to keep the homeless out of area high school