Googling Quebec: Scandal, death, sports and crime sparked interest in 2017

Local celebrities, Habs and Markle among most searched topics in province

Quebecers seem to have spent much of their screen time in 2017 keeping up with sex scandals, deaths, sports and crime, according to trends recorded by Google over the course of the past year.

Google Canada published its trends list Wednesday, showing the people and topics that sent Canadians and Quebecers to their keyboards and smartphones in 2017. Unsurprisingly, local celebrities who made headlines for sexual misconduct, harassment or other controversies topped the list for Quebecers.

Just for Laughs founder Gilbert Rozon, accused of sexual assault by multiple women, chef Giovanni Apollo, accused of lying about his experience and background, and broadcaster Gilles Parent, also accused of sexual misconduct, all made the list.

Some crime stories also captured the interest of Quebecers, particularly the disappearance of Karine Major, a 26-year-old who last May disappeared from her home in the province’s Bas-Saint-Laurent region, then surfaced eight days later in Saskatchewan. Ugo Fredette, a Quebecer accused of two murders following the longest Amber Alert in Quebec history last September, also sparked numerous searches.

Quebecers also turned to the web when it came to moments of sadness — such as the death of singer Patrick Bourgeois — and in moments of triumph: the return of fighter Georges St-Pierre to the ring.

When it came to topic searches, Hurricane Irma topped the list, in part because Florida, a travel destination and seasonal residence for many Quebecers, lay in its path.

The trends list also included the Montreal Canadiens and the Super Bowl, perennial online favourites for Quebecers, although the suspicion this year is that the Habs’ poor performance is contributing to much of that interest.

American actress Meghan Markle, engaged to marry Prince Harry in 2018, also fascinated Quebecers, not so much because of an interest in the British Royal Family as Quebecers’ love of a fairy tale come true, Google analysts suspect.