Facebook is how many readers share stories they like or are interested in. Based on FB data, here is a list of the 10 top stories that had Tri-City News readers talking and sharing online:
• Wedding bells: A Port Moody wedding held during the Aug. 29 windstorm was "one for the books" and still went ahead at Old Orchard Hall and the city galleria for Andrew and Megan Young, despite downed trees and power outages.
• Double murder: A double murder on Westwood Plateau had people worried in July until police were able to confirm that a 54-year-old Richmond man was charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
• Beetle blues: People complained a lot and wrote letters, but not much could be done to stop the chafer beetle infestation, and the resulting havoc created by crows and other animals that feed on their grubs.
• Mail call: Canada Post's decision not to deliver mail to several homes on Gatensbury Street because it was deemed "too dangerous" riled a lot of folks.
• Hot housing: A big story in April 2015 was The Tri-City News report that a home on Wellington Street in Port Coquitlam had 17 offers after 150 people showed up for an open house — and sold for $107,000 over asking.
• Extradition: The public is still concerned about justice in the case of Port Coquitlam teen Amanda Todd, who committed suicide after being cyberstalked and bullied online. A story about an internet luring case against a Dutch citizen drew a lot of attention.
• Bears killed: News that two massive bears were shot in September in a Port Coquitlam neighbourhood had many people upset. Conservation officers said safety and the bears' history of eating garbage ruled out tranquilizing and relocation.
• School days: A story about B.C.'s new curriculum and how it will affect schools next September was widely shared. The story stated that's what's different is that teachers will have more flexibility and students will have more say in what they want to explore.
• Refugee welcome mat: Welcoming refugees was a hot issue in the Tri-Cities, with many people supporting Syrian refugees in the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks and the drowning of Alan Kurdi, the nephew of Tima Kurdi, a Coquitlam resident.
• Swatter jailed: A story about jail time for a Coquitlam teen who "swatted" the homes and schools of young gamers around North America — and threatened to blow up Simon Fraser University and the Space Mountain ride in Disneyland — was widely shared and The Tri-City News' most read (online) story of 2015. (Swatting is the act of placing a fake 911 call to attract police emergency response teams to someone's home.)
