Heroes, villains included in Maclean’s 2014 newsmakers list
Posted November 27, 2014 6:20 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A sergeant-at-arms and an eccentric world leader are among the top newsmakers of 2014, as listed in the new issue of Maclean’s magazine.
One of the top newsmakers is Kevin Vickers, the sergeant-at-arms of the House of Commons who shot and killed the gunman on Parliament Hill, after the man killed Cpl. Nathan Cirillo at the nearby National War Memorial.
Patricia Treble, with Maclean’s magazine, said Vickers is a hero.
“Everyone in Canada just kind of froze, and everyone’s eyes turned toward Parliament. That moment crystallized who we are as a nation,” Treble said.
In contrast, she said the other top newsmaker is Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country started the year hosting the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games and then went on to invade Ukraine in February, and is now under massive sanctions.
Ex-CBC radio host Jian Ghomeshi was also on the list for the ongoing sexual assault scandal, which is now a criminal case.
Nine women and one man have come forward with allegations that Ghomeshi sexually or physically assaulted them.
The disgraced radio host surrendered to Toronto police on Wednesday and was charged with four counts of sexual assault and one count of overcoming resistance by choking. He was released on $100,000 bail. Ghomeshi will plead not guilty, his lawyer said.
Maclean’s newsmakers list also included the likes of outgoing Toronto mayor Rob Ford, Taylor Swift, and Pakistani school girl Malala Yousafzai , who won the Nobel Peace Prize this year.
A rare and aggressive cancer forced Ford to give up his mayoral bid for re-election, but he ran for council instead. He was elected in Ward 2, Etobicoke North on Oct. 27.
And, there were some other surprises in the newsmakers issue.
“The comeback of the fanny pack. You might not have realized it but trust me, the fashionistas did because it was on every catwalk in Paris. Or did you know that Pluto was now a planet again,” Treble said.
The Maclean’s 2014 newsmakers issue hit digital platforms on Wednesday night, and is on newsstands on Thursday.
With files from The Canadian Press
