Author Archives: Aaron Canada

2016: Canada’s #YearInSearch

A teenage swimming sensation that had Canadians cheering Go Penny Go! Donald Trump’s US Election win. Andre De Grasse’s blistering race against the World’s Fastest Man. A nation-wide Canadian goodbye to The Tragically Hip. The search for who, in fact, really is Becky With The Good Hair. And, a devastating fire that brought the country together to support one community. The 16th Annual Year in Search is here! It's a look back at the moments, newsmakers, athletes, musicians, toys, politicians (and more!) that sent Canadians searching in 2016.
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The Year in Search is Google’s annual analysis of trillions of searches performed globally throughout the year. View all of Canada’s Trending Searches here.
Here’s a peek at five trending topics that caught our attention in 2016.


  1. Canadians:  We sang along with Drake, Downie and Dion.  We cheered for Penny, Andre and Sid. We had a chuckle thanks to Samantha Bee. And we remembered a poet named Leonard. These are the Canadians who defined 2016 according to Google Search.
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  1. The Tragically Hip: News of Gord Downie’s cancer diagnosis and The Tragically Hip’s summer tour generated an enormous amount of interest online.  The final concert from Kingston, Ontario was the largest livestream of Canadian content in YouTube history as fans from across the country and 188 countries around the world tuned in to watch The Hip one last time.
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  1. Pokémon Go: Canadians sought to catch ‘em all in 2016! The card game from the ‘90s made a big return this year as location-based augmented reality app Pokémon Go, and was one of the top trending searches of the year.
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  1. Beyoncé: Becky With The Good Hair: Five words set Searches ablaze when Beyoncé dropped her sixth studio album Lemonade and Canadians turned to Google to ask “Who is Becky with the good hair?”. The mystery remains... Do you know who Becky with the Good Hair is? We sure don’t, but it’s #6 on our top trending “Who is?” list!  
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  1. Hatchimals! Two years ago, a few toy developers at the Canadian-based Spin Master chatted about the popularity of YouTube “unboxing” videos.  Fast-forward to 2016 and Hatchimals, furry bird-like creatures that require a cuddle before hatching from an egg, are one of the top-searched toys of the year.
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The Year in Search offers a unique reflection of who we were as a country in 2016. So before heading into a fresh new year, take a moment to look back and reflect on the year that was at google.ca/2016.


Happy 2016 and we can’t wait to see what 2017 has in store!


Posted by Alexandra Hunnings, Public Affairs, Google Canada

#YouTubeRewind – how 2016 played out on YouTube

A Beyonce cameo that brought the house down. Canada’s biggest YouTube star and the Sexiest Man Alive. Drake and Rihanna turning a local Toronto restaurant into a dance party. Tips for Americans on how to move to Canada. And an out of control fire that dominated news headlines.


These were just some of the videos that brought Canadians to YouTube in 2016 to laugh, to share, to learn and to remember.


Top Trending Videos in Canada
TV’s YouTube Moment
The number of hours people spent catching up on late night clips nearly doubled in the last year alone. There’s no doubt that TV moments have taken on a life of their own through YouTube. In 2016, late night show channels had over 550M watch hours and over 8.5 BILLION views, as traditional television recognized the power and influence of the YouTube audience and embraced creating content for YouTube.


Canadian Content
Canada’s biggest YouTube star also had a tremendous year in 2016 - Superwoman Lilly Singh hit 10M subscribers, wrote her first book and collaborated with her friend Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson on a few videos to help him launch his YouTube channel.


Rounding out the list were a few notable Canadian news moments, including a report by Global News reporter Reid Fiest who captured the enormous scale of the fire in Fort McMurray as cars streamed out of the city. And who could forget President Obama’s attempt to pronounce Mississauga during the State Dinner he hosted for Prime Minister Trudeau?


Top Trending Music Videos

Rihanna and Drake took over Toronto this year, performing at OVO Fest and making headlines with a rumoured midnight dinner a Ripley’s Aquarium. But, it was when the couple dropped in on Toronto’s The Real Jerk to film the video for Work that a top trending YouTube sensation was born.


Globally, Calvin Harris’ video for This is What You Came For reached 1 BILLION views in just 167 days, making it Calvin Harris’ biggest YouTube video to-date. It was also Rihanna’s second guest performance to cross 1 billion views. (The first was with Eminem on Love the Way You Life which hit 1.2B views).


Canadian artists had a strong year on YouTube - in addition to Drake, both The Weeknd and Shawn Mendes were among the most-watched artists on YouTube. And Edmonton’s Ruth B burst onto the scene with Lost Boy, which she released for the first time on YouTube. In just a few months, her video has reached nearly 39M views around the world.



Top Trailers

Before Canadians go to the movies, they head to YouTube to check out trailers - and this year, we saw a number of highly anticipated trailers for blockbuster franchises. Chief among them was Suicide Squad, the darkly comedic action movie featuring the antiheroes from the DC Comics universe. Filmed in Toronto, Suicide Squad not only delivered the most-watched trailer, but also the most-searched Halloween costume on Google - Harley Quinn.


Female-led stories also dominated, with appearances from the new Star Wars film Rogue One, the all-female cast of the remake of Ghostbusters, the not-yet-released Wonder Woman movie and the Blake Lively thriller The Shallows.

  4. GHOSTBUSTERS - Official Trailer (HD) by SonyPicturesEntertainment
  6. WONDER WOMAN Comic-Con Trailer by WarnerBrosPictures
  9. THE SHALLOWS - Official Trailer #2 (HD) by SonyPicturesEntertainment


2016 Ads Leaderboard

Ads used to be background noise or something you might fast forward. Since YouTube launched skippable ads six years ago, ads have become content that Canadians are choosing to watch. This year’s top trending ads demonstrate that brands are now creating content that’s meant to entertain.


2016 Canadian Year-end YouTube Ads Leaderboard:

Honourable Mention - SickKids VS: Undeniable by SickKids


Canada’s Magical Moments on YouTube

In addition to the top trending videos, trailers and music videos, there were a few magical moments for Canada on YouTube in 2016.


We set a new Canadian record this summer, as Canadians both at home and around the world flocked to YouTube to watch CBC’s livestream of the Tragically Hip’s final concert in Kingston. Viewers from 188 different countries tuned in to watch the concert and post-concert show, bringing home the incredible global reach of YouTube.


We also turned to YouTube to remember Leonard Cohen. Following the announcement of the poet and songwriter’s death on November 10th, the video for his performance of Hallelujah was the most-watched video on YouTube that day. Hallelujah is actually THE most frequently covered song from before 2010 on YouTube, with 8.7K covers. Jeff Buckley’s cover of the iconic song remains the most popular cover on YouTube, with 84 million views.


The first US presidential debate also broke records on YouTube, with nearly 2 million concurrent views around the world - 14X more live viewership than the debates in 2012. Canada was the top country outside of the US that turned into the debate on YouTube.


2016 was also an incredible year for Canadian Creators. We saw 199 channels reach the 100k subscriber mark, 42 hit the 1M subscriber mark, and Canada’s biggest YouTube star, Lilly Singh, hit the 10M subscriber mark.


So take some time, relax, rewind and revisit your favourites from the past year!


Posted by Nicole Bell, communications manager, YouTube Canada

From the street to the gallery, and now your Pixel: The new EN MASSE Live Case

Editor’s note: Today’s blog is brought to you by special guest contributor Jason Botkin, director and co-founder of EN MASSE

In 2016, every element of our daily lives can act as a platform for creative expression and engagement, from the clothes we wear to how we style our hair to heck, even our phone cases. This allows us to return to a more authentic spirit of expression, honouring and enhancing the power and potential of human creativity, alongside personal and social transformation through art.


That’s why I am thrilled to introduce the new Artworks Live Case designed by EN MASSE, a multi-artist collaborative drawing project that explores the creation of highly spontaneous, large-scale collaborative black and white drawings and public installations.
To design this Live Case series, we tapped into Montreal’s massively vibrant creative community and brought together seven artists, each with different artistic backgrounds and styles. While many of these artists are schooled in the ‘fine arts’, their heart and minds belong to punk rock, hip hop, cartoons, graffiti, street art and tattoo cultures.


We challenged ourselves to transform our typically large-scale black and white murals into smaller, customizable phone cases. To customize your Live Case, choose from one of the amazing drawings, zoom in and out, and rotate the design.


Each EN MASSE Live Case comes with a companion live wallpaper that rotates between our collection of designs. The shortcut button provides you one-touch access to our work, or can be programmed to open your favorite app.
Video courtesy of Salman Sajun


EN MASSE comes from the French word for “as a whole” or “all together”. Our goal is to create work that can remind people of their dreams: to be strong, to belong, and to be inspired. This exploration of shared creativity allows us to create something larger as a whole that we can do on our own, and is an exact portrait of our deeply human need to be affirmed.


Working with Google allows us to spread this mandate into new and ever-expanding networks, on a much greater scale! By linking a traditional artistic medium with powerful new technologies, like Live Cases, Pixel fans around the world can discover our art and become part of the EN MASSE movement.  

A BIG thank you to the diverse group of artists involved in this project:

To design and purchase your own EN MASSE Artworks Live Case, visit the Google Store. The case is available for $50 (CDN). We’re excited to be launching today alongside other Artworks Live Cases by Jen Stark, Craig & Karl, and Opening Ceremony.

Posted by Guest Blogger Jason Botkin, EN MASSE Director

Meet Canada’s Next YouTube Stars!

The results are in and we are thrilled to introduce the first-ever class of YouTube NextUp Canada winners!

We received hundred of applications, proving that Canada is one creative country. The choices were tough, but in the end we narrowed it down to these 15 Creators who we think have the potential to become the next generation of stars on YouTube. They come from all across the country, and their creativity and storytelling abilities jumped out from the screen.

The selected NextUp Creators are a wildly talented and diverse bunch. We couldn’t have imagined a more interesting group of Creators for our first NextUp class in Canada:

  • Sophia Beatbox: Sophia Yeh from Mississauga will astound you with her beatboxing tutorials - you will definitely find yourself attempting to make amazing sounds while watching her videos.
  • Ben Willingdorf: Montrealer Ben Willingdorf isn’t afraid to take on big challenges - like building a snowman bigger than his house, or a home-made golf cart.
  • Samurai Guitarist: Steven Onotera from Winnipeg fuses his mastery of guitar with his love of video games and popular music, along with his tips for mastering a musical life.
  • Bright n’ Boldly: Beatrice Agyeman from Toronto has got the tips and tricks you need to have your best natural hair ever, along with holistic beauty and wellness.
  • Bizzy Boom. Toronto choreographer Brandon Owusu will have you moving your feet to the beat with his step-by-step tutorials and class dance performances.
  • Chris Ramsay: Chris Ramsay from Montreal is redefining street magic, one video at a time. Prepare to be amazed!
  • acapellascience: A spoonful of music helps the science go down on Montrealer Tim Blais’ channel.
  • Pankobunny: East meets West in Torontonian Cayla DeVille Gallagher’s channel, where “edible cuteness” is the ultimate goal.
  • The Hockey Movement: from training programs to product reviews to how to build a backyard rink, Jeremy Rupke of Huntsville, Ontario is your guide on the ice.
  • NsomniaksDream: Megan Walter’s astounding makeup tutorials are not for the faint of heart. This Burlington, Ontario artist will help you master your inner ghoul, zombie or killer clown.
  • BeatDrop: Based in Calgary and online, this music production and DJ school, founded by Mitch Lee, will have you producing tracks and DJing in no time.
  • Alexandra Villaroel Abrego: Montrealer Alexandra Villaroel Abrego’s inspiring and empowering videos are the life coach you’ve always wanted - in English, French AND Spanish.
  • Brittany Sarah: Red hair, don’t care! Brittany Adams from Toronto shares her favourite beauty and makeup looks, along with a few insider tips from her time in the film industry.
  • Fraser Cain: Vancouver-based Fraser Cain’s channel will explain the mysteries of the universe,  its mix of videos on space, sci-fi and popular culture.
  • Shereen Ladha: If you’ve ever dreamed of dancing like a Bollywood star, Shereen Ladha from Richmond Hill, Ontario, has got the tutorials you’ve been waiting for!

These Creators will each receive a $3,200 voucher from YouTube to purchase new production equipment, and will participate in a five-day Creator Camp at YouTube Space Toronto, learning about video production and techniques to take their creative businesses to the next level. NextUp Creators will also be provided with a YouTube Partner Manager, to help guide their channel’s development, along with extensive networking opportunities with established Creators.

Canada is a hotbed of creativity, and YouTube is at its heart. We have a thriving community of YouTubers from coast to coast, and our first NextUp class is destined to continue the incredible growth of Canadian talent on the platform. We can’t wait to see what they create next!

Posted by Mark Swierszcz, head of YouTube Space Toronto

Google invests $4.5 Million in Montreal AI Research

“How crazy is this start to the Habs’ season?!”

I think we all know the answer to that question (especially if you live in Montreal!), but in casual conversation there’s a good chance this phrasing and terminology would trip up a computer trying to make sense of what’s being said. Learning high-level abstractions is a major research challenge for deep learning.  

A new grant from Google for the Montreal Institute for Learning Algorithms (MILA) will fund seven faculty across a number of Montreal institutions and will help tackle some of the biggest challenges in machine learning and AI, including applications in the realm of systems that can understand and generate natural language. In other words, better understand a fan’s enthusiasm for Les Canadien.

Google is expanding its academic support of deep learning at MILA, renewing Yoshua Bengio’s Focused Research Award and offering Focused Research Awards to MILA faculty at University of Montreal and McGill University: Pascal Vincent, Aaron Courville, Christopher Pal, Doina Precup, Joelle Pineau, Simon Lacoste-Julien, and Laurent Charlin. These awards taken together, for a period of 3 years, bring Google's total donation to MILA (bridging University of Montreal and McGill) to a total of $4.5 million ($3.375M USD).

In addition to this grant, Google is opening a deep learning and AI research group here in our Montreal office, linked to the Google Brain team in Mountain View, California. It will be led by Hugo Larochelle, a leader within the deep learning community who is returning from Boston to Montreal.

This kind of corporate investment paired with a burgeoning AI start-up community and substantial government funding to the IVADO hub for data science, deep learning and operations research has turned Montreal into a global machine intelligence powerhouse. University of Montreal and McGill together now count more than 150 researchers (including students) in deep learning, the greatest academic concentration in the world. In collaboration with academic partners such as Google, incubators and start-ups, MILA and IVADO are making Montreal a hub for AI and technological innovation.

Posted by Shibl Mourad, Head of Engineering, Google Montreal


OK Google. Give me directions to Best Buy

At the beginning of October, we gave Canadians (and the world) a first glimpse into our new family of hardware, made by Google. And now we’re bringing a whole new way for shoppers to experience our products, courtesy of Google shops.


Today, Google Canada is thrilled to open four flagship Google shops in Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton and Mississauga Best Buy locations.


At our new locations, guests will encounter everything they love about Google, all in one place -- from personalized tech help to hands-on workshops with YouTube stars and, most importantly, immersive and interactive experiences with the latest Google products like Pixel, Daydream View & Chromecast Ultra!  

Earlier in October, we announced 10 smaller shops in Best Buy locations across the country - click here for locations. At the four new flagship shops opening today, we’ll offer:

  • One-on-one Help: Book 1:1 appointments with Google guides who can help you get the most out of your Google products & apps.

  • Product Workshops: Participate in ongoing workshops, from planning your holiday travel  to getting personalized tech tips for the whole family.

  • Holidays Events (new!): Sign up for unique and fun holiday-themed events at our four larger shops, led by YouTube creators, popular tech experts, artists and more.

Comprised of nearly 700 square feet, our new shops focus on every detail. From the use of large open spaces with curved edges to the hand-picked colour palette, each design element evokes a warm playful feel.


When you visit our four new shops, make sure to try some of our one-of-a-kind experiences like Portal, a super-sized display that lets you ‘fly’ through Google Earth, explore what people around the world are searching for, and play with other fun Google apps. You’ll also get to go hands-on with our new hardware like Pixel, Daydream View and Chromecast Ultra in our ‘Experience Bays’, which are fully programmable spaces that will evolve and change as our products do.


With the holidays around the corner, timing couldn’t be more perfect to sign up for our first Holiday Event  with The Sorry Girls, Canada’s DIY sweethearts. Hosted at our Google shops in Mississauga (December 3) and Vancouver (December 4), The Sorry Girls will teach you how to create fun holiday DIYs gifts for your loved ones, like customized ugly holiday sweaters, using Google tech. We’ll be announcing more workshops soon with other special guests -- see the full calendar of activities here.


So, stop by the Google shop and check out a few new things made by Google.




Follow the conversation with @GoogleCanada and #googleshop.


Happy holiday shopping!

Posted by Janell Fischer, Google Inc., Director of Retail Marketing

Google and YouTube can help keep you informed on U.S. Election Day


For our U.S. neighbours, it’s Election Day Eve -- the day before before millions of people across the U.S. will head to the polls and cast votes for their elected officials. Canadians watching this election closely can check Google to stay informed and get the latest information about election results.

Starting when the polls close on Election Day, you will be able to find U.S. election results integrated right into your Google searches in over 30 languages around the world. You’ll also be able to see detailed updates and results of the Presidential, Senatorial, Congressional, Gubernatorial races as well as state-level referenda and ballot propositions.

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For the past several months, Google has helped people find information about the democratic process: our search results have helped voters register and explained the voting process with information on how to vote, who’s on their ballot, and how to find their local polling place in both English and Spanish. Since releasing these in-depth search results, we've seen millions of people engage with these tools on Google -- there's even been a startling 233% increase in traffic for "how to vote" compared with 2012. In addition to “how to vote,” Americans are actively searching for “where to vote” -- particularly in battleground states, as depicted in these county-by-county breakdowns:

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Over the past few weeks viewers spent over 20 million hours watching - and rewatching - the presidential debate live streams on YouTube. Tomorrow, YouTube will be live streaming election results coverage from more news organizations than ever before. Starting at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 8, tune in to live coverage from NBC, PBS, MTV, Bloomberg, Telemundo and The Young Turks to keep up with all of the action as it happens. Complex News will also be delivering live coverage during a special election event from YouTube Space NY. And to close out YouTube’s #voteIRL campaign, creators and fans have been posting their #voteIRL selfie to mark that they’re going to vote. And tune in to some special voting reminder PSAs starring POTUS and some familiar-looking furry friends.
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Whether you plan to host an Election Night watch party, or live stream the victory speech from America’s new President-Elect, we’re here to help. We hope Google’s tools help guide you through Election Day in a simple, clear and informative way.

Daydream View coming to stores November 10th


Last month, we announced Daydream View, a comfortable and easy-to-use virtual reality headset and controller powered by any Daydream-ready phone. It will be available November 10th on the Google Store and at Bell, Rogers, Telus and Best Buy locations in Canada for $99 (CAD).

With Daydream View and a Daydream-ready phone like Pixel, you’ll be able to kick back in your personal cinema, explore new worlds and get in the game like never before. Take a look at some of the experiences that’ll be coming to Daydream over the next few weeks:

Your Personal Cinema

YouTube VR: Watch the entire library of videos on a virtual big screen and experience immersive VR videos from top creators.

Google Play Movies: Enjoy thousands of popular movies and TV shows in your own virtual theatre.

INVASION!: An award-winning VR animation narrated by Ethan Hawke that invites you to become part of the story. A pair of bumbling aliens, Mac and Cheze, plan to invade our Earth, but instead, they are thwarted by the cuddliest animals on the planet.

Explore New Worlds

Star Chart VR: From the Sun to the smallest moons of Saturn and out to the coldest, darkest, farthest reaches of Pluto, explore the solar system in a beautiful and accurate real-time space simulation.



The Wall Street Journal VR: See breaking news and analysis in a whole new way with a real-time interactive market data visualization and interactive 360-degree videos.

Street View: Visit over 70 countries and experience 150 handcrafted tours of the world's most amazing places. You can also search to explore your hometown and everywhere else.

The Guardian VR: Step into the shoes of an urban explorer and discover the hidden labyrinth of London's Underworld - a subterranean web of Victorian sewers and lost waterways that lie active, deep beneath of one of the world's most famous cities.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Wave a wand to explore the magic of Newt’s case, cast spells and solve puzzles to explore the world of the film in this VR experience.

NYT VR: The New York Times will premiere three exclusive films in the Daydream app in its first month, including The Creators: Rob Pruitt. It follows Pruitt on a typical day in his life, with a visit to IKEA in Brooklyn where he purchases 27 plush pandas that’s a signature in his artwork.

Get in the Game

Danger Goat: One runaway goat, hundreds of dastardly traps in his way. Guide, slide and catapult the goat to freedom in this all-new VR puzzle game.



Hunters Gate: Blast your way through the town of Hunters Gate as you defend it from demon invasion - then take the fight to the demons by invading their home world.


Wonderglade: Magically teleport to an ever growing theme park where you can enjoy carnival-themed classic games such as Tiny Tee Golf and Tip N Tilt Racing.

Gunjack 2: End of Shift: With a formidable arsenal at your disposal, live the life of a Gunjack, protecting the Kubera and its precious cargo from the bandits trying to blow the rig apart!

Mekorama: Help a tiny robot stumble home through 50 puzzling mechanical dioramas.

Need for Speed: No Limits VR: Race for dominance in the first Need for Speed title made for VR. Launch yourself between chaos and control as you hit the loud pedal and roll into underground car culture.

Home Run Derby: Hit monster home runs and get crowned as your favorite MLB Home Run Derby All-Star.


From hitting bat-breaking homeruns to journeying to the rings of Saturn, immerse yourself in high quality, mobile VR with Daydream View. Mark your calendar today for November 10th and follow us on Twitter and Google+ to get the latest on new apps and games coming to Daydream.

Posted By Mike Jazayeri, Director of Product Management, Google VR


It’s Canada’s Turn to Make a Better World, Faster

Google.org wants your best ideas, Canada!

Today we are launching our first Google.org Impact Challenge in Canada - a nationwide competition to find and fund the the most innovative nonprofits that are using technology to make Canada and the world a better place.

We created the Google.org Impact Challenge because we truly believe that technology has the power to transform lives. The Challenge travels to different regions around the world to support nonprofit innovators using technology to tackle the world’s biggest challenges.

We want to make a better world, faster. And now it’s Canada’s turn.

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Innovative thinking and commitment to humanitarian causes are baked into the DNA of this country. As we look ahead to the next 150 years in Canada, we believe that resourceful Canadians will be on the front lines of changing the world through technology.

Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, will award $5 million across 10 organizations to help bring their ideas to life. Five winning organizations will receive $750,000 grants, and five additional finalists will receive $250,000.

I’m thrilled to welcome an esteemed group of judges to help select the winning ideas, including the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage; Dr. Samantha Nutt, bestselling author and Founder of War Child Canada/War Child USA; Joseph Boyden, acclaimed author and professor; PK Subban, NHL Defenceman and philanthropist; Hani Al Moulia, member of the Prime Minister’s Youth Council; and my colleague Don Harrison, vice president of Corporate Development, Google (and a proud Canadian!)

In addition to the judges, all of you have an important role to play as well. In a few months, we’ll ask Canadians to cast their vote for the project they think has the most power to change lives.

I can’t wait to see which incredible projects are selected from Canada. Make no mistake, we have huge expectations for what Canadians can deliver.

Visit us at g.co/canadachallenge to learn more about the Challenge or to submit your entry before November 26.

Posted by Jacquelline Fuller, director of Google.org

Go North

If you head to Street View in Google Maps, you will find these small white cabins with red roofs sprinkled across some of Canada’s most remote communities. Here’s one from Cambridge Bay. Here’s another from Iqaluit.

Back in 1670 - the Hudson’s Bay Company was a startup in the fur trade business. ‘Go West’ was the rallying cry of entrepreneurial pioneers striking out for the riches of an unmapped Canada’s wilderness. These Hudson’s Bay Company trading posts are legacies of that ambition.

The history of Canada’s economy has long been tied to our geography. We live in a country with the landmass nearly the size of Russia - and a population the size of California. The largest exporter of oil to the US? That’s us. These are facts that might shape a nation’s identity, if not its destiny.

But not Canada, not now.


Watch Go North live on YouTube via our partner Bloomberg

Canada is no longer a place defined by the limits of our physical geography. Canada’s future potential does not lie beneath Canadian bedrock -  it is within our universities, incubators and startups.

Today, over 500 members of Canada’s startup community are in Toronto at an event Google Canada is hosting called Go North. Our aim in hosting this event is to amplify the community’s concerns, while also taking stock and celebrating our successes.

Of course there are challenges: attracting and retaining top-flight talent, competition, harnessing new technologies and engaging corporate Canada. If you watch on the Bloomberg livestream, you’ll see we’re tackling these issues head-on with the best minds in Canada’s startup ecosystem. We’re also joined by Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains who will discuss the government’s role in helping Canadian companies and ideas succeed.

What makes every startup attending Go North different from startups in Tel Aviv, London, Berlin or Silicon Valley is where they’ve decided to build their company: the place we call home. Now, being Canadian means different things to different people. Maybe for some it means another hurdle for financing, or a pain in securing talent.

But, from the perspective of someone like myself who calls himself a new Canadian, what we have here is exceptional.

Outside Silicon Valley, the Toronto-Waterloo corridor represents the highest concentration of startups on the planet. But it’s the sense of community and shared ambition that truly sets us apart.

With all the talk of building walls and Brexits over the past 12 months, Canada was making headlines for welcoming refugees with open arms. This spirit of openness and inclusion shapes not only our national identity, but also how we do business. Since I moved up here 2 years ago, I’ve seen it first hand.

And Communitech, MaRS, TechToronto, Quantum Valley Investments and RBC - our partners in today’s event - they are the embodiment of this spirit. Finding a home for big ideas, hosting top-flight talent but - most importantly - nurturing and unifying this community.

Steven Woods, who returned more than 8 years ago from founding several successful startups in the Valley to oversee Google Canada’s engineering operations and growth in Waterloo describes what we have in this community - what we have in this room today - as the equivalent of capturing lightning in a bottle.

That is what the entrepreneurial pioneers of today are striking out in search of. Lightning in a bottle. And we have it right here. In the north.

Posted by Sam Sebastian, Vice President and Country Director for Google Canada