Canadian Newsmaker of the Year (Time)
The Canadian Newsmaker of the Year was a designation awarded by the Canadian edition of Time magazine. It came with a written piece reflecting the magazine's staff's opinion on which Canadian or Canadians have had the most impact on the news, either positively or negatively. The honour has also been known by the title Canada's Newsmaker, or by titles such as "Headliners" and simply "Newsmakers" which were shared with non-Canadians. However, the exact phrase "Canadian Newsmaker of the Year" has been used by Time. This selection is not to be confused with the Canadian Press' separate selection of a Canadian Newsmaker of the Year, or with Time
Times practice of selecting a Canadian Newsmaker of the Year began in 1995. Columnist Robert Fulford has speculated that the point was to try "gesturing politely to Canadian readers". In early years, the selection received a short article within a list of other international newsmakers. Thus, the 1995 newsmaker was found under the title "Headliners: Canada" and in subsequent years phrases like "Others Who Shaped 1997", "Others Who Shaped 1999", and "Newsmakers 2000" were used. Since 2001 the selection has been accompanied by a fuller article, and interviews with the subjects have also appeared. Still, the press has noted that even with the Canadian edition of Time, it was the Person of the Year rather than the Canadian Newsmaker who was pictured on the cover of the issue.
It has not been awarded since the discontinuation of Times Canadian edition in 2008.
The selections have been at the centre of other cases of media attention and debate. For example, the Montreal Gazette said of the project in general that it was initially "dull" in favouring seemingly conventional men, but that 2003 provided a refreshing selection of two homosexual men and commentary on liberalism in Canada. The Gazette took this as recognition from a US magazine that Canadians are distinct from Americans. There was never a woman selected as Canadian Newsmaker of the Year.
List of newsmakers
| Year | Awardee | Lifetime | Notes |
| 1995 | Lucien Bouchard | born 1938 | Following the Quebec sovereignty referendum of 1995, Time gave the Quebec separatist leader Bouchard credit for providing separatism a "nobler sound" "for people who think that ethnic secessionism runs to riots, bomb throwing and assassinations." Time noted how Bouchard nearly won the referendum despite initial expectations, and that he was destined to become Premier of Quebec. |
| 1996 | Donovan Bailey | born 1967 | Bailey received attention for his performance as a track and field athlete at the 1996 Summer Olympics. Time thus said at the time that he "Ignites National Pride". Time later looked back at the selection for Newsmaker of the Year as one that did not take much difficulty to make. |
| 1997 | Paul Martin | born 1938 | Martin was the Finance Minister of Canada at the time, and was chosen for nearly eliminating the deficit and consequently weakening the Quebec separatist position. Time Paul Couvrette photographed Martin for the selection, and wanted Martin to smile for the picture, but found Martin preoccupied with his budget. Couvrette eventually eased Martin by telling him that it had been Couvrette's father who covertly gave Martin comic books when Martin was a boy, while Martin's father Paul Martin Sr. had forbidden comic books. |
| 1998 | Lucien Bouchard | born 1938 | Bouchard was selected for changing the Parti Québécois to cut the budget for social programs, winning the 1998 provincial election, and for the possibility of another sovereignty referendum. Bouchard's quote "I am not the great Satan" was also mentioned. |
| 1999 | Supreme Court of Canada | established 1875 | The Supreme Court was selected for its decisions concerning gay rights in Canada, Aboriginals and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Time editor George Russell felt these decisions would influence "Canadian society" and the magazine noted the Court had also inspired public controversy regarding judicial activism. The Firearms Reference was also anticipated at the time. |
| 2000 | John Roth | born 1942 | Roth was the CEO of Nortel Networks. Time credited him with influencing the Canadian government to financially assist technology and education. |
| 2001 | John Manley | born 1950 | Manley was chosen as the Foreign Affairs Minister during the September 11, 2001 attacks. He was also credited for trying to improve Canada–United States relations and rethinking rights in Canada for purposes of fighting terrorism, which Time suggested was the most radical approach to rights taken since the Charter was enacted in 1982. Manley went to Toronto to receive the honour in person from George Russell. |
| 2002 | Paul Martin | born 1938 | After Martin had left the Cabinet of Canada, Time nevertheless noted that he would likely shape the government's future. Journalist Norman Specter replied that Prime Minister Jean Chrétien would have been a better choice since he secured his office for more than another year. |
| 2003 | Michael Leshner and Michael Stark | born 1948 | Leshner and Stark were selected for being the grooms of the first legal same-sex marriage in Canada. Steven Frank of Time also chose the couple as an emblem of "the year that Canada rethought what was taboo", referring to other events such as the loosening of marijuana laws. Leshner replied that "I really feel like we're Canada's new Mary Pickford... we are Canada's sweethearts... What better human rights story to send around the world that says Canada loves the Michaels, and for the rest of the world to wonder, what on earth is going on in Canada?" |
| 2004 | Maher Arar | born 1970 | Arar is a Syrian-born Canadian citizen. He was a suspected terrorist and extradited to Syria. In Time's opinion, Arar forced Canada to rethink how it balances human rights and security concerns. Arar thus prevailed over winners in the 2004 Summer Olympics, Auditor General Sheila Fraser, Paul Martin, Alberta Premier Ralph Klein and other candidates. One National Post writer criticized the decision as being too focused on "Victimhood". |
| 2005 | John Gomery | born 1932 | Gomery, the judge overseeing the inquiry on the Sponsorship scandal, was complimented by Time for personal "charm and passion". Conversely, Steve Frank noted, "we started to think, he was just doing his job. He didn't create the inquiry, he was just appointed to it." |
| 2006 | Stephen Harper | born 1959 | Time said Harper redefined the role of a prime minister in a minority government, and recognized his budget cutting and recognition of Quebec as a nation. Time speculated that "If Harper wins the majority he craves, in the election expected sometime next year, he may yet turn out to be the most transformational leader since Pierre Trudeau| Trudeau." Journalist Ted Byfield praised the selection as brave since Harper was a controversial figure, compared to the Canadian Press' choice that year, the Canadian Soldier. |
| 2007 | The Canadian dollar | introduced in 1858 | During the year, the Canadian dollar surpassed the United States dollar for the first time in over 30 years and reached record highs. |
| 2008 | Stephen Harper | born 1959 |