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Year in Review 2016: Vote for Yahoo's Canadian newsmaker of the year

Several Canadians from across the country made a splash in 2016 news headlines. Young athletes such as Penny Oleksiak and Andre De Grasse bursted onto the sports scene, while Sidney Crosby proved why he’s been at the top of his game. Rachel Notley handled a dramatic wildfire in Alberta as Justin Trudeau handled national affairs in Parliament Hill. Music lovers heard some new sounds with Drake’s latest hip-hop album while Canadians united to the folk music of the Tragically Hip. And who could forget the chaos outside the Toronto courthouse in the midst of the Jian Ghomeshi sex assault trial?

Gord Downie

The Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie performs onstage at Rogers Arena in Vancouver on July 24. The band enjoyed on a successful cross-country tour after Downie revealed he had terminal brain cancer. The singer also released a graphic novel, a solo album and started a fund before he was honoured by the Assembly of First Nations for his work promoting aboriginal issues. Photo from Andrew Chin/Getty Images

Sidney Crosby

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby holds the Stanley Cup at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., after winning Game 6 of the 2016 NHL final on June 12. Only 109 days later, Crosby helped secure a gold medal for Team Canada at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey in Toronto, where he led the tournament with 10 points in six games played. Photo from Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images

Drake

Recording artist Drake is seen here performing onstage at the 2016 iHeartRadio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Sept. 23. The Toronto-born rapper was nominated for eight Grammy Awards on Dec. 6, which was second only to Beyonce and included a nod for Album of the Year with Views, which featured the popular track “Hotline Bling” and several others. Photo from Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Jian Ghomeshi

Former CBC Radio host Jian Ghomeshi arrives at court in Toronto on May 11. The longtime voice of q was the subject of a highly-publicized sexual assault trial following allegations of non-consensual rough sex. On March 24, he was found not guilty of all charges, including four counts of sexual assault and one count of choking. Photo from Chris Young/The Canadian Press

Andre De Grasse

Canada’s Andre De Grasse celebrates his silver medal performance in the 200-metre race at Summer Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday August 18, 2016. The 22-year-old athlete became the first Canadian to win Olympic medal in three sprint events, including a silver and two bronze medals. Photo from Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press

Rachel Notley

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley speaks during a June 1 news conference in Fort McMurray, Alta. The provincial NDP leader witnessed a devastating wildfire in the area beginning on May 1 before it was declared under control on July 5. She also successfully lobbied the federal government to grant two new pipeline projects running through Alberta. Photo from Codie McLachlan/The Canadian Press

Penny Oleksiak

Four-time Olympic medallist Penny Oleksiak of Toronto poses during the medal ceremony for the women’s 100-metre butterfly swimming final on Aug. 7 at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The 16-year-old athlete stormed onto the sports scene during her Olympic debut, taking home gold, silver and two bronze medals. Photo from Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

Justin Trudeau

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on March 31 in Washington, D.C. The federal Liberal leader saw his government resettle more than 25,000 Syrian refugees between Nov. 4, 2015, and Feb. 29, 2016. On Nov. 30, he approved a plan for two new pipelines months after unveiling his strategy to combat climate change with a hotly-contested carbon tax. Photo from Drew Angerer/Getty Images