Author Archives: YouTube.ca Team

Planning Election Day with Google in 4 easy Steps

Here’s a timely phrase that’s on the mind of a lot of Canadians this year: how to vote.
This election day, Google has the answer to this important question and a whole lot more! From the ballot box to watching live results, here’s what you need to know to participate in your democracy on October 19th.

Step 1:  Make sure you know how and where to vote—and who’s on your ballot!

For the first time ever in Canada, simple searches for [how do i vote], [register to vote] and [my election candidates] will confirm what you need to bring to the polls, and will show you who is running in your riding on Monday.  
Step 2: Pledge to Vote
You’ve found all the information you need for Monday, but have you pledged to vote yet? Visit our interactive tool and make your pledge to vote today. And don’t forget to challenge your friends and remind them how important it is to head to the polls!

#PledgeToVote.png
Go to CBCNews.ca/pledge and share why you are turning out to vote.  
Step 3: Track the results
After the polls close on Monday, you can track all the real-time election results by searching [election results]. If you use Google Now, you’ll get updates on the winners straight from the app to your smartphone!
Step 4: Watch election night coverage
Tune in to the latest live news coverage from Canadian broadcasters at YouTube.com/elxn42.

Throughout the election, Canadians have turned to YouTube as a source of news, commentary and insight. We’ve tuned into YouTube to watch our leaders debate live, and for the latest election trending videos.

Starting at 5PM on October 19th, tune into the YouTube Canada Elections Hub at youtube.com/elxn42 for live election coverage from Canadians news organizations such as Global News, CBC, RadioCanada and Vice News.

All set Canada? Happy Voting!

Posted by Kate Sokolov, Program Manager, Politics & Elections Google

How Canada searched the #Elxn42 Campaign


As voting day fast approaches, let’s take a step back to look at the issues, stories and leaders Canadians searched over the 78 day election.

Leader Searches
At the outset of the election we looked at the most searched federal leader in each of Canada’s 338 ridings. In the month of July, Stephen Harper was the most searched federal leader in 56% of Canada’s ridings. The number didn’t change much after the campaign got underway, when Stephen Harper remained the most searched leader in 54% of ridings. Justin Trudeau was the top searched leader in 33% of ridings and Thomas Mulcair was the top search in 10% of ridings.


We just ran the numbers for October and have seen a different pattern emerge as the election continues. In October, Justin Trudeau has become the top searched leader in 50% of Canadian ridings, Stephen Harper in 45% of ridings, and Thomas Mulcair in 3%.



A riding-by-riding breakdown of search interest for the federal leaders over the course of the campaign.

#MansbridgeBump
In early September CBC’s Peter Mansbridge sat down with each of the federal leaders. And, with each interview came a jump in searches as Canadians went online to learn more about the various party leaders


Issues
In terms of the issues that have generated the most search interest over the course of the campaign, the refugee crisis and niqab saw the largest spike in searches along with several issues associated with Canada’s economy.

The refugee crisis generated strong search activity across the country. To see what was the top searched issue in your riding, explore this interactive map.

#ComeTogether
The only real competition for Canadian search attention during the campaign was Canada’s own Toronto Blue Jays. So with two big October showdowns looming on the calendar, we took a look at how interest in the Jays compared with interest in our democracy. Looks like a dead heat!

google-trends-oct-search.png

Issues aside, Canadians are clearly passionate about participating in their democracy and making an informed decision come voting day. The top question Canadians searched about the election: When is the election? The answer is, of course, Monday October 19th.

Mark your calendar… and see you at the polls!

Posted by Aaron Brindle, Google Canada

Google.org supports Canadian nonprofit World Wide Hearing for the launch of its Impact Challenge: Disabilities


Editor’s note -- Today’s blog is authored by Audra Renyi, Executive Director of World Wide Hearing

Mahmoud is a 7-year old boy from rural Jordan. Since birth he struggled to communicate and talk - a burden not uncommon for a child suffering from significant hearing loss. But then, in a moment, everything changed.

Mahmoud was fitted with his first hearing aid. A smile broke across his face. Then he laughed. He could hear the audio technician’s voice loud and clear. Just as the fitting was finishing up, Mahmoud's father arrived at the outreach center to see his son. From outside the room, he called out Mahmoud's name. Mahmoud's ears perked up and he immediately turned around. When he saw his father's face and connected it to the voice he was hearing for the first time, Mahmoud burst into tears and jumped into his father's arms.  

We believe the mobile screening devices we’re developing at Montreal-based World Wide Hearing have the power to make a fundamental difference in the lives of hundreds of millions of people living with a disability. And that’s why today’s news is so important. Google.org is committing twenty million dollars in grant funding for a first-of-its kind Google Impact Challenge: Disabilities. Throughout the Challenge, Google.org will identify, fund and support nonprofits and technologies working to increase access to opportunity for hundreds of millions living with disabilities. World Wide Hearing is  as one of two initial "anchor" grants.  

World Wide Hearing team in action during a hearing screening campaign: screening a young girl, one of 1,200 school children screened over two days in May 2015 in Mazatenango, Guatemala

With Google.org's support and a $500,000 USD grant, World Wide Hearing will develop, prototype and test an extremely low cost tool kit for identifying hearing loss using smartphone technology that’s widely available--and affordable--in the developing world. 642 million people around the world suffer from hearing loss. Diagnosing auditory challenges can be a struggle in low income communities--the equipment is expensive, bulky and hard to scale, particularly in the developing world.

This support from Google.org will help identify those living with hearing loss, ensuring we all hear more laughter from people like Mahmoud.

Posted by Audra Renyi, Executive Director, World Wide Hearing