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From floods to real estate to young overachievers, our 10 most read stories of 2021

Here are the pieces we published in 2021 that you read the most.

By The Editors /

The pieces that proved most popular with visitors to our site

Say what else you want about 2021, but it’s given us plenty to write about. Here are the 10 stories we published this year that generated the most interest online.

At No. 1: the profiles of our latest 30 Under 30 winners, a diverse and innovative group who haven’t let tough times get the better of them. Finishing second is the 2021 edition of our Best Cities for Work in B.C. ranking, which contributor Andrew Macaulay revamped to put an emphasis on economic resilience.

Of course, the pandemic figures heavily in the top 10, as does real estate, one of this province’s longstanding obsessions. And we were heartened to see so many people click on our guide to helping those afflicted by the recent floods, which claims the No. 3 spot.

Thank you for reading, and we look forward to bringing you more stories in 2022!

1. 2021 30 Under 30 Winners
by the Editors
The latest winners of this perennially popular competition, marking its eighth year, hail from industries as diverse as finance, esports, cannabis and fine art.

 READ MORE: Nominate for the 2022 BCBusiness 30 Under 30 Competition

Credit: iStock

2. B.C.’s Most Resilient Cities in 2021
by Andrew Macaulay
For our seventh annual ranking of the province’s best cities for work, compiled against the backdrop of the pandemic, we shift the focus to broader economic health.

READ MORE: Vancouver was just named the top life sciences startup ecosystem in Canada

Credit: City of Abbotsford

3. How you can help B.C. residents affected by the floods: resources, donation links and drop-off hubs
by Alyssa Hirose
Food banks, search and rescue teams, animal-focused charities—this list helped our readers send aid where it was needed most in the wake of last fall’s devastating floods.

 READ MORE: 18 B.C.-based Indigenous charities and organizations to donate to this week

Credit: Save-On-Foods

4. B.C.’s Most Loved Brands 2021
by Nick Rockel
The eighth edition of our annual ranking, based on a survey by research partner Ipsos, reveals that brands with a long-term view have fared better during the pandemic.

READ MORE: Canada’s big brands have taken a beating during COVID: survey

Credit: Rennie Intelligence

5. Q&A: Vancouver housing market expert Ryan Berlin weighs in on COVID’s impact, supply versus demand and where prices might go next
by Nick Rockel
For an episode of The BCBusiness Podcast, the director of intelligence and senior economist with Rennie Intelligence offers his insightful take on Vancouver’s housing situation.

READ MORE: 2021 Real Estate Report: With a push from COVID, the B.C. property market is reinventing itself

Credit: Well Health Technologies on Twitter

6. Pacific Trader: Will Well Health Technologies’ big acquisition break the fever for its stock?
by Michael McCullough
This instalment of our biweekly B.C. stocks column takes the pulse of Well, a Vancouver-headquartered provider of virtual and in-person health-care services that has been on a buying spree.

READ MORE: B.C. 2.0.: Doctors and patients learn that there’s no place like home

Credit: Hariri Pontarini Architects

7. Land Values: Can Surrey become B.C.’s next major downtown?
by Frances Bula
In her debut real estate column for the magazine, urban issues and politics writer Bula asks what needs to happen for Surrey to create a serious rival to Vancouver’s central business district.

READ MORE: How a B.C. upstart became a key player in the real estate software biz

Credit: Nik West

8. 2021 Education Guide: Micro-credentials are catching on at B.C. universities and colleges
by Dee Hon
For learners and educators, the economic changes wrought by the pandemic have accelerated the push toward micro-credentials, which let students quickly acquire new skills.

READ MORE: Tech unicorn Thinkific moves to the head of the online learning class. That success didn’t happen overnight

Credit: Shobhit Sahu

9. 30 Under 30: Emily Davies’ stock is steadily rising at Linde Equity
by Nick Rockel
Davies, who quickly made partner after joining Vancouver-based independent investment firm Linde in 2018, is one of two female money managers celebrated in our latest 30 Under 30.

READ MORE: 30 Under 30: Lauren Minogue brings a fresh perspective to wealth management

Credit: Association for Mineral Exploration

10. As the world electrifies, the mining industry will strike gold, Robert Friedland predicts
by the Editors
The legendary mining financier, turning in via video from Singapore, shares his thoughts on the sector’s future in a plain-spoken opening keynote for the Association for Mineral Exploration‘s 2021 conference.

READ MORE: Can B.C. stake its claim as a leader in responsible mineral extraction?