The most-read BCBusiness stories of 2024

These are the stories our readers clicked on the most in the year that was

There’s always some ooh-ing and aah-ing involved when the time comes to compile this list (mostly from me). We’ve done it before and we’re doing it again—from industries spanning finance, government, retail and tourism, these are the top 10 stories that resonated with you (our readers) the most this year. 

Let’s get to it.  

10. We witnessed Kevin Falcon tell his BC United caucus that the party was suspending its campaign. It was weird.

What BCBusiness editor-in-chief Nathan Caddell witnessed at a BC United Party press conference in August was stranger than fiction. He reports what he overhead Kevin Falcon (loudly) telling the party’s MLAs.  

9. The 2024 Women of the Year Awards

The 2023 WOTY Awards was on our list last year, and its reappearance on this year’s list confirms what we already knew: the competition’s popularity has not changed one bit. We were so impressed by the applications we received for our 2024 competition that we expanded the list of recipients from 15 to 21. These are the winners and finalists. 

8. MEC got lost in the woods. Has it found its way back to the path?

Like many Canadians, writer Ryan Stuart grew up shopping at MEC. So when he heard that the outdoor retail brand was opening a new store in B.C., he decided to analyze the twists and turns the company has taken over the years. This is Stuart’s deep dive on MEC’s journey back to profitability. 

7. Entrepreneur Of The Year 2024

In 2024, we presented one of the biggest features we’ve ever done on EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year – Pacific Region program by celebrating 36 people from 27 different organizations in B.C. The stories we spotlight in this package point to what the future holds for industries ranging from tech, health and education to insurance, real estate and construction. 

6. Small Town Success: Pitt Meadows’ Hopcott Farms is growing with community support

Riley Webster digs into how Pitt Meadows-based Hopcott Farms cares for its community.

5. Pacific Trader: Aritzia snaps back like a stretchy shoulder strap

Michael McCullough has been a contributor and sometime staff member of BCBusiness since 1991. In this finance story on Aritzia, he takes stock of the Vancouver-based fashion retailer’s performance in the market.

4. Meet the women powering the Okanagan wine industry

This story on the sisterhood of the Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country (the women behind the Okanagan’s wine industry) has been on our list of most popular BCBusiness stories since we published the story in May. Click to read about winemakers like Val Tait, Catherine Coulombe, Danielle Dhaliwal and more. 

3. 2024 30 under 30 winners 

B.C.’s young guns are pushing the province forward—even in one of the toughest economic climates of our time. We love to tell their stories. 

2. The 2024 Top 100: The tough get going

We ranked B.C.’s biggest companies by revenue (as well as industry) and took the liberty of analyzing top revenue winners and losers of the year. 

1. Carry On: YVR finds a rival in Singapore’s Changi Airport

Longtime contributor Charlene Rooke took her travel column to new heights this year. Her article pitting YVR against Singapore’s Changi Airport (and recommending Seray’s sleepwear for planes and hotel) turned out to be the most-read BCBusiness story of 2024. Check it out.