Writing a sentence (or two) that is exactly 15 words can take a few tries.
The added challenge of it being a statement about 2015 makes it no easy endeavour.
We asked more than 100 notable Canadians from the world of politics, business, and entertainment to try.
Some offered predictions, a few wrote poetry, and a couple even gave us doomsday jokes.
Now, it’s your turn. Submit yours by tweeting with the hashtag #2015in15words. (One word, technically!)
We’ll update this page with our reader favourites. Good luck—and have a great 2015!
POLITICS
A year for reconciliation with indigenous peoples, and also for building globally competitive, climate-resilient municipalities.
Don Iveson, Mayor of Edmonton
Fixed date vote next fall
Will choose skill, not hair or beards
Harper wins again
Jason Kenney, Minister of Employment and Social Development
Stephen Harper earns re-election. Family tax relief delivered. NDP caucus shrinks by at least half.
James Moore, Minister of Industry
I hope Canadians fall in love with winter again. Strap on snowshoes and head outside!
Laureen Harper
Let’s make 2015 the year of internal free trade — and toast it with BC wine!
Christy Clark, premier of British Columbia
Ontario is very proud to welcome the Pan Am and ParaPan Am Games in 2015!
Kathleen Wynne, premier of Ontario
To combat violence, foster resilience, stability, innovation and prosperity, courageous, visionary leadership will be required.
Elissa Golberg, Canada’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva
In 2015 we help the sandwich generation deal with the challenges facing youth and seniors.
Greg Selinger, premier of Manitoba
Hope for change in 2015 heightens the optimism for better relations and respect in Canada.
Derek Nepinak, Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief
2015: the year of urbanity and cities, and Montréal will be bold, innovative and inescapable.
Denis Coderre, mayor of Montreal
BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS
Sentiment on our economy is so pessimistic that it might just win 2015’s upside-surprise sweepstakes.
David Rosenberg, economist
Empty words on protecting the global environment start to shift to goals then credible action.
Don Drummond, economist
Put “we” before “me” and thrive––because being good to your people is good business.
Peter Aceto, CEO of Tangerine
It begins: cold, dark, unknown. It ends: cold, but brighter. Hope that warming can end.
Diana Carney, advisory board member, Canada2020
An organization’s long-term success will hinge upon its ability to develop and grow tomorrow’s leaders.
Bharat Masrani, TD CEO
In 2015 I’ll continue to be grateful for the best of luck: Being a Canadian.
David Chilton, author of The Wealthy Barber
Challenging, exciting, and full of opportunity. 2015 will require tremendous courage from strong bold women!
Nancy Southern, Chair, President & CEO, ATCO Ltd.
In 2015, Canadian industry will embrace machines with minds that sense, think and speak data.
Elyse Allan, CEO of GE Canada
2015: It’s Canada’s time to become a leader in creating a healthier, more sustainable world.
Kathy Bardswick, President and CEO of the Co-operators
ARTS, CULTURE AND ENTERTAINMENT
Protesters win the battle for Burnaby Mountain. Raptors win the East. I win in general.
Shad, rapper
We’ll start to seriously think about over-connectivity and people will start to take offline breaks.
Rich Aucoin, indie rocker
snow followed by maple syrup
a girl swimming
a boy in tears
oh, autumn leaves
Stuart Mclean, host of the Vinyl Cafe
More cooking, more gardens, and more projects, welcome to 2015 with open arms.
Michael Stadtländer, chef
Things will get much worse and we’ll all likely die a failure. Happy face emoticon.
Dave Bidini, author and musician in the band, the Rheostatics
I’m excited for new technologies: in music gear and ways to create energy. Green party!
Saukrates, rapper
In 2015, I’ll get to the root of things by eating more beets and ginger.
Eliza Robertson, short-story author
2015, that hissy fitty nitty picky nifty shi(f)ty snow bank drifty terriFIC mixed up year.
Sheree Fitch, children’s author
The complexity of our world will force us to listen and learn from each other.
Jeff Melanson, CEO and president of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Make 2015 your absolute last year of procrastinating the things you want to improve upon.
Gerry Dee, actor and comedian
My hope is for kindness to become a currency much bigger than money or fame.
Chantal Kreviazuk, singer
The winter will be short, the summer will be long and hot, the fall glorious.
Clement Virgo, filmmaker
Less of everything, more of so little, less exploitation, more imagination, less I, more you.
Jorn Weisbrodt, artistic director of the Luminato Festival
We will make sure that people living with dementia have safe, dignified and kind care.
Louise Penny, author, whose husband Michael has been afflicted this year
Make more time for yourself: simplify, unplug and really focus on living in the present.
Karen Kain, artistic director at the National Ballet of Canada
2015 will be the Year of the Movement. To endure — be transparent, others-focused, and community-driven.
Paul Brandt, country musician
We will realize that being a version of ourselves puts our happiness at a distance.
Jully Black, R&B singer-songwriter
It is almost as if, as a species, we have a fear of success. – Dewdney.
Emily Haines, Metric, quoting from Toronto author Christopher Dewdney’s book Soul of the World
Read something that upsets your world view, that makes you feel a little bit uncomfortable.
Esi Edugyan, author
Neat-o, the Sun granted another orbit and this planet to do whatever we want with.
Dan Mangan, musician
Seventeen Syllables For Change:
In twenty fourteen
we dreamt of the election
in twenty fifteen.
Shane Koyczan, spoken-word poet
The end of duality is shoving its head down our throats. Let’s surrender already, okay?
Serena Ryder, musician
The Merchant of Water Street opens his doors on a Spring morning and smiles happily.
Jeremy Charles, chef at Raymonds Restaurant
Canadians show strength, stand with survivors of violence, reject silence. Consent Rules! Matriarchy takes over.
Elvira Kurt, comedian
There are colder winds ahead. Don’t look for thicker jackets, just make your insides warmer.
Mustafa the Poet
Sagaciously, a year of reason. Habitually, one of agreeable taciturnity. Mind you, I’m a pragmatist.
Matthew Good, musician
if a real Canadian knows how to make love in a canoe, we lost balance
Jason Collett, singer-songwriter, Broken Social Scene member
Treatment, care and welfare of animals that provide our food, will become a global priority.
Jann Arden, musician
If the love for the North is real, let’s change the policies that govern it!
Susan Aglukark, musician
People who need great art will find their way, blockbusters, bestsellers and stars be damned.
Marianne Ackerman, novelist and playwright
‘Sometimes too hot the eye of heaven shines and often is his gold complexion dimmed.’
Donald Sutherland (quoting Shakespeare’s 18th sonnet)
Young women will proudly call themselves feminists, understanding that it is about equality, not misandry.
Kelley Armstrong, author
In 2015 more Canadians will experience mega-hits of wild, radical pleasure by reading Canadian books.
Lisa Moore, author
Canada will reverse course and become a world leader in the fight against climate change.
David Usher, musician
SPORTS
I’m only allowed to write fifteen words about 2015? Is hoverboards one word or two?
Peter Dyakowski, CFL player, formerly “Canada’s Smartest Person,” the Maclean’s Genius
In 2015 … We will all love and support those suffering in silence with mental illness.
Liz Manley, former competitive figure skater
“Year of Sport”! A year to play, run, cheer, set some goals and dream big!
Adam van Koeverden, gold-medalist sprint kayaker
We find the courage and discipline to fully express our individual gifts to the world.
Silken Laumann, Canadian champion mower
More people will continue moving to Saskatchewan while hailing the 2015 Grey Cup Champion Roughriders.
Gene Makowsky, Saskatchewan MLA and Canadian Football League legend
In 2015, we’ll continue the conversation about trauma and mental health. You are not alone!
Theo Fleury, former NHL player and advocate for sexual-abuse victims
For TO2015, we welcome the best athletes of the Americas. Come cheer on Team Canada!
Rosie MacLennan, trampoline gymnast
In sports, science, arts, and humanity, Canadians will continue making our world a better place.
Jennifer Jones, Canada’s curling star
Start believing that we are capable of way more than we give ourselves credit for.
Heather Moyse, multisport athlete and two-time Canadian gold medallist
Being physically active supports health; collectively, let’s do more to get Canadians moving in 2015.
Jennifer Heil, freestyle skier
Enhancing social outcomes for our first nations and aboriginal communities becomes our nation’s top priority.
Jordin Tootoo, hockey player
ACTIVISTS, CHARITIES AND CAUSES
October 19, 2015 is Legalization of Cannabis Day in Canada. Canadian voters make it happen.
Marc Emery, marijuana activist
There must be a turning-point in the fight against sexual violence everywhere on the planet.
Stephen Lewis, Board Chair, Stephen Lewis Foundation
‘What’s up with today’s kids?’ will refer to legions of young volunteers in Canada’s communities.
Craig Kielburger, international activist and co-founder of Free The Children and Me to We
2015 will be the year that we start calling the war against ISIS ‘a quagmire.’
Sam Nutt, founder and Executive Director of War Child Canada
MEDIA
Keep on rawkin in the free world & doot doola doot doo … do it Yourself !
Nardwuar The Human Serviette, music journalist
2015 is going to bring multicultural cuisines and ethnic music to bind the people together.
Vikram Vij
More than ever, the world is full of opportunity—opportunity for kindness, compassion and collaboration.
Drew Scott, of the Property Bros.
Our voices will grow stronger, our words will be heard and equality will be realized.
Jonathan Scott, of the Property Bros.
It would be nice if just once this year, social media was not actively anti-social.
Christie Blatchford, columnist
We will see expansion of individual contribution over institutional—via mobile devices and in real-time.
Kirstine Stewart, vice-president of North America media partnerships at Twitter
Dear Encana. I fear a Minority. Must leave. I’m on roof. Send plane. Love Stephen.
Rick Mercer, host of the Mercer Report
Life on Parliament Hill: federal elections, MP ejections, Senate dejection, Vickers’ protection, voter disaffection. Repeat?
Evan Solomon, host of CBC’s Power and Politics
Builders will have to build healthier, environmentally friendly homes—not just homes that look good.
Mike Holmes, host of Holmes Inspection
Laurier: “Canada is free and freedom is its nationality.” I’d vote for such a Liberal.
Ezra Levant, host at Sun News Network
Its demise greatly exaggerated, in 2015 let’s squash rumours of the death of traditional media.
Amanda Lang, anchor of the CBC’s The Exchange with Amanda Lang
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
2015: For better or for worse, the year genomic NIPT (non-invasive prenatal testing) goes mainstream.
Stephen Scherer, director of the Centre for Applied Genomics at the Hospital for Sick Children
Canadians will be in awe of the power of weather and talk endlessly about it.
David Phillips, climatologist for Environment Canada
We’ll decide whether networked computers are there to set us free or enslave us forever.
Cory Doctorow, author and co-editor of Boing Boing
Around the sun
Once more
Our dreams
And courage for
Great things
Yet to explore
Dr. Roberta Bondar
A royal reinterment, a royal genome, working with colleagues who are rockstars in their fields.
Turi King, Lecturer in Genetics and Archaeology at U of Leicester
ACADEMIA
New words will come, old words will change, the English language will survive and thrive.
Katherine Barber, “Canada’s Word Lady”
The dangers versus the benefits of artificial intelligence will become the next big international debate.
Rudyard Griffiths, Chair, The Munk Debates
MACLEAN’S READERS
Alberta’s chagrined, Harper’s reined in, Ghomeshi gets tinned, the Leafs lose again and more taxes.
Rob Graham, Claremont, Ont.
