The public conversation on sexual harassment and assault sparked by the allegations against Hollywood giant Harvey Weinstein has been selected as the 2017 News Story of the Year.
The Canadian Press annual survey of news editors and reporters from across the country saw 23 out of 80 votes cast for sexual harassment as the most compelling story of the year.
The ongoing fentanyl crisis came in second with 18 votes, with marijuana and the complexities of legalization in third place with 14.
The allegations that emerged this fall against Weinstein, an Oscar-winning film producer, opened a floodgate of similar accusations that spread to Canada and affected virtually every industry, from the arts and sports to politics and law enforcement.
Several powerful men, including Gilbert Rozon, the founder of the Just For Laughs comedy festival, and Sportsnet baseball analyst Gregg Zaun, were fired or stepped down from their positions amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
At the same time, the metoo hashtag that saw Canadians of all walks of life share stories of misconduct showed the pervasiveness of an issue that has been hard to quantify.