From eye-catching advertisements to head-scratching real estate listings, 2018 has been an interesting year in local news.
Posters for a sex doll brothel popped up in Vancouver, a fixer-upper was listed at nearly $7 million, a crow became friends with a mail courier and a stuffed rodent briefly went missing from an education centre.
As the year comes to a close, here's a look back at some of the stranger headlines we've written in the last 12 months:
Pizza chain apologizes for Surrey delivery sampling
One of Canada's largest pizza chains issued an apology after an alert concierge caught one of Domino's delivery drivers snacking on an order as he brought it upstairs.
Person who adopted pig then ate it didn't break law, SPCA says
A B.C. resident who adopted a pig named "Molly" under false pretenses then slaughtered and ate it has been banned from receiving more animals, but did not break the law, the BC SPCA said in Feburary.
$800K spent by ICBC on Ferrari repairs not enough, owner says
A bill worth nearly a million dollars had some B.C. residents calling for higher insurance premiums on luxury vehicles, but the owner of the 1990 Ferrari F40 told ICBC the $790,000 they'd spent fixing his car wasn't enough.
Aging Vancouver fixer-upper listed for $7M
A home in Vancouver's West End was listed at $6.98 million in March – more than $3 million over its assessed value. The listing said the near-century-old, 2,500-square-foot house with a partially finished basement was beautiful but in need of "a little" TLC.
Seagulls trash hotel room over suitcase of pepperoni
"There are sentences that are as rich as whole novels," journalist and author Jeet Heer commented on a tweet posted by CTV Vancouver about this bizarre series of events that played out on Vancouver Island. A Nova Scotia man had been banned from Victoria's Fairmont Empress after seagulls trashed his room trying to get at a suitcase of pepperoni he'd left near an open window in 2001. He apologized this year, and is now welcome back in the building.
There are sentences that are as rich as whole novels. https://t.co/7Ar5tYFIrS
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) April 3, 2018
Canuck the crow begrudgingly makes a friend
A Vancouver crow known for its headline-making exploits, including stealing a knife from a crime scene, befriended a Canada Post carrier in April, but only after being bribed.
'Where Are U Now?': Taxidermied teaching tool 'Justin Beaver' on the lam
A 10-pound taxidermied rodent briefly went missing in April when the educational tool was left out at Cheam Lake Wetlands park. A mock wanted poster was put out on social media and the bucktoothed critter was returned, but not before a couple on Vancouver Island turned over their own stuffed beaver so the wetlands education program could continue.
Child rapper's 'Hollywood Hills' condo actually Vancouver listing
The mother of a foul-mouthed youngster with millions of Instagram followers resigned from her job as a realtor when it was discovered that a music video shot in Lil Tay's "Hollywood Hills" apartment was actually shot in a Vancouver condo listed for sale.
Man flying swastika flag says he's 'absolutely not' honouring Nazis
A Burnaby resident who upset his neighbours last year by flying a Confederate flag over his yard was the subject of complaints again this May for choosing a flag with a swastika at the centre. Despite the connotation the symbol carries, the resident of the home told CTV News he was "absolutely not" honouring Nazis.
Cabbie refused ride to Jillian Harris for good reason, company says
A rant from "Love it or List it Vancouver" star Jillian Harris had many voicing their own issues with Metro Vancouver taxi service, but the driver who refused to take her from Port Moody to downtown Vancouver had a valid reason, his employer said.
Plan to remove Surrey peacocks ruffles feathers
This year, CTV published five stories on the saga that was the Surrey peacock controversy. The city eventually came up with a plan to remove and rehome the colourful birds, but not before several vehicles were damaged and a bylaw officer was attacked by a homeowner.
12-year-old accepts handgun delivery
A Fraser Valley father was furious that his pre-teen daughter was allowed to accept the delivery of a handgun he'd purchased online with nothing more than a simple signature.
Posters advertising sex doll brothel plastered in Vancouver
Posters appeared in August on poles across downtown Vancouver advertising the city's "first sex doll brothel."
Around the time Bella Dolls was scheduled to open, another business in Kamloops began advertising a roster of rental dolls that can be delivered to homes or hotels, then picked up the next day.
Seller of $38 Hot Dog Water to target crowds outside Goop summit
The creator of Hot Dog Water – a satirical product with dubious health benefits that sells for $38 a pop – made headlines this year with a gimmick designed to encourage consumers to be more discerning. In October, he set up shop outside a Vancouver wellness summit, and while he said he had "no personal vendetta," he was quick to point out the bad press Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle brand has faced.
$1,400 worth of butter stolen in Coquitlam
"Butter late than never," RCMP said in a pun-heavy media release following the arrest of a man they described as a prolific butter thief in November.
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If you're curious about our most popular content this year, check out the top 5 of 2018.
