Audience interest isn’t the only way we measure success at Broadview, but it is certainly an important factor.
We pay close attention to what you like reading, as measured by digital page views, and thought you’d be interested too. Here are your top 10 stories of 2025.
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10. Canada is losing its churches. Can communities afford to let that happen?
The Canadian Urban Institute released a report earlier this year that explored not only the rapid, ongoing closure of churches in this country but also just how much communities lose when they do. This isn’t the first piece of research that looks at faith communities’ impact on their surrounding neighbourhoods, but the CUI report also explores solutions to church closures. Clearly, many of you care about this issue.
9. Should Canada’s religious charities lose tax status? Readers weigh in
A December 2024 House of Commons finance committee recommendation drew ire from people of faith across Canada over the possibility that the charitable status of faith-driven non-profits, along with their tax exemptions, could be revoked. In the fall, the office of House of Commons finance committee chair, Liberal MP Karina Gould, confirmed that there are no plans to remove religion as a charitable purpose from the federal income tax act. But earlier this year, it caused a big stir across the country, including among our readers.
You can read your responses to the concept here.
8. U.S. House response to Budde’s sermon shows just how deeply Trump’s allies missed her point
Mariann Budde, the Episcopal bishop of the Diocese of Washington, made international headlines when she personally addressed U.S. President Donald Trump during the official inauguration prayer service, imploring him to consider the impact of his policies on marginalized people. Trump did not react kindly to the sermon and neither did House Republicans. Rev. Bri-anne Swan’s reflection on the gulf between Budde’s message and that reaction resonated with many of you.
7. Toronto condo’s lawsuit against street ministry is deeply cruel
In another thoughtful reflection, Rev. Bri-anne Swan introduced readers to the standoff between a Toronto condo board and its neighbour, Sanctuary Ministries, a ministry for unhoused and other vulnerable people. Swan notes that while the issues facing Sanctuary’s clients are bigger than it or the condo board can hope to address, blaming the outreach organization is like “blaming the first-aid tent for the war.” Many of you appreciated her compassionate response.
You can read her reflection here
6. West Hill United now has an executive director instead of a minister
Rev. Gretta Vosper made international headlines when she announced just over a decade ago that she was an atheist, and readers have been interested in every story about her and her congregation since. The Scarborough, Ont., United church never fails to push the boundaries about what it means to be the United Church. Our latest story about West Hill looks at the community’s recent move to not hire another minister after Vosper retired — but to choose an executive director instead.
You can read about the new executive director here.
More on Broadview:
- Bondi Beach Hanukkah attack came after big increase in online antisemitism: research
- Canada is 25 years late on ending child poverty
- Danté Stewart on fighting the rise of Christian nationalism
5. Inside Nova Scotia’s bold plan to end disability institutions
Many disabled Canadians are still housed in institutions, despite the wishes of many to live independently. As journalist Meagan Gillmore explores, a landmark reform in Nova Scotia could deliver this wish, even as some advocates question whether it’s going to happen. Gillmore’s deep dive into the plan and her interviews with people who would benefit intrigued many of you who wanted to learn more.
You can read Gillmore’s story about “the remedy” here.
4. Will Trump use military force against Canada? This author says he might.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s ongoing taunts about turning Canada into the 51st state necessarily spurred a ton of conversation about how serious he was — Trump is known for his bluster, but annexing a foreign country is a big thing to joke about. Author Thomas Homer Dixon gave us a straightforward look at the overall political context and how it might offer us clues about what is to come. Many of you were alarmed by his warnings and what they could mean for Canada.
You can read more of our interview with Dixon here.
3. This Saskatoon church’s big gamble paid off
Amid our ongoing coverage of the United Church’s decline, we decided to also showcase congregations that are bucking the trends. Rev. Christopher White’s second installment in his thriving congregations series profiled St. Paul’s United in Saskatoon, which shifted its focus and made some changes to worship. While a few church members left the congregation at the outset, the long-term impact was growth and revitalization. You were very interested in our successful congregations series overall, but this story garnered the most attention.
You can read more about St. Paul’s United here.
2. I study empathy — Elon Musk gets it all wrong
The pugnacious billionaire’s comment calling empathy a “fundamental weakness” prompted us to think, surely he’s wrong? We solicited Greg Depow, a Canadian researcher who studies empathy, to respond. Unsurprisingly, he disagrees with Musk. Much of the interest in this op-ed came from people searching Google for Musk’s comments, and they formed the majority of the nearly 12,000 pageviews that this story garnered this year.
You can read Depow’s response to Musk here.
1. What 4 major party leaders have said about their faith
Nearly 13,000 of you were interested in learning about the spiritual convictions of the main political leaders vying for federal election this past spring. Many were particularly interested in learning more about Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s faith, given his affinity for issues that interest certain segments of Canadian Christians. Julie McGonegal’s thoughtful look at how religion informed the values of people in power was our top story of the year.
You can read more about the leaders’ faiths here.
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