Our year-in-review special looks back at the wacky, weird, and wondrous stories of 2014.

Happy talk
“I stand by my view that Vancouver’s practices are in line with similar-sized organizations elsewhere in the public and private sectors. Do they make reporters happy? No, but when are reporters really happy?”—Vision Vancouver councillor Geoff Meggs (a former journalist) on the City of Vancouver’s restrictive communication practices. The city updated its media communication policy in December

Mea Culpa
“While we’ve done a lot of good things, we’ve done very well in the past six years, there’s also things that we haven’t done particularly well, and for those in particular, when I haven’t met your expectations, I am sorry.”—Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson during a campaign debate just before election day

Sorry state of affairs
“When you basically go through six years when you don’t really acknowledge a mistake and then with three days to go you say: ‘I’m sorry for everything, I’m sorry if I’ve offended anybody, I’m sorry some of the things we did weren’t really done well’… I mean, I think that people look through that right away and go, you know, ‘That can’t possibly be genuine.’ ”—NPA mayoral candidate Kirk LaPointe on Robertson’s last-minute apology to Vancouver voters

He stoops to conquer
“I was disappointed to see those personal attacks through the campaign. I think they really lowered the bar for Vancouver politics, and, at this point, I don’t have any intention of holding back on that.”—Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson on NPA Vancouver

Eleventh hour wake-up call
In October, a large Russian cargo ship carrying bunker fuel and diesel lost power and started to drift toward Haida Gwaii. The Simushir was eventually rescued by Canadian Coast Guard ship Gordon Reid.

Olfactory fresh
“I called it the imaginary ghost smell from the land of make-believe.”—Nanaimo landlord Randall Stearman after he successfully appealed a B.C. Supreme Court ruling that ordered him to pay almost $19,000 to a commercial tenant for failing to get rid of an odour that Stearman claimed no one else could smell

Naked Terror
Neighbours who live near a small beach in Penticton that has been popular with naturists for decades launched a petition asking the city to ban nudists. As reported by the Province, one man, Dennis Roszell, who owns a house directly across the street from Three Mile Beach stated in an email: “The nudists have actually perpetuated their blatant crimes to a point of terrorist activity and should be convicted of terrorism.” The spat started when a property owner blocked access to a part of the beach traditionally used by the nudists and they moved closer to a public area.

Babyhitter
Victoria police raced to an apartment where a babysitter cowered on a balcony with the door locked and her seven-year-old charge inside after she called 911 and reported that the boy kicked her in the head and tried to strangle her. A neighbour told Victoria’s Times Colonist: “He gets a little rough, but everyone makes mistakes. He’s a child.”

Labour pains
“Just because they are unions, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are bad.”—Vision Vancouver city councillor Raymond Louie at an October 29 candidates debate after being challenged about a recent meeting with CUPE Local 1004 where he told members considering a Vision donation that city hall would not contract out more services provided by union staff

Louie, Louie, oh no!
“Mr. Louie, are you incapable of keeping your mouth shut for a minute?”—NPA mayoral candidate Kirk LaPointe at the same debate after Louie interrupted while LaPointe was accusing Vision Vancouver of trading “dollars for votes” and forging a “deal” with CUPE. LaPointe and his party were subsequently sued for defamation by Mayor Gregor Robertson and Coun. Geoff Meggs after making similar comments in campaign ads and a newspaper column

Luck pay a lady tonight
The B.C. Lottery Corp. paid a woman $100,000 after a malfunctioning slot machine in a Penticton casino showed a jackpot payoff of $99,999.97, 100 times more than the maximum the machine—called Dragon Fever—was programmed to allow. BCLC spokesperson Laura Piva-Babcock told CBC News that the corporation paid the woman and went after the machine’s manufacturer to recover the amount.

Fawning of a new day
“I think she’s a brilliant politician; she’s got a lot of skill. Gordon Campbell could be ham-handed; you couldn’t accuse Christy of that.”—David Vipond, chief negotiator for the B.C. Government and Services Employees’ Union, about the difference between Premier Christy Clark and her predecessor

Booting the messenger
“Playing clips from this video over and over again and informing the public of where they can view the video is irresponsible and does not serve the public interest.”—TransLink CEO Ian Jarvis in a statement sent to media outlets about an online game called Main Street Massacre that depicted a Vancouver SkyTrain station as the location of a killing spree by an agitated construction worker

Bit of green in your wallet
“It’s kind of like a glorified pawn ticket, really.”—David Tiessen, creator of GENERcoin, on his asset-tied, green-energy cryptocurrency

Shot in the foot
“I’m just holding a gun and somebody took a photo of it. And my hair looks impeccable.”—City of North Vancouver 2014 council candidate Iani Makris during a September Straight interview about an image posted on his Facebook account that showed him pointing what appeared to be a shotgun

Spraypaint swat
“My only response to that would be that we investigate criminal offences.”—Vancouver police spokesperson Const. Brian Montague to the Straight on claims that a raid on a home by more than a dozen police with drawn weapons—allegedly for graffiti offences—was actually an act of oppression against antipipeline activists

High-level negotiations
“I sent the premier some cannabis buds…I thought if she could get together with Peter Fassbender, Jim Iker, and their negotiating teams to share a joint, it would help break down some barriers and give the BCTF negotiations a fresh start.”—Marijuana activist and former B.C. NDP leadership candidate Dana Larsen on why he allegedly sent some Purple Kush buds to Premier Christy Clark during 2014’s record-breaking teachers’ strike

Testicular fortitude
“Thank you for having a set of balls counselor, they are much needed and appreciated.”—From a citizen’s letter to Vision Vancouver councillor Kerry Jang (obtained by a Straight FOI request) about his support for medicinal marijuana