CBC Nova Scotia's top 10 stories of 2015

From the Dalhousie dentistry scandal, to the foiled Halifax Shopping Centre shooting plot, to a breathing forest floor, this year's top newsmakersare an eclectic bunch.

Here's the top 10 most-readstories fromCBC Nova Scotia's websitethis year. It was an eventful one.

10. Airline seat and religious accommodation

Woman questions airline seat move request

9 years ago

Duration 2:00

A passenger wants an apology from Porter Airlines, alleging a flight attendant asked her to change seats with a man because he didn't want to sit by a woman

A former Halifax chefallegedshewas asked to move fromher seat to accommodate a man who did not want to sit beside a woman for religious reasons.

Christine Flynn, 31, said she was buckled in and waiting for herPorter flight to take off from Newark, N.J., to Toronto when an Orthodox Jewish man approached.

"He came down the aisle, he didn't actually look at me or make eye contact. He turned to thegentleman across the aisle and said, 'Change.'"

9. Password protection

Alain Philipponof Ste-Anne-des-Plaines, Que.,refused to divulge his cellphone password to Canada Border Services Agency during a customs search at Halifax Stanfield International Airport in March.

Philippon had arrived in Halifax on a flight from Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. He wascharged under section 153.1 (b) of the Customs Act for hindering or preventing border officers from performing their role under the act. The case is still making its way through the courts.

8. Dal dentistry student suspension

ThirteenDalhousieUniversity dentistry students who belonged to a controversial Facebook group weretemporarily suspended from clinical activities.

In the Facebook postings, the fourth-year male dentistry students madeviolent sexual comments about female classmates, includinga poll about having "hate" sex with female students and drugging women.

After the group was discovered by a female classmate, the controversy made waves across the countryas people debated how the students should be dealt with by the university.

7. Firefighter called to crash involving his own son

Five people were injured in ahead-on collision on Old Guysborough Road at Antrim Road on Dec. 26.

Kenny Bell, a firefighter who lives inMiddle Musquodoboit was at a family Boxing Day dinner when his pager went off at about 4p.m.

"I was there for maybe half an hour or 45 minutes before I got to looking at the car and I said 'that looks like Bobby's car' and I started piecing together that he was late for the supper," he said. "I poked my head in the car and seen it was him and that's when my first responder role kind ofended right there."

Bell's son suffered a broken wrist, leg and shattered kneecap but is expected to recover.

6. Air Francefalse bomb threats

Air France flight diverted to Halifax

9 years ago

Duration 0:40

Another plane was diverted to Salt Lake City due to an anonymous threat that was phoned in

No explosives werefound aboard two separateAir France planes that werediverted to Halifax and Salt Lake Citydue to bomb threats in November.

Authorities in both cities thoroughly inspectedboth aircraft, passengersand their luggage, and nothing was found.

5.Suspects charged in foiled mall shooting plot

LindsayKanitthaSouvannarath, a 23-year-old from Geneva, Ill., and Randall Steven Shepherd, 20, of Halifax werecharged with conspiracy to commit murder in relation toan alleged plot to kill a large number of people at the Halifax Shopping Centre on Valentine's Day.

Souvannarathwas arrested at the HalifaxStanfieldInternational Airport after arriving in Canada. Shepherd, who was there to meet her, was also arrested. Their case is still before the courts.

4. Baddeck couple found dead in Mexico

The couple wereidentified as CharlesMacKenzie and his wife, Dorothy, of Baddeck, N.S.

They were in Mexico to attend their daughter's wedding, which was due to take place on Nov. 12, a family friend told CBC News.

Mexican authorities said the deaths wereaccidental and linked,suggesting the man's heart attack may have caused the womanto drown.

3. Breathing, heaving forest floor

Trees 'breathe' under forest floor

9 years ago

Duration 1:36

What lies underneath the forest floor?

Brian Nuttallwas out for a walk onOct. 30 in Apple River, Cumberland County,when he came across an unusual sight and pulled out his cellphone.

In the video, the forest floor heaves like it is breathing. The video has garnered more than three million views fromonline spectators.

2. Air Canada flight that landed short of runwaywas 'pretty lucky'

A Transportation Safety Board investigator saidAir Canada Flight 624 passengers were"pretty lucky" that thecrash at Halifax's airport wasn't more serious after theplane touched down more than 300 metres short of therunway andsmashed through an antenna arraybefore finally skidding to a stop.

Twenty-threepeople on board were taken to hospital, none with critical injuries, airport officials said.

1. Huge Christmas Day lineup at Truro Tim Hortons

Tim Hortons line in Truro, N.S., on Christmas Day

9 years ago

Duration 0:16

"Most of the town" lined up for coffee at the Tim Hortons coffee shop in Truro, N.S., Christmas morning, the video's author says.

At least 100 cars were bumper-to-bumper along Robie Street in Truro this past Christmas Day. All to get a Tim Hortons coffee.

"The line was enough to turn me away," MacAulay said. "I just decided, 'No coffee for me' and I'd just take a video."

Now that's a Canadian Christmas story.