2011 was a year that saw a northern Alberta town nearly destroyed by fire, a surprise royal visit, the conviction of an amateur filmmaker in a macabre first-degree murder trial, and the election of a brand new premier who has put a fresh face on the provincial Progressive Conservatives.

So it's no surprise that all these events are reflected in our list of Edmonton's ten most viewed stories of 2011.

However, CBC readers had the strongest response to the tale of Emily Ainsworth, the young autistic girl who was twice kicked out of a west Edmonton Winners store because she entered the premises with her service dog, Levi.

The discount retailer later apologized and offered to donate $10,000 to a charity of Ainsworth's choice. The money will be used to train a service dog for another autistic child in Alberta.

Here are the top ten most viewed stories on CBC.ca/Edmonton in 2011:

  1. Oct. 25: Edmonton store bars girl's service dog twice
  2. May 16: Fire destroys 40% of Slave Lake
  3. July 26: William and Kate thrill Slave Lake residents
  4. Oct. 2: Alberta's next premier vows to unite former rivals
  5. Apr. 6: Twitchell tells jury he killed Altinger in self-defence
  6. July 11: Boy, 5, fataly shot at Hobbema, Alta. reserve
  7. Dec. 4: 2 Alberta Mounties wounded in gunfire
  8. June 12: U of Alberta dean stole speech: med students
  9. Nov. 13: Teen hockey player dies after puck hits throat
  10. Jan. 6: Alberta oilsands explosion injures 4