the summer of

What it was like to be 15 in 1987 in Canada

To be fifteen in Canada in 1987 was to have “Can't Help Falling in Love” by Corey Hart everywhere, Dirty Dancing on every screen, and Degrassi Junior High on after school. That year, gas cost $0.49/litre and The loonie replaces the paper dollar was the new thing. Born in 1972? You turned 15 in 1987 — a teenager from 1985 to 1991, right in the window a soundtrack bonds to you for life.

Compiled by the Original Lore archive from period charts, box-office and price records. How we build these · sources noted throughout.

▶ Play your 1987 reel with sounda 30-second video of your year — the song, the screen, the turn.

the mixtape of 1987

Can't Help Falling in Love — Corey Hart

  1. La Bamba — Los LobosThe Ritchie Valens film sent this rolling through every backyard and beach party all summer long.
  2. With or Without You — U2The Edge's chiming guitar filled the car on late drives when nobody wanted to say goodnight.
  3. La Isla Bonita — MadonnaMadonna's flamenco daydream made a landlocked prairie kid ache for a coast they'd never seen.
  4. I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) — Whitney HoustonPure joy in a shout — every girl at the school dance became Whitney for four minutes.
  5. Heat of the Night — Bryan AdamsBryan Adams roared back and Canada leaned in, proud that one of ours owned the airwaves.

▶ Play your 1987 reel

why this one mattered

Montreal's own teen idol, already famous for his sunglasses-at-night swagger, softened into a tender Elvis cover that became the one and only all-Canadian #1 of the year — the song playing at every school dance that winter.

the year-end #1 was #1 on RPM's Singles Chart on January 31, 1987 — the sole Canadian act to top the chart that year; ranked #29 on RPM's 1987 year-end top 100.

what topped the Canadian box office in 1987

  • Dirty Dancing
  • The Princess Bride
  • Three Men and a Baby
  • RoboCop
  • I've Heard the Mermaids Singing

the tv shows you are binging in 1987

  • Degrassi Junior High
  • Night Heat
  • The Beachcombers
  • Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel
  • Hockey Night in Canada

the games you are playing in 1987

  • The Legend of Zelda
  • Mega Man
  • Duck Hunt
  • Punch-Out!!
  • Paperboy
  • Metroid

what things cost in 1987

What things cost in 1987
Gasoline$0.49/litre
Minimum wage (Ontario)$4.35/hour
Movie ticket~$5.50
Stamp (domestic letter)$0.36
the average income~$23,000/year average individual employment income

trending this year

The Loonie
Wikimedia Commons, source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Big_loonie.jpg · Public domain
The Loonie
Frobisher Bay becomes Iqaluit
Photo by Anick-Marie (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Iqaluit_sign.jpg · CC BY-SA 2.0
Frobisher Bay becomes Iqaluit
New cable specialty channels
Wikimedia Commons, source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CBC_Newsworld_logo.svg · Public domain
New cable specialty channels
Free trade talks conclude
Wikimedia Commons, source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:President_Ronald_Reagan_Signing_United_States_-_Canada_Free_Trade_Agreement_at_The_Sunnylands_Annenberg_Estate_in_Rancho_Mirage_California_-_DPLA_-_d1650e5d7b17879e4467e199c2a62d2e.jpg · Public domain
Free trade talks conclude
Ben Johnson, world's fastest man
Wikimedia Commons, source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elgrafico_3599_ben_johnson.jpg · Public domain
Ben Johnson, world's fastest man

the gadgets you just got

The Loonie
Photo by Creative Tools from Halmstad, Sweden (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CreativeTools.se_-_PackshotCreator_-_Canada_Dollar_(5078505486).jpg · CC BY 2.0
The Loonie
Sony Discman
Isabelle Hurbain-Palatin (Balise42), via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sony Discman
Nintendo Entertainment System
Naula Ayisabun Aningore, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Nintendo Entertainment System
Answering machine
Photo by Jorge Barrios Riquelme (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Southwestern_Bell_-_Answering_Machine-_Model_FA935.jpg · CC BY-SA 3.0
Answering machine
IBM PS/2
Wikimedia Commons, source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:IBM_PS_2_Model_P70-386_(1990)_(6981093960).jpg · CC0
IBM PS/2

what everyone is snacking on

Wunderbar
AI-generated illustration
Wunderbar
All-dressed chips
Photo by Ser Amantio di Nicolao (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_pile_of_All_Dressed_potato_chips_on_a_paper_towel.jpg · CC BY-SA 4.0
All-dressed chips
Timbits
Wikimedia Commons, source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Timbits.jpg · Public domain
Timbits
Kraft Dinner
Photo by Beosmrx (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kraft_dinner_preparation.jpg · CC BY-SA 3.0
Kraft Dinner
Aero bar
Photo by slgckgc (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aero_bar_-_5179972155.jpg · CC BY 2.0
Aero bar

what everyone is drinking

Tim Hortons double-double
Photo by Justin (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tim_Hortons,_extra_extra_large.jpg · CC BY-SA 2.0
Tim Hortons double-double
Orange Crush
Photo by Alextvmx (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Botella_Orange_Crush_Mexico.jpg · CC BY-SA 4.0
Orange Crush
Milk in a bag
Photo by incommunicado (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Four_litre_bagged_milk,_Quebec.jpg · CC BY-SA 2.0
Milk in a bag
Canada Dry ginger ale
Photo by Lynette (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Canada_Dry_ginger_ale_bottles.jpg · CC BY 2.0
Canada Dry ginger ale
Kool-Aid
Missouri State Archives, via Wikimedia Commons (File:Historic Trademarks - Kool-Aid.jpg) · Public Domain (US, published 1931-1977 without copyright notice; Flickr Commons 'No known copyright restrictions')
Kool-Aid

what made the news in 1987

  • The Loonie coin enters circulation (June 30)
  • An F4 tornado devastates Edmonton, killing 27 (July 31)
  • Rick Hansen completes his Man in Motion world tour, returning to Vancouver (May 22)
  • The Reform Party of Canada is founded (October 31)
  • New cable channels YTV, CBC Newsworld and The Weather Network are licensed
The Loonie replaces Canada's paper $1 bill on June 30
Photo by Levi ackreman (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Loonie.jpg · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Loonie replaces Canada's paper $1 bill on June 30
The Edmonton Tornado kills 27 people on July 31
Photo by Stevesimon1 (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edmonton_Tornado.jpg · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Edmonton Tornado kills 27 people on July 31
Provincial premiers agree to the Meech Lake Accord on April 30
Photo by Wilder Mendez (Lezumbalaberenjena) (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Meech-Lake.jpg · Public domain
Provincial premiers agree to the Meech Lake Accord on April 30
Ben Johnson sets a new 100-metre world record at the World Championships in Rome (August 30)
AI-generated illustration
Ben Johnson sets a new 100-metre world record at the World Championships in Rome (August 30)
The Reform Party of Canada holds its founding convention in Winnipeg, naming Preston Manning leader (autumn 1987)
Photo by Warawa (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PrestonManning.jpg · Public domain
The Reform Party of Canada holds its founding convention in Winnipeg, naming Preston Manning leader (autumn 1987)

what everyone is saying

  • "eh"still doing all the work at the end of every sentence
  • "loonie"brand new slang for the brand new $1 coin
  • "give'r"full effort, no holding back
  • "beauty"as in 'what a beauty,' high praise for anything at all
  • "keener"the kid with their hand up before the question's finished

the summer of 1987.

the best of it still feels like it's coming.

…and then it cools. Play the reel to feel where 1987 goes.

Turn 1987 into a 30-second reel →

▶ Play your 1987 reel with sound