[Margaret Evans] This year Brexit finally seemed to come to a head.
Three and a half years after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union
it seems they're a whole lot closer to actually doing it.
[Reporter] Boris Johnson has been to see the Queen again.
His conservative party's victory yesterday big enough to offer him a clear path ahead
on his drive to lead Britain out of the European Union by the end of next month.
[Margaret] I think one of the things that struck me the most this year
was that when Boris Johnson finally got a mandate from the people
as opposed to just the Conservative Party
he came out, he stood outside of Downing Street
and he actually spoke to the 'remain-ers.'
[Boris Johnson] To those who did not vote for us all for me
and wanted and perhaps still want to remain in the E.U.
and I want you to know that we will never ignore your good and positive feelings
of warmth and sympathy towards the other nations of Europe.
You'll have to wait and see whether he actually lives up to that promise
not to forget those people and their desires.
But it was a moment just because it has
been so missing
over the past three and  a half years.
[Thomas Daigle] Helicopters are hovering overhead.
Police have closed down the street here.
There's a real feeling of turmoil
because of all the uncertainty about what could happen next.
I think the challenge was to explain to Canadians why this matters so much to people
and why they feel so strongly for or against the European Union.
[Reporter] If Brexit's a circus, here's the sideshow.
Outside Parliament everyday they're demanding a referendum redo.
There's been intense polarization.
People feel very very passionately about staying in or leaving the European Union.
And one of the aims every day every time we covered this was to
tell audiences in Canada how passionately people felt
and why they felt that way
and what impact this would actually have on --
Many people would say one of most important democracies in the Western world.
And now after failing to deliver Brexit on time twice
she could be forced out the door even sooner than planned.
[Reporter] Nearly 70 percent of people here voted to leave the European Union back in 2016.
The problem with covering a story like Brexit is that it can be very bureaucratic.
But it's also at its core it's very emotional
because it's about destiny.
It's about where people want to see their country going
and you have to get to the core of that emotion to make it translate.
I feel angry at the E.U.
The people that are ruling it and telling us what we have to do
and most of it is to suit them.
The minute you get to the core of the emotion then I think it is translatable
and particularly to Canadians because you know we have Quebec.
We have a history with referendums.
So I think Canadians are interested in these kinds of debates
especially when they when they divide society.
