It was a year headlined by death, disappointment and destruction. From war and disaster to the untimely passing of many notable figures, 2016 was packed full of terrible news.

But buried within were nuggets of good news — the kind of stories that made us smile and softened hearts. Here are some of our favourites.

The underdogs

It was the ultimate underdog sports story: An unheralded group of Icelanders eliminated soccer giant England from the European Championship last June.

It was a stunning upset, considering Iceland was the smallest country to appear at the championship (population just over 330,300) and that one of the managers was a part-time dentist. The Icelanders made it to the quarter-finals, where they lost in a valiant effort to the powerhouse French team.

The performance boosted Icelandic morale, including in Gimli, Man., home to the largest concentration of Icelandic people outside of the island nation, and the world was introduced to a boisterous Icelandic commentator nicknamed Gummi Ben. All that deserves a Viking clap.

The furries

Syrian refugee children mob the furries, giving them hugs. (LiveitRivet/Twitter)

As if the move to Canada from war-torn Syria wasn't an overwhelming enough cultural change, try adding an encounter with people dressed up in furry animal outfits.

The two collided in March when a furry convention was scheduled at the same Richmond, B.C., hotel temporarily housing some of the Syrian refugees.

There were concerns about the culture shock the encounter might cause. But the refugee children were delighted and ended up swarming the furries — dancing, hugging and posing for photos with the costumed dragons, dogs and lions. Talk about a warm welcome.

<a href="https://twitter.com/Kablappy">@Kablappy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ziyatong">@ziyatong</a> I have mostly khord and crazy Joe but do have a video with a dragon! <a href="https://t.co/tSnfZl17NP">pic.twitter.com/tSnfZl17NP</a> —@LiveitRivet

The hangover cure

An underappreciated Lethbridge fish and chips shop captured the hearts and stomachs of Albertans last summer — and all it took was a typo-riddled Facebook post from one hungry man with a hangover.

Colin Ross made a trip to Whitbie's Fish & Chips looking for "some grease" after a night of drinking. He was served by the restaurant's 69-year-old owner, John McMillan, who told him business was so slow he wasn't able to pay himself.

Lineups extended out the door just days after Colin Ross posted his kind review on Facebook. (Colin Ross/Facebook)

That all changed when Ross posted a glowing Facebook review of the food and encouraged others to share it — bringing in hundreds of new customers and lineups out the door.

McMillan was glowing: "The people of Alberta just come together. This is the greatest province and the greatest country."

The helping hand

Abbey D'Agostino of the United States (right) is assisted by Nikki Hamblin of New Zealand after a collision during a heat of the women's 5,000-metre race at Rio's Olympic Stadium. (Ian Walton/Getty Images)

The Rio Olympics had its problems — most notably the algae-green pool, the crime and sanitation woes and a lying swimmer. But it was hard not to be moved by the demonstrations of pure humanity that came out of the Games.

There was the unstoppable Penny Oleksiak and Andre De Grasse. But the most compelling case of sportsmanship came when New Zealand runner Nikki Hamblin fell during a 5,000-metre heat, taking down U.S. runner Abbey D'Agostino with her and dashing their Olympic dreams.

The two helped each other get back up, and though D'Agostino was injured, they finished the race together. They may not have made it to the podium, but they were given a special sportsmanship award by the IOC and praised online for being true Olympians.

They may not have topped the podium, but the pair were commended for their sportsmanship. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

The payback

It's not often the banks provide an unexpected payday. So it was a big win for consumers earlier this year when some of CIBC's and Scotiabank's investment arms started reimbursing customers almost $93 million in excess fees they shouldn't have been charged in the first place.

Sure, it's not free money and the overcharging was apparently done by mistake, but it doesn't make the cash surprise any less sweet.

The wildfire response

Connor and Jonathan Muia, 10, and their cousin Dawson Schigol, 10, sell lemonade in Etobicoke, Ont., to help the victims of the Fort McMurray wildfire in May. (Ron Temple)

The fire in Fort McMurray, Alta., dubbed the Beast, was anything but good news. But the outpouring of help and offers to accommodate Fort McMurray residents was astounding, bringing the country together. Aid came to the ravaged Alberta city from around the world.

The support from fellow Canadians was generous: kids hosted lemonade sales, peace officers rallied together to save hundreds of pets (including a beer-loving pig) and more than 100 wedding dresses were offered up when a bride-to-be's gown burned in the fire.

And amid all the devastation, the fire spared a handmade roadside memorial for 29-year-old Michael Leclercq.

The remarkable story of how a memorial marker was spared from the Fort McMurray wildfire, and reaction from the family of the man who died. 3:47

The grass around the wooden marker was scorched black, but the little wooden memorial cross with its Plexiglas framed photo and tiny lights were unscathed.

In a year when good news was hard to find, we took comfort where we could find it.